Chautauque Land Office
Westfeild April 18. 1839
Dear Henry
Tempting offers were made to me
on my return by the Fredonians to settle there:
and in Dunkirk the inducement was made to
be very inviting also: — but land office reasons
made me hesitate. Without cutting off the hope
that conversations between you & Walter Smith ex-
cited in relation to the latter place, or the de-
sire of friends in the former, to interest me in
their enterprizes I took the judgment of Mullet &
others and in accordance with their wishes
determined to settle in neither for the present.
Gentlemen in Fredonia are drumming up about
the county to see if they can raise funds or
means with which to establish a Bank
& hope some day to interest you.
I have taken the Farnsworth house, be-
tween Col Rumseys & Mr Huse for 1 yr. at $200,
& expect to move next week.
I think I mentioned to you ^before^ that I had
advanced $600 to Underwood while at Auburn.
Upon the authority of your late letter, I have
taken up his drafts on you here, amounting
I now find to about $1.900 more.
Two weeks ago I forwarded to Mr Blatchford

the necessary lists, by which to make out the letter
of attorney — returns I suppose will come in good time.
Agreeably to Mr Duers request, I have
effected an arrangement with the Jamestown Bank
by which they recieve our funds to the credit of
the Trust Co — sending a check at the end of 50 days
to Mr Duer. This is the best arrangement to be
had: and under it, the balance of our Bank a/c was
transferred April 9. to the Cr. of the Trustees $4.344.33
due 14^th May._ This increases our Cr with the
Trust Co to $68.507. ^91/100
By addressing a circular to such of the At-
torneys in the Co, an economical arrangement
has been secured for foreclosing where that becomes
necessary. I send you a “J. Journal” containing
one of our running advertisements — much of
the expense, as accruing by the former mode
will now be saved to the settler. another ad-
vertisement may be seen in the “Magulle L.”
& similar tables will be sent this week to
Fredonian & Dunkirk papers. — Other tables
will follow, as fast as we can make them
out. — Thus far, all is straight forward
work — but about Articles, the course is not
so clear. To feel our way along, we have
divided round among the lawyers some
12 or 15 Cases — which will enable us to deter-
mine what may be best as a general rule.
Alarm is spreading — but no impatience is ex-
ressed — The blame is thrown upon the Trust Co

and even they, I believe get off without odium
William Duer writes me from Oswego
but sends me no form of an extension. After
learning his fathers determination not to be sat-
isfied with the extension now heretofore in use
I purposely left the question open — supposing
you could settle it better than I could. Pos-
sibly Mr Duer may recede — but he seemed
bent upon having a new B. & M. with secure An
interest.
Young Duer sends me the form of a
certificate of appraizal — setting forth a brief
description of lot — and its value — upon
a recent examination — the number of
acres cleared — value of buildings &c
&c to be signed by some persons
which his certificate calls “we” — and
appended to this, he has a second cer-
tificate for me to sign, sitting forth that I
am acquainted with the signers of the first
certificate — believe them capable — & from what
I know of the land, give ^full^ cridit to their state-
ment. To all this I return for answer
that I am so occupied with efforts to bring
up our business, after absence from it that I
have been unable to enter upon the duties
to which he calls my attention. I thank
him for his suggestions & promise him
to take them up for action the first hour

I can — and all report to him ere long
of my progress in the matter. Thus is the
present state of affairs before you.
all well — remember me affectionately to
Frances and all — Yours as ever B.J. Seward
W. H. Seward Esq
Albany
N.Y.
Westfield N.Y. APR 19
B. J. Seward
Apl 18. 1839