Letter 74
2000 ploughs shipped & ready
Feb 10th 1867
Dear Brothers and Sisters
It has been so long since I have heard from any of you that I have forgotten whose turn it is to write, but will write a few lines to let you know that we are still in the land of the living if not back in the Union. This leaves us all well. Alice’s school is out.. will commence on the 18 of Feb and continue 10 months. They have a very fine school but tuition is so high that none but the wealthiest are able to send. Alice’s fees for the common English brunches and music for 5 months amounted to $51.35 it will cost me $150.00 per year to send my three children. Ann Eliza has not been going this winter but will start next session. Alanson and A.E. will go to Miss Sullie Van Meters/ Alice goes to the Marion Female Institute.
Charly will be one year old tomorrow has been walking about 4 months. We have had the hardest winter so far that we have been here in 12 years. The snow was 6 or 8 sacks deep for three weeks and very cold most of the time but since the first of Feb, it has been quite warm and pleasant until today it has turned cold again, but will not last long this time of year. I suppose from all events from your country that your are severely buried up in snow. Have you tunneled out yet? I have been very busy this winter making little plows. We have sent about 1500 plows to the south and have 500 more nearly ready to send. The weather has been so cold there that but few of them are sold yet. We borrowed money to ship them there and have not got a .c. for them yet. It leaves us very hard fixed for money. Time will tell whether we can make anything on them or not. I can't tell yet. The South is not prospering as she ought. A great many will starve if not helped. There will be a good deal of corn and bacon in this country to spare. It is beginning to go South now. Write soon and let us know how you are will getting along and what you are doing. Accept this from your affectionate Brother.
C. F. Lincoln
Letter From C. F. Lincoln To Mr & Mrs Willard Stone.
Marion, May 18, 1867
Dear Sister and Brother,
Yours of the 15th of April was received in due time, but we have neglected it longer than we ought to have done. In answer to your question as to how we stand, I hardly know how to answer, not knowing what value put on the things you left here, some of which we have used and some we have never had a use for. We can pay the interest on that note of Mother's, but we are very hard run for money. We borrowed enough to make and ship two or three thousand plows to Georgia, but have not received one cent for them yet and not likely to this year. I wish we hadn't tried to do anything after the war except in this section of the country. We could have done that without embarrassing ourselves and made a little, but as it is we have wasted ourselves by trying to do a large business. The people in the South will not try to do anything while the States remain unreconstructed. They are afraid of confiscation and that keeps all business very dull. I want to go North this summer very much, but doubt if I can. We are building a fine porch to John Thompson's large brick house above the Court House. We are to get $270 for doing the work and he furnishes everything. I do not know whether we will make much at it or not, but thought that price would pay a man for doing the work by hand. We have a subscription for building a wagon bridge across the river below the mill starting from the corn crib and the other end on the cliff by Mr. Currin's house. We expect to undertake the whole bridge for $600. We have $500 subscribed and think we can get the balance from a shipment of sash to Bristol.
The Children are all going to school. Charley is a big boy running about everywhere and in all sorts of mischief. He is fifteen months old and weighs 31 pounds. Mr. Look has received the appointment as Register-at-large for this County. It pays $5.00 per day while it lasts.
Mr. Currin who stays at the Mill and Mr. Henderlite at the saw mill speak of you frequently. Write soon,
Yours,
C.F. Lincoln
Nathan Loomis Look in later years
Letter 75
Grandparent looks plan to travel 600 miles to marion
Mrs. Polly L. Look to Sarah Belle Look. Wyoming, Dec. 10, 1874
My dear Sarah,
I do wish I could tell you how very glad I was to receive your letter. Neither can I tell you how much I anticipate the pleasure of going to Marion in the spring if all are well. We are in comfortable health now. Grandpa had quite an ill turn two weeks ago so he did not sit up but little. He was so dizzy he could walk but little. At first we thought it would pass off soon, but he went in the field to show the butcher a couple fat cows and would have fallen if the man had not caught him. He is well now, has just gone to the village to get the horses’ shoes sharpened. We have a little snow, some ice, some frozen ground. I am comfortable in the house by a good coal fire in a “Morning Glory Stove”. I don’t go out at all.
We received a letter from Uncle Saml. J. L. last night, written Dec., 5th. He says they have the scarlett fever in the house. Clara was over it but had not yet left her room. Susie was taken two days before, broke out the day before, and he thought she would get along very well. Davie had it seven years ago, expected the others would have it. Aunt Susan and Gertie had not then got home, but I think did in a day or two. They went from here to Utica, then to Brooklyn. Nelly went to Uncle Dyer Loomis’ two or three weeks before. Her health was not good and Uncle told her when he was here he thought he could help her if she would come there and stay a while. Nelly met her mother in Utica, much improved, went to Brooklyn and, I expect, left last week for Chicago to spend the winter with Lydia, and Aunt and Gertie for Louisville. All the family (Capwells) are boarding with Rev. J. Jones who is living in Uncle’s house on Green St. (He) preaches in the church not far, I think Walnut, your father knows and you knew Mr. Jones when he preached here. I expect you know, they have bought a very large house on Broadway and are making changes in it which will take some time and have rented the house on College St.
Mrs. Morse is now quite comfortable. She walks from her room to the kitchen alone. Mr. Morse is rather feeble but goes to the Post office and to his barn, but not to church he is so deaf more so than Grandpa. Mrs. Weed and Nellie are both in rather poor health. Mrs. W. has a hard time caring for Mrs. Morse. N. prospered in teaching until her health failed. They very often enquire for you. I shall be happy to show them your picture. Shall send it by Grandpa, when he goes there, for them to see. There are many enquiries for you. Mrs. Cowley died very suddenly. Mary married “Call Miller”, I guess I wrote you. They live in Mr. Cowley’s house, are not doing very much. Kezia Waldron is a noted teacher, gets this winter eight dollars and a half a week and board in a district school. Poor Dryden is failing in mind and body.
I will write again soon. Your mother’s letter did us ever so much good. I hope Aunt Susan wrote her. She said she would right away, but her health was poor. She sent for Dr. Turner as soon as she got to Brooklyn, was better after taking medicine. I expect a letter from her this week. Belle C. is at home All there were well when they wrote. I meant to have written your mother before this and Uncle Josiah. I am not sure but I owe your father a letter, if not I will write him. I hope you will write oftener to your old grandmother,
P.L.L.
(Grandmother look passed away five years later in Brooklyn, NY., almost certainly while staying with her daughter's Julia's family.) Sarah Isabel Look married Dr, Smelt Winston Dickinson and had nine children and many dozens of descendants.
