Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-05-29
Old Letter Of Rare Interest.

A Chicago reader sends us an old letter
torIginaD written by a former partner of
the late Senator j. 5. Morrill,, in the mer-
camille business, dated at STAFFORD in 1913,
and addressed to his brother in Illinois.
Mr.. Young is still living, at the age Of So
years, at Batavia, Ill.
STAFFORD, April 20, 1913.
BRO. PELEG:-I did not much expect
you would write me an answer to my last
letter until wrote you again. For that
reason l now write. | heard from you of
late by way of letter from Mr.. Bliss to Mr..
Harris that Mr.. Bliss thought of letting
you come East on his business.
Our family are all well and they would
be very much pleased to see you. They
have moved onto what is called the old
Hutchinson farm about two miles from
Norwich plain. Helen is teaching school
in Lebanon, n. II.
have sold out my interest in the firm
OF Morrill,, Young a. Co., and shall in
about two months take leave of STAFFORD
forever, but where ! shall flee to the God
of Heaven only knows.
The mercantile business in this town is
d--n mean, yes, as mean as some of the
customers. ! have been here three years
and am no better off than when l began
II was on western prairie in a log hut
with neat little wife, a lew acres of land,
hog, COW and cat, / should feel rich in
comparison to my present situation.
Since | commenced writing this letter,
JET. Blaisdell dropped in to buy fish line
to measure oxen. II cost o.. ! only asked
him 90 and il took one pound OF .soddern
and two quarts of soft soap to sell it to
him and he went off mad because / would
not treet into the bargain. On him.
This is only a miniature of the whole
trade. But thank God am fat and strong
and can farm it if necessary. Besides be-
ing able to labor, ! am willing to do it.
There is not lazy bone in my body.
There is so much competition in trade
ana so many pedlars at every corner OF the
street hawking their goods about that the
prices of goods and profit are nothing.
Hatch Stimson have put the devil into
every boy big enough to go alone and car
ry two tin trunks, that an independent
fortune can be made IN is months by ped
ding. We have three regular bred dry
goods pedlars in our town. They cut OF
trade with the stores to considerable
amount. II a woman calls in to buy
calico dress or pair of stay strings She
viii tell you she can buy cheaper OF such
a pedlar. Seven thousand dollars is an
we can sell and this year / will venture to
say not over five or six thousand. Farm
ers are very careful about trading. All
kinds OF produce are extremely low and
are likely to continue so. That id
railroad from Boston to Albany and on
through the state of New York has killed
US here.
In order to compete with the west we
have got to emigrate into the same coun- |
try where we can raise produce as cheap |
as they do.
L want you to write your opinion about |
the best method of travelling west with |
family and goods, whether by horse team |
and wagon or by water conveyance, the |
probable cost, etc.
1t would be my wish to follow the mer /
camille business if can be in a place that /
would pay man for doing it, but in this /
part OF the country | shall not commence
again and certainly if go west cannot /
not having capital sufficient nor friends 10 /
AID me. OF course then / must dig i'm the
earth and prepare myself for a tiller OF the
living, though il perhaps might be q
crossing to some failed and retired mer-
chants, as for me | can go it to a charm.
Direct your letter to me at STAFFORD.
Very respectfully,
our brother. y. 5. YoUNG.