William Gay Butler letter to Jonathan Butler 2nd, 1826 February 24
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Handle
http://hdl.handle.net/11134/690002:314
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Persons
Correspondent (crp): Butler, William Gay, 1799-1857
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Title |
Title
Title
William Gay Butler letter to Jonathan Butler 2nd, 1826 February 24
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Origin Information
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Parent Item
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Resource Type
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Digital Origin |
Digital Origin
reformatted digital
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Description |
Description
Letter addressed from Williamsburg, PA, with a stamped postmark from Huntingdon, including the date written in in pen, for 25 cents postage. The paper is torn and stained with red wax residue where it was sealed, and a third page on a half sheet is enclosed. William Gay Butler writes to his father Jonathan Butler in West Hartford about his new store in Williamsburg and about local affairs. He writes that he was on the road in New York for three weeks. John Boyd started for Williamsburg with their goods but was detained crossing the Susquehanna River. He took 18 days on the way, and the store has been open three weeks since. William was detained in Philadelphia a week longer than expected waiting for a shipment of shoes, which arrived the day before he left. It's now been more than 4 weeks since he left Philadelphia, but he was delayed by bad roads. They purchased for the store $4200 worth of goods, including dry goods, hard ware, crockery, groceries, paints, and medicines. He says they purchased them to good advantage with little money down, but paid all the money they had and hope to be able to meet their debts satisfactorily. While they have had no bad luck, money is extremely scarce; the problem is worse there as many were not able to get their goods down the river that spring and it's still early for the season. The iron works sent their iron on the Conamaugh river that winter to go to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. William writes that iron sells for $115 per ton in Pittsburgh. The village where he is now presents a good business opportunity for its size. He writes that the town is principally engaged in ship building, and the wharf is presently finishing 14 "Arkes" in anticipation of the water's rising. William explains that the cargo ships are 75 to 90 feet long and can carry from 360 to 420 barrels of flour. Ten are loaded with flour, two with whisky, and two with pig iron. Flour sells for $4.75 in Philadelphia, so that if they average 380 barrels, the 14 ships' worth of flour could bring in $21280. He expects the iron works five or eight miles away have perhaps twice that amount in iron. William describes the village, saying it poor and surrounded by mountains but that the valleys are fertile and these shipments are just a portion of the surplus produced after accounting for local subsistence, the iron works, and the turnpike. The town has three brick meeting houses, two or three schools, three stores, two taverns, an excellent mill four stories high with 18' overshot wheels that produces 200 barrels per week for merchants and 80 to 100 bushels per day for local farmers (country custom), a first rate sawmill, three or four distillaries, two wagon makers, three masons, three coopers, a doctor, and a silver smith. There are about eighty houses and 500 to 600 inhabitants, with a local county sheriff and two justices, though all the lawyers are in the county seat. It is 200 miles from Philadelphia and 108 from Pittsburgh. William writes that there is "quite a stir" about the Pennsylvania Canal. Plans have passed the legislature to establish a section from the mouth of the Juniata in the east to the Kiskiminetas in the west, to commence immediately. There is no doubt the route will come this way, and if it does the town will become the second best business place on the Juniata. William writes that the price of land is rising as people buy up the lots. He and Boyd have sold but few goods at their store, it being a bad season, but could have if there was money in the area. They have held off on selling for credit, not having the funds, but the locals tell them not to be discouraged. They were too late to deal in flour; one flour merchant, Mr. Patterson, bought 1200 barrels. William purchased some goods to make an assortment, but only sold $900 worth and raised $1200 to $1400 cash. He plans to go direct to Pittsburgh in two or three days to barter goods for glass, etc. He sold his black horses in Woodbury, and the bay in Philadelphia. In Philadelphia they bought a good assortment of coarse shoes and calf-skin Munroe boots. The shoes cost $1.56 and 90 cents for pegs, and they sell them for $1.62 and $2.56, much cheaper than usual for Williamsburg. William writes in response to Jonathan's suggestion that he thinks the Whitings of West Hartford could not sell them such good shoes for so cheap. He writes that they may want Morocco shoes and would like to hear the price for coarse shoes, although they have a great quantity for the time being; he notes they have to pay cash for them in Philadelphia. William says he will send a draft from Pittsburgh to cancel the one in Philadelphia, and forward to Jonathan as soon as it is received. He referred Mssrs. W. and W. to Hiram Roberts for instruction "rispecting Wool and to draw on it for four or five hundred Dollars if he wished", but William has not heard back from Hiram and says he will write to him that day. He expects to receive a letter from his sister Maria and her husband George Wells when he returns to Pittsburgh. William writes that Boyd sends his respects, and notes that they would be very fortunate of another two or three thousand dollars capital to do business with. In a postscript dated Monday February 27, William writes that it is raining and a flood is expected, so the "arkes" are being prepared to start out. He sent this letter to Huntingdon to be mailed.
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Rights Statement
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Note
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Local Identifier |
Local Identifier
79.23.43
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