Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, October 2, 1837
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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, October 2, 1837
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:crb
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1837-10-02
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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, October 2, 1837
action: sent
sender: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
location: Westfield, NY
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Auburn, NY
transcription: crb
revision: ekk 2015-11-24
<>
Page
1
Chautauqua Land Office
Westfield Oct. 2. 1837.
Dear Henry
We have a busy day—but I
must try to scratch a few lines to you.
Your last leads me to desire to know
whether your arrangements have progressed
as you expected. I am sadly disappointed not
to find a letter from you this morning at
the office; forwarded from your own dear home.
I am concerned to say that we have not
as yet taken the first turm at the statement
you asked from Mr. Bradley
credits with the Batavia Office. But
it shall be attended to as soon as
possible. The fact is we are full of
business.
We have received over ten thousand
dollars the last month— which is more
by a thousand than we received in
August, notwithstanding The payments of
surpul funds took place in the latter
month of August. — We have renewed
about 80 contracts by D.B. Wh
a dozen by articles: beside ^the^ delivery of deeds &c &c
Page
2
But our greatest hurdle is about our
finances. I have been reluctant to
allow of any changes in our system of
receiving, till you should be consulted
— but a growing accumulation of re-
mote paper has alarmed me — and
I have felt compelled to alter my hand
a little.
In the early months of , the
country seemed one and all to consent
to take anything & every thing that was
going in the shape of money — but of
late, things are quite different. Now, every
man becomes a broker by necessity &
whether small bills or large bills — whether
Michigan, Ohio, Erie. Reading. Lumbermans
is the most profitable kind of bills to re-
ceive.
I have supposed it to be of the utmost
importance to the estate that we Keep up
the impression that the interest is to be
paid punctual - & the indts ^reasons^ are
not slight which induces us to Keep up
the impression that we are liberal on
in our rules for receiving. Such induce-
ments have brought me to conclud[ e ]
Reason: that we
Page
3
must under certain circumstances, consent
to take the common depreciated currency
afloat in the country. - If interest money
remains unpaid, we lose the interest on it.
Under all these circumstances I am receiving
incurrent money, for interests - (always trying
to obtain better-) - also small sums of same
with larger sums of S. Fund - also Lum-
bermans in smaller sums- rejecting a
little & receiving a little. - In
regard to these depreciated cou
ancy the whole country, merchants
drivers farmers, - all seem to
look to the land office - or did do
so - as the place where it could be used
without loss: & those who wished to pay
would fish, for poor money before coming
to us, - The present course puts a stop
to this — I hope all this may prove
satisfactory to you.
I am to meet the Commissioners of
Public Funds at Mayville.
Lewis
notices. Westfield. Ripley. Stockton. Ellery
. Elling. Gerry. Horning. Harmony. & Busti
. But I have really had no time to look
Page
4
over to see how many Gerry folks are behind.
But I think not many.
Your Grateful Brother
B.J. Seward
19 renewals to day up to a late hour.
$460 received.
W.H. Seward Esq.
Auburn
N.Y.
WESTFIELD N.Y.
OCT
3
Type: postmark
h
B.J. Seward
Oct 2. 1837
h
B.J. Seward
Oct 2. 1837
Chautauqua Land Office
Westfield Oct. 2. 1837.
Dear Henry
We have a busy day—but I
must try to scratch a few lines to you.
Your last leads me to desire to know
whether your arrangements have progressed
as you expected. I am sadly disappointed not
to find a letter from you this morning at
the office; forwarded from your own dear home.
I am concerned to say that we have not
as yet taken the first turm at the statement
you asked from Mr. Bradley
Birth: 1796 Death: 1878-12-15Certainty: Probable
of payments &credits with the Batavia Office. But
it shall be attended to as soon as
possible. The fact is we are full of
business.
We have received over ten thousand
dollars the last month— which is more
by a thousand than we received in
August, notwithstanding The payments of
surpul funds took place in the latter
month of August. — We have renewed
about 80 contracts by D.B. Wh
Unknown
. & abouta dozen by articles: beside ^the^ delivery of deeds &c &c
But our greatest hurdle is about our
finances. I have been reluctant to
allow of any changes in our system of
receiving, till you should be consulted
— but a growing accumulation of re-
mote paper has alarmed me — and
I have felt compelled to alter my hand
a little.
In the early months of , the
country seemed one and all to consent
to take anything & every thing that was
going in the shape of money — but of
late, things are quite different. Now, every
man becomes a broker by necessity &
whether small bills or large bills — whether
Michigan, Ohio, Erie. Reading. Lumbermans
is the most profitable kind of bills to re-
ceive.
I have supposed it to be of the utmost
importance to the estate that we Keep up
the impression that the interest is to be
paid punctual - & the indts ^reasons^ are
not slight which induces us to Keep up
the impression that we are liberal on
in our rules for receiving. Such induce-
ments have brought me to conclud[ e ]
Supplied
must under certain circumstances, consent
to take the common depreciated currency
afloat in the country. - If interest money
remains unpaid, we lose the interest on it.
Under all these circumstances I am receiving
incurrent money, for interests - (always trying
to obtain better-) - also small sums of same
with larger sums of S. Fund - also Lum-
bermans in smaller sums- rejecting a
little & receiving a little. - In
regard to these depreciated cou
ancy the whole country, merchants
drivers farmers, - all seem to
look to the land office - or did do
so - as the place where it could be used
without loss: & those who wished to pay
would fish, for poor money before coming
to us, - The present course puts a stop
to this — I hope all this may prove
satisfactory to you.
I am to meet the Commissioners of
Public Funds at Mayville.
Lewis
Birth: 1801-08-07 Death: 1879-10-12Certainty: Probable
has gone over (in all) withnotices. Westfield. Ripley. Stockton. Ellery
. Elling. Gerry. Horning. Harmony. & Busti
. But I have really had no time to look
over to see how many Gerry folks are behind.
But I think not many.
Your Grateful Brother
B.J. Seward
19 renewals to day up to a late hour.
$460 received.
W.H. Seward Esq.
Auburn
N.Y.
WESTFIELD N.Y.
OCT
3
Stamp
h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10William Seward
Oct 2. 1837
h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25Frederick Seward
Oct 2. 1837