William Gay Butler letter to Jonathan Butler 2nd, 1823 April 14

Letter addressed from Philadelphia, on a half sheet of paper with no address or indication of postage. William Gay Butler writes to his father Jonathan Butler in West Hartford that he has been confined with a fever for fourteen days. He is so weak he can hardly write, his hand trembles so. William writes that he wrote to his sister Maria Butler with the particulars of his sickness. He received Jonathan's letter by Hiram Wells on Saturday, and also a letter from his brother Epaphras Butler two weeks earlier. Epaphras was well and asked William to visit him, but "what good would that do he thinks he shall be able to pay his debts and git a little of his own in time. I wonder he will think so he might just as well think of buying the state of Pennsylvania." William went to the old Dutchman who dressed deerskins for Epaphras on Saturday; he was not at home, but William met his son Andrew Leibbrandt. He lives at 490 North 2nd St and has Epaphras' note for the $161 he owes, dated November 29, 1819. Harvey Filley, however, said Leibbrandt ought not to have more than two thirds of the amount, as "Eppap told him to trough out the small skins and not dress them but he dressed them all and charged fifty cts he says one third of them was not worth fifty cts when Dressed." William writes that he has a load of goods ready and is anxious to get out to the country while the weather and roads are good. He asks Jonathan to write to him about E. Gaylord selling his farm. He says it is no longer likely that he and Hiram Roberts will make a route to Ohio, as Hiram wants to be home in July, but they will have at least $2000 worth of goods on hand and William will need to go on another trip to sell them. He complains that he does not like to travel in July and August, and writes that business is hard when the price of goods falls so low.