ROBINSON - PEFFLEY - 1832 - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Two of the original letters are in the possession of Grant E. Rose, Ladoga and Alice Peffley Priest at 606 W. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara, Calif., has the third.

Salem, Botetourt Co., Va. April 8th, 1832. John Peffley, Swankville, Putnam Co., Ind. (this favor by J. Myers.) We received your second letter last evening sent to us by Sirkle (Robinson) who had been at the office two days before and it had not come yet. We all hail it's welcome visit and every eye glistens and sparkles to hear its contents, and are highly grateful to hear that you are pleased with the country and the people.

You state that you are all well at present and for these kind mercies, we feel it our duty to thank our Heavenly Father for his benevolent mercies sincerely hoping that these few lines will find you my dear children enjoying the ??ame good blessing of health. You want to know all about our affairs here ??nd I will give you a detail after I make more inquiry. In the first place I will say something of your old neighbors as that will do to fill part of my letter. You say to F. GARST, "you have selected several thousand acres of land for him." I can tell you that he has commenced purchasing the county of Botetourt. He has purchased G. STOVER'S, MATT. STOVER'S at the sawmill and the place where M. FRANTZ lives. For which he pays $3600.00 and G. STOVER expects to go to your country about the first of October next and GEO. STOVER is going with him. JOHN GARST has bought all the land that belonged to Frederick on and about Mason's Creek for $1800.00.

Dreadful fire last night a week, James Huff's shop on the street took fire from the chimney supposed to have caught low down between the logs and chimney it was discovered about 12 at night and before relief could be obtained it was in a flame, and consumed about 400 hats Six bbls. of flour with a great many other valuable things. Then his dwelling house and kitchen with some other small houses took fire and in a few minutes all were consumed then the house of Mr. Goodwin where Dr. Griffin and Dillon lived took fire, in a second the whole end was in a flame and soon consumed then Mr. White's store and dwelling, took fire on the roof and was in a blaze from one end to the other but by the violent exertion of the people the fire was checked, and the house was saved, but all the rooms in the upper story were racked and torn to pieces some other houses caught but were saved. By wetting woolen blankets and spreading on the roof.

There were nearly Four Hundred of the blankets with large holes burned in them and some nearly burned up. About 30 tin buckets thrown from the tpp of the houses and ruined after pouring their contents on the roof. Huff's loss is about two thousand dollars.

Poor Joe Akels, last Thursday was caught in that suite with Geo. Grounds, Costs and the negro wench is near a hundred dollars. Joe says he came naked into the world and naked he must go out, what a sorrowful scene with him and family, much pitied by his neighbors.

Old Mrs. Erby is dead and the old man Erby nearly off. Mark gave me an ??der on him a few days ago for that money he owes you and I heard he was very low in health so I did not go in to pester him in his frail state, and poor ??en. is about to burst. I understand all his property is under execution and will be sold in a few days unless he can borrow the money or sell his land and what to do with him I do not know so I quit him and commenced on Hanes. He tells Stephens he owes you nothing, Stephens told me if you have any proof to say in your next letter and he will warrant him. Halls (or Molls) money Stephens says I shall have in a few days.

He says Dillards money is uncertain he has been waiting a long time in hopes he would come to Salem but he never came he sent a list of the amount by his brother Nathan but never has heard of them since.

Dunnington's money I got which is $144.00 he said you got a pair of side leathers at 62 1/2c. I got that of Frantz $150.00 and made a set of gears to fill the place of them you took with you--oats at Hashbargers, in a day or two after you left here. Zach and I went after them and found so grown together that a number of the top sheaves we left fast growed together and that we fetched was so damp it made a heavy load and coming up the hill at Weathers' we had like to stalled.

Just now I heard from McCrery that cut his throat with a razor a few days ago he is at the point of death. It is not known for what he did it. Old Mrs. Keagy is very low and I think will be off in a few days. Old Granny Burntrager lays very near unto death. Old Mrs. Huffman ditto with consumption. Chris Huffman is dead and buried in eight days after you left here.

John says I must write to his sister Polly. And John, he sends his best love to you both and says I must tell you what he is doing he raised a house and a still-house last week and intends to commence stilling in about three weeks. He has bought three stills one holds a 140 gallons also 70 still tubs and several unpainted wine casks a cider mill etc. The house he raised is for Joe Stover to live in while he stills for him, he has hired a young man a year for which he pays $70.00.

Stover says yesterday while he was working at his new fabric near the stillhouse that when they got their stills in operation they could make from eight to ten dollars per day. Zach says Write for me Hanner and Betsey and tell our dear sister Polly and brother John we send our most affectionate love and good will with the best luck and sincerely hope you may live long and happy in that new and prosperous country. (and to these last words) I and your dear old mother with all your brothers and sisters render a hearty and sincere Amen.

Betsey and Hannah have each a daughter about five months old. Betsey called hers Sarah and Hannah called hers Lavina, Zach and their hired negro have made upwards of five hundred flour barrels since New Years day two hundred all ready packed with flour, they have to make five thousand, this season for Wrolunds Mill 84 barrels a week is Zach's and the negros task between them. Zach has planned a peach orchard plum and grape orchard and intends making wine, peach, plum and apple brandy. Now my dear son and daughter your letter stated everything so nice what you had done and what you was doing that I thought perhaps you would find some satisfaction in hearing of our proceedings. Your first letter I could never read the whole of it without stopping filial and benevolent tears for my dear and for absent children who have penetrated far into dreary lands to provide something to support yourselves and dear little children oh may the Lord of Glory and the God of Heaven and Earth with his infinite mercies guide you in all the paths of peace and consolation through this life and at the appointed time when this mortal body must be changed that you may both be perfectly willing to quit this world of labor and toil for one of Glory and everlasting happiness is the sincere prayer of your old Father and Mother.

As I have said nothing about Allen and myself you may think we are doing nothing. All went to school til the first of March, since that we have made several hundred rails, collered two fields for corn sowed one field of oats and sowed four fields of clover seed and made a great deal of fence. The high winds last winter blowed down fences for me that had stood the storms for 12 years and it is said that D. Shanks Thermometer showed that it was four degrees and a half colder than was ever known before in Botetourt. The reason we sowed so much clover seed it is selling at 10 dollars per bushel in Lynchburg. Tempy says she is not yet engaged in matrimony and you must tell that young American buck to hold himself in readiness until she comes. That is the one you mentioned in your last letter.

Allen, Leanerer (Leannah) Ruth, Joseph and Perry went to school last winter and Perry run two races with the master. Olds beat the first and Perry beat the last.

John and Polly what next--a few weddings John Smith to Betsey Pefley, Sam Peffley to Hannah Stover, A Mr. Cizar a storekeeper at Lexington in Virginia to Hannah Miller. He has bought Spunks old storehouse and lot for the sum of $2850.00 and is going to set up a large store there. No less than five stores in Salem.

John you recollect the widow Greene if you don't you do Polly. was not you and your Mamy in John's wagon going to Salem when she flew by with some less than one million of great broad ribbons and scared John's horses almost to death. Well the flying jib is married to the hog drunken Bohon. Mat Frantz to a Graybill and a Graybill to a Miss Frankenbarger. Mr. Williams in Salem, his eldest daughter to Neal that used to clerk for Shanks. This will do for the present Stop until I start afresh, Aim Howbard to a Mr. Soffered a blacksmith that worked in the shop at Howbard's. I think I have mentioned all your brothers and sisters in this letter but Sirkle he is well and your second letter he lifted, read it and then sealed it brought it to us and I have not seen him since but shall perhaps before I seal this letter. Mangus bought a place about a week ago on Catawba two miles above the forge near Fincastle it is a 178 acres I think for which he is to pay $1500.00 down. I then went to Jacob Gish and he took your note. Myers is to start in two or three days.I shall do all in my power to get all your money and send it with Old Geo. Stover next October when he moves to your country. ~~~~~~~~ John by trying to sell your note I found the worth of cash in Botetourt, your note of $184 dollars 25 per cent discount on a six year note) $73.60 is the money you would get for your note.

Signed, THOS. ROBINSON. April 28th, 1834, Salem Bot. Ct., Va. To John and Polly Peffley,

Dear Brother and Sister:

I once more embrace this opportunity of writing to you ~ The first item I shall endeavor to inform you of is the visit I have had in contemplation to visit you this spring but I must state with a degree of sorrow that instead of coming myself, I only have the pleasure of sending you a letter to try and let you know the cause of my delaying the journey until some future period. The circumstance is as follows. Our money in these parts is in jeopardy that is our paper money silver cannot be had at present. The Maryland bank is broken in other words proved to be insolvent and the Richmond bank of Va., is feared will soon share the same fate it is also believed that many other banks in this state will soon break. This bank breaking has very much injured this county and the adjoining one which has caused money to be very scarce and times hard, for this one reason I have concluded not to visit that part of the continent until times take a change for the better which I hope will be by next fall then I may venture with safety but to start now with this money it may prove of no avail before I would reach my journeys end.

Bro. Zirkle started on a visit to Shenandoah and Rockingham Counties last April a year and just returned the other day and he says he lost thirty- five dollars by the Maryland breaking, he says that he is going to Rockingham County the last of this month to catch him a companion for life or in plain words a wife her name is Malinda Rosinbarger. They live over the mountain from New Market on the South River. He states that he waited on five young men during his absence and made all their wedding clothes.

Cousin Eleanor Rosinbarger is married and Zirk was in attendance she married about the first of last March. She married a man by the name of Price. He is very rich and lives near the South River. Cousin Edmond is married to a March. Cousin Jno {Jonathan}Zirkle also married a Miss March, Edmond's wife's sister. John Z. had the misfortune to lose her after being married one year and one month. Uncle Z.{Zirkle?} daughter Melinda is married and moved to Maryland. Grandmother Cowin is yet alive and in tolerable health, perhaps you have not heard that Benjamin Zirkle of Shenandoah has sold his possessions and moved to Ohio. Uncle Phillip Ary is moved back from Ohio and settled in Rockingham Co.

I now commence again in our own county Bot. Mr. Dingledine has sold the place he bought of J. Britts for $500.00 to a Lutheran Preacher by the name of Miller. He may be a fine man, but we would much rather have had the good old friend Britts there still for he is very much missing (where you find one thats just and true don't change the old for the new). A few words concerning religion some time previous there was a great revival in the neighborhood at the Green Ridge Meeting House amongst the Baptists .

A few words concerning marriages and deaths. Catherina Brown to John Brown of Amsterdam, Polly Peffley to Mr. Hypes of Franklin County. Polly Evans to William Pettet a widower, Peggy Gowns to Mr. Lowery of Mason's Cove, L. C. young Frederick Garsts wife is very sick and has been sick for some time. Eliza Baldwin is very low with consumption it is feared she will soon go as her sister Louise went sometime previous. Old Granny Carvin is thought to be on the point of death, the rest of our neighbors are generally well, as far as I know. We have had a very disagreeable cold winter here, but are blest with a very early spring although usually wet the grain looks very promising throughout the County. William Wrowland has bought the Lick place for Three thousand dollars and there is going to be a town laid off before long, the lots will sell very high there has been many offers made already there is now storehouses building there four merchants from Salem are there making preparations there and some from the north are expected shortly.

Since I have commenced writing to you Thomas Evans has departed this life. On the 25th of April there was a family of people moving Westward they camped all night near Mr. Stoners in this county, and on the 26th, they started on their journey as usual this family consisted of one old man and lady and three daughters, the man was driving a caryall stopped. The rest of the family was then out of sight some persons went to the caryall and found the man sitting with the lines in his hand--dead. The family was sent for Mr. Joel Croompecker (sic- Crumpacker, a Reverend in the Church of the Brethren, who solemnized 8 Peffley couples in Botetourt Co. Virginia - Jeff Scism) was eye witness of the scene he said he never saw people apparently so much distressed in all his life to find their parent dead who a few minutes before was in good health, it is thought he was struck with the dead palsey, this happened the day before Thos. Evans died.

Brother John's companion (Elizabeth) was entered in the grave yard where her Father lies and several of her relation between C. Gish and A. Stover's plantation. She was entered the 20th of May at ten o'clock A. M. The Rev. Joel Croompecker and Mr. Sperry preached the funeral. I commenced writing to you on the latter end of April please read this letter to all your surrounding neighbors and friends.

Zachariah and Hannah Robinson's letter to John and Polly Peffley.

Address: John Peffley, Crawfordsville, Mont. Ct. Indiana. Favored by Mr. Michael Etter.

July 10th, 1840, Big Lick, Roanoke Ct. Va. Most affectionate son and daughter it is with the tears of gratitude and joy that I am writing to you to answer the favor which I just received by the hands of your brother Zach which is written by your tender hand and directed to me. It appears from your letter dated May the 16th that you didn't get the letter which I sent you last winter which stated that Dr. Franklin died on the 17th of last October. He had been at your uncle's and was laying very low when Trainor got there, with a fever and the Dr. stayed with him three weeks and cured him then he started for home and got as far as Abingdon in Virginia .

The next most important query on my mind is of the political nature. I am sixty seven years old on the first day of August and I can say I never have saw such lecturing and canvassing as is in operation at our last election, It appears the time is fast approaching when the few must rule the many and if it cannot be done by fair play it must by foul for this is the determination of the Feds with the aid of their swindling Banks.

Polly I see in your letter a few lines on politics concerning Van Buren and Harrison, I would have been glad if you had written a line or two more on the political head as the few you did write are so very interesting to me at this next election for President will, I sincerely hope, be the last effort that our enemies will ever make to force the farmer and the mechanic to give up their liberty to the banks and their agents that is at this moment getting our surplus produce at their own price. I have been taking two Whig papers and two Republican for the last twelve months and I have been watching each party in politics, as I used to read the Scripture and watch each party in religion and I find the two great contending parties are composed of the laboring class on one side and Bankites and Gentlemen on the other, but who is it wants to get in power? Is it not the Federalists that the Republicans have tried twice and they cannot please the majority of the people. Was not old John ADAMS in Four years under the name of Federalist and the Republicans so disgusted with Federal politics that they have since assumed the name Federal Republicans and by subterfuge the Fed. Republicans got John Quincy and old Clay to rule as President and how long did they please the majority of the honest industrious people of the free and enlightened country? But four years, well that makes eight years out of 64--the Torys with all their fictitious names have had the honor to rule our Washington patriots. Washington served his men eight years and the Torys growled all the time as they do now and Jefferson served the Republicans 8 years so did Madison and so did Monroe this is 32 years the Republicans had their democrat president to rule over them then in stepped John Quincy ADAMS with his Federal notions of a high protection tariff and national improvement laws which did not set well with the Republican patriot breast and they turned out the old tory and all the new names are not sufficient to blind the Democrat eyes. They then put in their Jackson and he served them eight years and he pleased them so well that they put in Van Buren--Jackson Vice President and he has carried out the Republicanism so completely that the feds is next thing to crazy. Are they not staving to and fro through the country with their humbugs of fire and brimstone to make prosalites to their federalism much like the Methodist Preacher the feds preach up subtreasurey and a standing army to scare the Republicans into their society and they think it will have the same power over the intellectual faculties as fire and brimstone for neither of them are visible or perhaps never will be in existance. Here let me drop a word for old Harrison he has promised to serve but one term--this is as long as any of his brother feds served the Republicans and the old preacher feels a fearful delicacy in breaking their rule because he knows he cannot, dumb as he is he knows by experience a few presidents cannot please a Republican government a single four years and yet they are crying and whindling continually to get into office what a keen apetite the feds have for the public pap .

Polly you state to me that the price of everything is low times hard and money scarce, May I tell my reason, (by experience) First we chartered the Buchanan Bank on James River for our convenience this charter gave the stockholders liberty to lock up One hundred and fifty thousand dollars of our specie and issue seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars of paper, this paper filled our counties of Botetourt and Roanoke alive with money and all that was too lazy to work and could get indorsers to our new bank got to speculating until every enterprising man was over head and ears in debt to our new bank and paying $1.50 to $2.00 per bushel for wheat, $1.00 for corn .85c for rye Bacon from 12 1/2 to 17 cents per pound and beef as high as 17c per pound in Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia, and from 6 to 7 dollars per barrel this put new life in us all. We raised large crops going to get rich right off those that have no land will buy and borrow the money to pay for it now the banks have us all on their hook and heavy crops coming on at high prices to pay our debts but here comes the hard times, the specie is already locked up in the banks and each spculator gets notice to come and lift his land and if he has not property to raise the money he must borrow it of his neighbors to lift his note in the bank of perhaps Ten thousand dollars he then burns his note and the bank locks up their notes to cause a scarcity of money so they can get his heavy crop at their own price. We now find this flood of money is gone and where is it? Is it burned up? No but it is locked up and kept from circulation until the bank agent can buy our property at their own price for we are all in debt and obliged to sell for what we can get or the sheriff will sell it for us under a mortgage or deed of trust, This is hard times for the Farmer, the mechanic and all the laboring class of the community and it is a glorious time for the banks, their agents and the hard hearted paper shavers. So by the industrious mans loss the idle lazy speculator gets rich and they will snarl and grin in the face of the farmer and tell him it is their sub-treasury and Van Buren's administration is the cause of all the distress in the country this is to blind the ignorant so that their thirteen hundred united banks may still continue to fleece the country of its honest industry.

The Democratic party found to their sorrow that one United States Bank would sap the foundation of their liberty and ruin the country and they prayed their president to kill it and he did so, but the states now have Thirteen hundred in operation and doing ten times the mischief to the prosperity of the country and price of commodities than the old United Bank did. Those young swindlers are all united for we see when one suspends specie payment all the rest strike to its motion in rapid succession until we cannot draw one dollar of specie out of those thirteen hundred monsters and yet the crafty whigs want the democrats to withdraw their power from Van and the present administration that is straining every nerve to save the country from ruin and help them to put in Old Docile Harrison that will sanction any sort of shin plasters Tariff- national improvement that Old Clay and the Feds think will best promote the interests of their present ragged filthy flimsy banking system. John and Polly, I do wish I could find decent words to express the horror and disgust I feel for the present banking system for they are going in the same channel that the Banks of England do, they sap all surplus labor and give it to the King and his Lords to sport on.

Frederick Garst was to see me in May and says he has bought a small farm of land he does not know how he likes the country. He has purchased in East Tennessee near Joseph Brubakers, Garsts Martiana is married John Smith and Chris. Kinsey and the above information is from them. We got a letter from Circle in March and they were all well He states the money in that country is fifty percent under par and times harder than ever before.

We have a splendid court and jail house in Salem and Mr. Snyder is elected for our next Assembly he beat Mr. Payton 32 votes and the whigs are trying to make a contested election of it, this corresponds with the creeds for they say, it is the minority that composes the wisdom and prudence of every country and that Minority should always rule over the majority which is composed of the ignorant and the illiterate and common class of the community in every country.

Here I must say a few words to my old friend John,--you state that he still works at his trade--I am glad to hear of his health and would be extremely glad to see him, and converse on politics, as we used to do on religion, for they run parralell with each other, the one to promote the happiness of the body and the other is to promote the consolation of the soul. My old soldier of the cross, my old Democrat and patriot of liberty do we not see the scripture fulfilling every day where it says "The wisdom of the wise is foolishness to God." Look at the wisdom of the wise. They are paying thousands of dollars for the conveyance of old log cabbins through towns and cities for fools to laugh at, they try every strategim to get the simple and ignorant into the tory ranks. Friend John how often have these wise men changed their names since you knew them, Five times I think, well that is about every twleve years now sir I think when a man or woman changes their name so often there is too much white in their eye, no matter what they say they are.

When I first knew their wise party they were called Tory then Federalist then Federalist Republican then Whig then Whig Republican and now conservative Whig Republican and with all their fictitous names they are the same Tory party that was always bafling and squalling and calling General Washington and his men new rebels. About every 24 years another generation rises that knew not the Lord and this is why many an honest man joins that party not understanding their craft. The origin of the tory clan were distant relatives of Old King George the third and near relation of Lord Fairfox, Lord Delaware and Lord Botetourt, look at their high blood that is qualification enough to cause the ignorant republicans to drop their low blooded Jacksons and Dutch Van Burens, and take Harrison, he is one of the remnants and bagends of old Lord Botetourt that made such a lucky escape to old England which saved his bacon, without salt, at the commencement of the Revolution, after he had sanctioned the death of several rebels as he called them.

I must tell you of the last race we had in Salem for the Assembly the Whigs run one of their high blooded Candidates. All the Watse and the McClanahans with many of their friends lectioneered by making speeches and rubbing down their candidates for months previous to the election and the Republicans run one of their common old wagon and Farmer candidates and beat their high flier about 32 votes there was some heavy bets on the race and the wise high bloods have lost their money they now are trying to contest the election to save their money if they can. I never saw a set of men so down in the mouth and chop fallen as these poor lawyers, sheriffs, squires and doctors are since the race. They took the pains to go to every house in the country where they thought was the least chance to gull the ignorant, by preaching up the Subtreasurey and standing army and Van Buren's big Treasureers that has run off with the public money and a number of voters said if this is true I will not vote for Snyder or Van Buren so they set them down on the Whig list. By this strategim they had a large majority before the day of the election and then they came out 32 behind as above stated after they were beat when they were met by our spouty democrats the following conversation ensued, "how are you sir? what have you done with your race hag? are you going to send him to Richmond next winter? or do you intend to keep him here and rub him down for the Salem races next spring etc, etc?"

John Garst is one of our smartest Politicians in our little county at present Some of you that was formerly acquainted with John may think I overreached the medium mark but he would surprise you to hear him. I would actually choose him to represent the county as soon as any man in it at this time.

Our wheat crop are light beyond measure, the fly, the rust, the scab, Chince bug has swept thousands of bushels in our country and the rye is thin next to nothing. Oats corn and potatoes are bidding fair for a heavy crop. I passed by the graves of your parents a few weeks ago and I believe it is tolerably good yet.

Polly you say that you dreamed you was on your way to see us all and how glad you was. Poor little Daughter I can hardly write these lines for the big tears are trickling down my withered cheeks to think what joy it would give for a moment to see you and John and your dear little children and then in a few days to bid you fairwell forever. This would turn my joy into sorrow and finally end in a flood of tears.

It appears in your letter that you think you are not completely satisfied where you are living. The Iowa or the Arkansas or across the Rocky Mountains on the great Columbia is the place where sickness pain, sorrow and death never can reach the human family but my dear children it is too evident that place can never be found this side of eternity.

You are now in the midst of glory if you could only be content therwith or do you not believe the Scriptures when they say "if you have food and rainment be you content therewith, it is not riches and pleasure that make the soul happy, it is the calm and serene mind that gives the stability to the happy soul." Look at neighbor F. G. he could have stayed here if he had sown such seed as he had wished to reap but you know all he craved was money and all of his plans were laid to accumulate upwards of twenty two thousand dollars and did it make him happy? no, far from it he is the most dissatisfied man that ever left this country. John is out doctoring every day for sometime Since he practised some under Trainer he is about as good as any of our doctors Garst had moved back within 180 miles of his old stand to find a better place than the Green Ridge and next start he makes will be on the Combe place for expect he will never get anything for it John White in Salem bought it and he is likely to burst his boiler and if so Garst will have to take back his land.

Perry says he thinks he would hardly know the sister Polly if he was to meet her in the road. Joseph is cradling at Jonathan Evans and I don't know what he says, but he is a stout boy about six feet high. We have a new neighbor come from where I was raised by the name of Anthony Rhoads. He has bought the Widow Frances place, that used to be, he gives $1500.00 for it thats well paid for isn't it John? John Garst's Polly is married to Ben Brubaker and they have bought the Bradley place for them Isaac Ren is married to Eliza Gish and lives where Fifer did at Ren's.

Old Keagy Old Erba and Old Gast (Garst) yet are each between eighty and ninety years old and very feeble. Old Gast stayed all night with me a few weeks ago and at night he got out of bed and fell from the top of the stairs to the bottom and nearly broke his arm he is dreadful weak and walks with two canes.

The nice new bridge on Peppers Ferry New River that cost twelve thousand dollars was swept away by the high water a few weeks ago. The river was four feet higher than it had been for the last seventy years Young John Gish has bought the Tanyard where Mike Sigler owned. There is two stores in little Burlington within one mile of us. The salt men are still boring for salt at the lick they are upwards of 100 feet deep and solid rock the whole way I think it is a poor prospect. Twelve months boring 100 ft and they think they will have to go 800 ft. The man that works at it was at my house last Sunday and said he could go but from 8 to 12 inches per day the rock is composed of rock flint of the hardest sort it takes one third of his time to sharpen his augers he says nearly all the old salt wells on the Canawha are now fresh water.

Son John and daughter Polly I am drawing to the last of my paper and I still want to continue my discourse with you as it may probably be the last time I may have the power of using my intellectual faculties on paper. When I see many of our old acquaintances leaving this stage of action that are much younger than me I think how short and uncertain this life.

A German doctor was to see us last week that was well acquainted with Trainer he says his parents is sick and thinks that D. I. Trainers Legacy will be about $2500.00 and presses on John to go and see to it. Leap tells me about the same that Trainer did of what was coming to him in Germany after the death of his mother and D. Leap says she is dead about two years ago.

John and Polly I hope you will all understand the principals by recommending your cousin John Garst as a qualified candidate you see I go for the talent and not the education unless we can have both together. A man with good learning can write down a good flurry of a speech and the whole of it decided by some great orator and this he can get as pat as A.B.C. then he can stand before the multitude and tell what great laws and wonders he will do for his constituents if they will elect him and at the sametime he has not the economy or frugality to manage a little farm and by this strategim he is elected and instead of having a talented man to represent us, we have nothing but a learned babler with his long learned speeches to consume time and prolong the session to 112 days at about $9 per day which makes the small sum of $1098.00 per session this is what we get by sending our learned lawyers and bablers instead of sending an honest old farmer to represent us in our legislature.

Friend Britt(???)I am sorry to inform you of the death of our old estemed friend he is drowned in the river of politics - - (+)(+)

Signed, T. Robinson.