Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, May 4, 1838
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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, May 4, 1838
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:kac
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1838-05-04
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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, May 4, 1838
action: sent
sender: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
location: Westfield, NY
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: New York, NY
transcription: kac
revision: ekk 2015-11-23
<>
Page
1
Chautauqua Land Office
Westfield May 4 1838
W. H. Seward Esq
Dear Brother
Your last letter left me
so in doubt as to your future move-
ments, that I have known ^neither^ when to
write you, or where to send my letters.
Matters grow smaller & smaller
here, every week. Some days we do
not receive a dollar—on some we do
not take a single Bond & M. & it is but
rare that we effect the sale of a piece
of wild land. Our receipts have been
about four hundred dollars per week in
Cash—and we have taken $7.500 or $8.000
in Bonds & Mortgages since the 1st of April
—but have not renewed more than seven
or ten one year articles. Few persons
comparatively, call at this time—but
this few generally come with troublesome
& tedious errands.
Finding no place cheaper, we have
[left Margin] Abell
for him—begs me to add a word. I supposed it would be painful
to the poor fellow
to mention the par-
ticulars, & so I did
not ask & know
nothing—only that
he is needy.
Page
2
concluded to occupy our present office room
—except that we have given up the little
north room & are now under rent of $40
per annum—& discontinue when we please.
Mr. Haight
dissatisfied and complains all over town
that he situated himself for a permanent
business, & is now out of employ. He is
daily with Peacock
I know not what, in the room above us.
I seldom see him; him — but when I do, I
design to call on him with great kindness
to explain to me, what I hear he tells
others of your bad faith: his own reflections
I suppose him will shut his mouth.
Augustus
- We are completing the incomplete mort-
gages—writing up the unprepared deeds
copying deed boundaries in the deed re-
gistry book—mapping the sales in the deed
atlas—opening new books of account &c &c
and it seems as if we should never get
even with our office business.
The dun letters to those holding
Page
3
one year articles are gone forth—but they
bring us no customers. Nor has the last
lot of mortgage
pose of stirring up delinquents much be-
yond the persons sued. Our object is to
strengthen the impression that our business
must have attention; at least—& payments
of interest in every case—extraordinaries ex-
cepted; while at the same time there seems
absolute necessity for lenity
few.
I have written to J. L. Rathbone
to inquire if he will give up a lot
in stockton, if the occupant succeeds
in raising the funds necessary & finds
a partner to take a part. His an-
swer has not yet come to hand.
also to Thurlow Weed
lot that Brown
a quit claim for him to sign. Pray re-
member it when you come along & pay
the acknowledging fees: — & explain it should
my letter to him need explanation.
As usual, several things are tied
up till you return & give direction. We
Page
4
shall all rejoice to see you here again.
Your Grateful Brother
B.J. Seward
Wm H. Seward Esq.
Care AM Life Ins. & Trust Co
New York City
Single.
WESTFIELD N.Y.
MAY
5
Type: postmark
h
B. J. Seward
May 4, 1838
Chautauqua Land Office
Westfield May 4 1838
W. H. Seward Esq
Dear Brother
Your last letter left me
so in doubt as to your future move-
ments, that I have known ^neither^ when to
write you, or where to send my letters.
Matters grow smaller & smaller
here, every week. Some days we do
not receive a dollar—on some we do
not take a single Bond & M. & it is but
rare that we effect the sale of a piece
of wild land. Our receipts have been
about four hundred dollars per week in
Cash—and we have taken $7.500 or $8.000
in Bonds & Mortgages since the 1st of April
—but have not renewed more than seven
or ten one year articles. Few persons
comparatively, call at this time—but
this few generally come with troublesome
& tedious errands.
Finding no place cheaper, we have
[left Margin] Abell
Birth: 1781-02-24 Death: 1858-09-24Certainty: Probable
of the Johnson House Fredonia will write you about raising some fundsfor him—begs me to add a word. I supposed it would be painful
to the poor fellow
to mention the par-
ticulars, & so I did
not ask & know
nothing—only that
he is needy.
concluded to occupy our present office room
—except that we have given up the little
north room & are now under rent of $40
per annum—& discontinue when we please.
Mr. Haight
Birth: 1799-11-28 Death: 1866-02-23
has left us—went offdissatisfied and complains all over town
that he situated himself for a permanent
business, & is now out of employ. He is
daily with Peacock
Birth: 1780-02-22 Death: 1877-02-21
at work at something I know not what, in the room above us.
I seldom see him; him — but when I do, I
design to call on him with great kindness
to explain to me, what I hear he tells
others of your bad faith: his own reflections
I suppose him will shut his mouth.
Augustus
Birth: 1820-05-18 Death: 1889-05-08
is assisting in the office- We are completing the incomplete mort-
gages—writing up the unprepared deeds
copying deed boundaries in the deed re-
gistry book—mapping the sales in the deed
atlas—opening new books of account &c &c
and it seems as if we should never get
even with our office business.
The dun letters to those holding
one year articles are gone forth—but they
bring us no customers. Nor has the last
lot of mortgage
The charging of property by a debtor to a creditor as security for a debt, on the condition that it shall be returned on the payment of the debt within a certain period • Convey property to a creditor as security on a loan •
foreclosures, answered the pur-pose of stirring up delinquents much be-
yond the persons sued. Our object is to
strengthen the impression that our business
must have attention; at least—& payments
of interest in every case—extraordinaries ex-
cepted; while at the same time there seems
absolute necessity for lenity
Mildness of temper; softness; tenderness; mercy •
in cases not a few.
I have written to J. L. Rathbone
Birth: 1791-08-02 Death: 1845-05-13
to inquire if he will give up a lot
in stockton, if the occupant succeeds
in raising the funds necessary & finds
a partner to take a part. His an-
swer has not yet come to hand.
also to Thurlow Weed
Birth: 1797-11-15 Death: 1882-11-22
to beg off the lot that Brown
Unknown
lives on in Mina & senta quit claim for him to sign. Pray re-
member it when you come along & pay
the acknowledging fees: — & explain it should
my letter to him need explanation.
As usual, several things are tied
up till you return & give direction. We
shall all rejoice to see you here again.
Your Grateful Brother
B.J. Seward
Wm H. Seward Esq.
Care AM Life Ins. & Trust Co
New York City
Single.
WESTFIELD N.Y.
MAY
5
Stamp
h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10William Seward
May 4, 1838