1.
Albany, January 2nd 1830
My dear Frances.
It was just seven o'clock
on Wednesday morning when I left the American
Hotel at Auburn in a stage with eight other
passengers most of them Yankees gathering in
for the winter into the "old Connecticut bee-
hive." We had a dull tedious ride of four
hours to Elbridge where we breakfasted and
at five o'clock in the evening we arrived at
Syracuse. I had not anticipated so warm
a reception as I met with at Syracuse,
the Antimasons gathered in to see me and
the Onondaga workers seemed to have caught
much of the spirit of the Cayugas.
I called on Mrs Kasson and Henrietta.
Henrietta is keeping school because it is so
dull there in the Winter. Has twenty-two
scholars &c. Archy is at St Louis has bought
a mill site and built a mill, the family
must move within the year they suppose
though they have heard nothing from
Archy on that point. Harvey Baldwin has

2.
come out Anti Masonic. I went to his room
and in the evening drank a bottle of wine
with my friends, and promised to stay the
next day and write an address for their
NewYears convention. Next morning undertook
the task but was interrupted and prevented
and the stage coming along at two o'clock
I got into it with Julius Rhoads Esq of Albany
Master in Chancery. We travelled all night and
arrived at Utica on Friday morning at six
o'clock. Left there in a tremendous storm at
eight o'clock and slept that night at Fonda
42 miles from this city, arrived ^here^ last night at
seven o'clock well and sufficiently fatigued.
Everybody had been keeping NewYear and was
as much fatigued as I. I found a room pro-
vided for me at the Eagle, but it is as yet
occupied by my predecessor Judge Oliver who
will leave in a few days. I am temporarily
in the room with my friend Senator Boughton.
The Govenor, Lieut Govenor, Mayor, & Ex Mayor
each had open houses yesterday and all
the world Antimasons, and all went to see

3.
the dignitaries and drink thier wine,
Of course, I came a day too late.
The Lieut Govenor has rooms at the
Eagle, and I think his whole family with
him, they have no seperate table & it is said
he pays $90 per week. Rhoads tells me
that the Lt. Govenor has two daughters
who are to be brought out this Winter.
Sunday afternoon. I have been to
church at the 2nd Episcopal church.
It is a delightful house and the Rev. gave
us a good NewYears sermon. I have
now given you the sum and substance
of all I have as yet seen or heard. I have
not yet been here long enough to know
whether I shall be pleased or otherwise
though I was last night visited with more
recollections about you and Fred and Augustus
than you perhaps would be give me credit for.
All as yet seems pleasant and there has
been exhibited no feeling of any hostility on
account of politics.

4.
The Supreme Court commences tomorrow and
the Legislature will commence on Tuesday.
I shall then have an opportunity of giving
you some of the feelings with which I
shall commence the new career before me.
From my windows I look out upon the
Hudson whose swollen waters cover the
streets and stoops between this house and
the usual banks. The sun shines out
brightly and blessedly this afternoon.
Mr Tracy called upon me this morning
and went to church with me.