Letter from Cromwell Anson Jones to Mary Jones, 1877 October 7

Date: October 7, 1877
Download Options
400px
800px
1200px
Original
IIIF
By downloading, you agree to the copyright terms and conditions.
Rights
Creator
Subject
Place
Genre
Type
Language
Provenance
View item in finding aid
Title
  • Letter from Cromwell Anson Jones to Mary Jones, 1877 October 7
Creator
Date
  • 1877-10-07
Language
Description
  • Transcript: Houston Oct. 7 - 1877 - My Dear Mother _ I received you letter of the 5th last. yesterday evening and intended replying the same day as you requested but was unavoidable prevented from doing so. To-day I received you letter of yesterday but not until about one o’clock, so could not dispatch this morning the office being closed I am informed though the mail leaves this evening, so this will reach you to - day or to- morrow morning _ Of course Ma, if it is more agreeable to you to make the proposed ar- rangement to board with Mrs Golden, I am contented _ I have been actuated in all things by a desire to promote you r comfort & happi- ness first, my own pleasure being second- dary _ In approving of your suggestion of board- ing here when you made it to me. I thought that if you boarded at all, it would be the best place for you, aside from the fact that ------------------------------------------------------------ after our eight year separation, I might oc- casionally see something of you : but of course if it si not agreeable to you or a cause of unhappiness, I would not have your adhere to it for a moment _ When I speak of your comfort & Happiness, I mean that which will be permanent & lasting & not that which is only transitory & purchased at the expense of deprivation & self denial in the future To this end it has been the desire of my heart to see your means in such a shape that you might have a permanent and suf- ficient income assured to you without fret- ting away the principal until all should be gone _ It is with this view and for this _ _ _ _ that I have thought it unwise at this time for you to invest means in a place _ Now I do not write my dear moth- er to say for you not to buy or to interpose any opposition to your plans. You ask my advice and I will give it with my views, hav- ing the question to you for decision. Beginning with the time of my recollection of such matters where we moved on the Bay, I do not remem- ------------------------------------------------------------ ber that with our entire force at work we ever came out ahead, even if we made wnds meet _ Since the war with both your sons & Soon-in-law or the place mostly or all the time it has even been worse and each succeed- ing year has witnessed with the utmost ex- entious our place steadily going to decay & _ _ _ & we in spite of sales of land and other property going in debt and becoming poorer day by day and exhausting our resources. I state this in no spirit of complaint (for certainly you & all of us did the best we could) but simply as facts & past experience which may serve as a guide for future action _ I cannot see now how you with many years added to your life and infirm in health & all of us away from you Sam expecting at any time to go away & Gastons plans & movements uncertain, can do better on a place containing five acres of land. It is time that one years board at $25 _ would make the first payment on the place, but I can not see, considering purely the question of economy how you would have money _ Count up the actual cost of provisions, hire --------------------------------------------------------- of servant, accidental expenses interest on investment^wear & tear of place etc etc, I cannot see any differ- in cast _ I cannot see that the place would return a cent of income _ Very few farmers with full ability to labor & give close attention to all details of business are more than keeping even ( & may not doing that ) except on large farms in rich sec- tions of country& with the aid of stock etc considered as a purchase to sell again I cannot see any investment in the place _ Thousands of pieces of improved real Es- tate are selling at the same discount where there is a reasonable prospect of getting rent for them if they are not oc- cupied. It is possible that you might get what you gave if you have plenty of time in which to make the sale _ In my hum- ble judgment it is not a first rate in- vestment with a view to selling again _ But as I said before Ma, I inter- pose no objection. I have expressed my views above frankly & plainly in response to your request _ I have said nothing about the cast of going to housekeeping which is considera- ble and which never returns cast in case of sale _ Still if you think it best to buy ----------------------------------------------------------- and are satisfied that the title to the place is clear & that it is free from any incum- bance, do so and I will furnish the desired account to refund to Dr Jordan _ Let me know what you have concluded & what the amount is & I will take steps to pro- cure it & give you any other assistance in my power in furtherance of your wishes _ If you conclude to board witht Mrs G- in the meantime or permanently, I will cheer- fully furnish the desired amount & what- ever more is necessary to you comfort & en- joyment _ I will take steps to have your things here packed up as you direct forwarded to you the first leisure moment I have _ I learned after returning to town that the lady I as- sisted on the train was Mrs Bringhurst neé Miss Houston, & thought it a very pleasant coincidence _ I was sorry I did not known who it was sooner _ I am very busy yet with County Court . will get through in a week or ten days _ With much love my dear Mother I remain, as ever _ Affectionately Your Son - C. Anson Jones _
Subject
Place
Genre
Type
Provenance
Archival Location
  • 1970-003, Box 2, Folder 78
Rights
Digital Object ARK
  • ark:/84475/do8600nv19z