John D. Weld / Aaron Aldrich correspondence

Archive

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Bay Village Historical Society

Name/Title

John D. Weld / Aaron Aldrich correspondence

Entry/Object ID

2000.FIC.037

Scope and Content

This is a four-page letter, with multiple folds, from John D. Weld to Aaron Aldrich concerning returning from his trip to Ohio and awaiting Julia to write to him. His health issues after his trip. General news. Transcribed: Dear Brother, I have been waiting ever since I returned from Ohio for Julia to write I had not much to write & thought I could in her letter & have at length considered[?]. I have the good fortune to get home Safe though my health was not very good when I arrived, but I found my family & friends all enjoying comfortable health. — We have a blow on the Lake the night I was on lasted about two hours. Nobody hurt some frightened. — I begin to feel anxious to hear how things are going on in your part of the country. Want to know how Mr. Smith gets along with my farm. – how much hay he cut. – how much wheat he got in. – whether he has set any appletrees. – whether he has cleared any & what the prospect is of his making out the money for his rent by the first of April. The hay on the place belonging to me I want you to take pairs to sell if it will sell for the money this spring and take pay for your trouble out of the avails of it. I want to know whether Joseph has done his job of cleaning. I want you to remind Mr Smith of the rents coming due the first of April. I understand Andrew Winsor Jr is expecting to come to Ohio the first of May next. could I hear from you that the money for the rent & was in your hands before be Andrew left I think probable I could make an exchange with Andrew as he will probably have some money to bring with him but he will be afraid to make the exchange unless he can have that the money is in your hands. I expect it will be attended with difficulty to make a remitt– -ance from that state to this unless it be done in some such way. Henry Stone & Lemuel arrived about three weeks after I did from the west they came by the way of Pittsburg — brought four horses two of them not sold yet. Mr Stone is getting along about as usual has not come to a settlement yet with Field has had a lawsuit with Field got beat he thinks that will help bring his settlement to a cler[?]. The farm I talked of buying in North Providence is sold there are farms enlength for sale Harris Stone is very anxious for me to buy his farm (the Daniel Tucker farm) I should be glad to buy it if he would sell for what it is worth Page 2 Brother Stephen B Winsor moved yesterday Jany. 25th to the New institution in Scituate to take the Stewardship has $500 per year for his & Wife’s services if there are scholars enough so that their bearce and tuition fee will pay him and the teachers if not their wages must curtailed – alike.– I want farm of mine in Dover Sold as soon as it will sell somewhere in the neighborhood of what it is worth I expect that Coloss Atwell or he and father are thinking of getting hold of it sooner or later and I am jealous if any body else should think of buying it Jesse Atwell would not recommend it to them as he did to me when I was about buying.– I shall feel quite anxious to hear from you soon after you receive this and wish you to write soon. Mr W says that you said you supposed that I had got to be a little to popular to come there to live I thought then I would try to give you some idea of my popularity but shall only say that if staying in the cellar kitchen from one years end to another will render me popular I expect I am. myself and family have been to Nancys since I commenced writing she is well and her family we had a most excellent visit she said I must tell you she had a long dream about you wanted to write you a long letter send her love to you she had her hands full but manages to go to the Lyceum once a fortnight and to all the letters of which they have an abundance we went to see Sarah they have a very pleasant house and farm he says he wo- -uld not take ten thousand dollars for it, but if he was not worth a cent he could not work any harder he does now Sarah makes a good– houskeeper though her health is not good. Lemuel went last fall to work on the railroad from Springfield to Albany and staid until the first of January, his compensation was sixty two dollars per month, he is at home now but says going away to look up business next week Henry is at work for Daniel Hunt Winsor is boarding with Henry and going to school sister Stone’s health is must better than it was last summer she says she is going to write to you and sister B by Andrew Mr Woodford has written too Mr Eliska Steere requesting him to sell the share belonging to Henry’s heir’s I think Mr Stone will buy it he manages very well farming and keeps up excellent spirits[?] they live very comfortable no doubt you have many anxious thoughts about them. Lydia’s family are all well give my love to Henry and family sister B and family their connexions here are all well I believe I wish you would write and your children my love to them all I have enjoyed so much satisfaction in writing to you that I shall write to sister B soon why don’t – Lucina write Mr Weld remembers with gratitude your kindness to him and I have thanked you a great many times in my heart and now I take this oppertunity to say I thank you. Yours in love Julia Page 3 Dear Sister I have contemplated writing to you ever since Mr W’s return but nameless circumstances occurred to present there a hun- -dred things I want to write but I have practiced so little of late I suppose I shall not get a quarter of them down. I acknowledge with pleasure the receipt of the dried apples. I looked at them, smelled them, cooked and ate them all the while considering them a token of affection direct from your hand. sisters L and N had some of them. the children too were highly gratti- -fied wth the butternut they passed to all the families. I was somewhat disapointed at Mr Weld’s decision in respect to moving although it may be for the best. I think however that I should feel much more at home in our own log house than I do at present. the treadwell farm is sold to a man in Prov- -idence Mr W. is on the look out for a place but thinks he shall never move out of New England I do not give myself a great deal of trouble about it aware that is makes no so much difference where as how we live but I had so long made all my calculations with refference to Ohio that I left a degree of disapointment arising I believe more from the painful thought that I might never again meet with my dear friends there than from a conxivusness[?] that I should like living there as well as here but it will take a little while to get naturalized to any place and after all I should not be supprised if in the course of time we should find ourselves in the identicle log cabin where I have so often arranged my furniture in immagination and received the kindly visits of my friends there. Perhaps it may depend something on what course our boys take Wm. thinks now that he shall never want much land to work on but he may change his mind with regard to that and a great many other things which he thinks now that he shall do when he gets to be a man such as smoking cigars and going about Sundays when you wite again which by the way I hope may be in the course of a few years, please to say a word of encouragement to the boys about the observance of the sab- -bath they talk and inquire a great deal about their relation in Ohio they are wild children and kneed muck parental restraint did you not say once that you were going to write a letter on family government what has become of it I hope it will be forth comming as I kneed it very much. Nancy disciplines about right, her children interestinng pritty behaved children. I believe she means it to perform the duties of a christain Mother she gets up here quite as often as could be expected say four times a year she is generally in good health and spirits. I drilled Mr. W after he got home to tell all that you said of every boddy and every thing while he was there and he said he informed you of N’s new wig which it seems created some surprise as would be natural at first thought but when you come to reflect that her hair has become so white and thin that is absolutely necessary to wear something on the head and why not something as nearly to resemble that which her maker gave her as any thing else be assured she does not do it from a vain shoe with regard to her having her children babtised to be sure it is a rite which you and I cannot sanction but she has done it from christian motives and feels a satisfaction from it which I would not mar by discussing the sub- -ject with her individually especialy as her husband’s family are deeply rooted in that belief. Mr. W. informed me of your liberality to the poor women with regard to the cloak which gave me much pleasure and I could not help wishing you would send one this way as I am wearing one that I have worn nine winters and it cost but 42 ct. a yard three years ago however I coloured it over and it still looks so respectable that I have concluded not to get a new one this winter, to be seri- -ous though you must feel a pleasure far superiour to that of wearing a nice cloak in the thought that you have obeyed the injunction do unto others even as you would that others should so unto you, Page 4 I have nothing more of consequence to write about at this time only once more I will make a request for an answer to this soon after you receive this and write in particular how Mr Smith gets along with my farm and what the prospects are pf his making out the rent by the first of April. I am Dars[?] Sir yours John D Weld Smithfield Jany 29th 1841 Smith Field Jany 29 Mr Arron Aldrich Esq Dover Cuyahoga County Ohio

Collection

Aldrich Family Collection

Dimensions

Height

16-1/2 in

Width

13 in

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Aldrich, Aaron

Person or Organization

Attwell, Caleb

Person or Organization

Smith, Mr.

Person or Organization

Steele, Elijah

Person or Organization

Stone, Mr.

Person or Organization

Stone, Henry

Person or Organization

Welce, Julia

Person or Organization

Weld, John D.

Person or Organization

Weld, Julia

Person or Organization

Winsor, Daniel

Person or Organization

Winsor, Stephen B.

Person or Organization

Woodford, Mrs.