Letter from William Henry Seward, Jr. to William Henry Seward, March 3, 1868
xml:
Letter from William Henry Seward, Jr. to William Henry Seward, March 3,
1868
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:obm
student editorTranscriber:spp:srr
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1868-03-03
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Letter from William Henry Seward, Jr. to William Henry Seward, March 3, 1868
action: sent
sender: William Seward
Birth: 1839-06-18
Death: 1920-04-29
location: Auburn, NY
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: UnknownUnknown
transcription: obm
revision: crb 2017-03-29
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Page
1
Merchants Union Express Co.
Auburn, N.Y. March 3 1868
My dear Father
In conversation
with Aunty
told me that you were under
the impression that you were
paying the entire expenses of
both families at Auburn &
Washington, I have looked
over my expenses here and
find that to keep up our
place here and support my
family in 1867 cost in round
figures about $8,000 of which
I have paid $5,300 and charged
you $2700. There have been some
extraordinary expenditures for the
past year which will not probably
Page
2
occur this year and I estimate
the expenses for 1868 at about
from $5000 to $6000 I don’t
know exactly what your
views or wishes are on this
subject but I desire to do
what you think best in the
matter, I have heretofore charged
to you such expenses pertaining
to the house and stable as would
naturally occur against these
were the place kept up without
attaching the expenses of my
family to any great extent
to it. My own plans
and wishes in the matter are
these. That up to this time
and perhaps for the next two
years to come I could not
well afford to take the entire
burden of keeping up so large
Page
3
a place but that after that time
I could have saved enough from
my income to warrent me in
relieving you from all further
expense here if you desired it
and retain the house in the family
as it should be this would be
far more pleasant to me than to
think of selling the place where
we were all born and brought
up and go elsewhere in the same
town to live, for I look upon
my home ^as^ permanently fixed here
no matter how much business
may call me elsewhere nor do
I think I should under any
circumstances be inclined to bring
Page
4
up my children in a large
City, My business prospects
and connections you are well
aware are excellent and if
my health doesnt fail me I
shall undoubtedly within the
next three or four years
be independent. Should
things remain as they are there
a few things which I should
like to do this Spring at your
expense or mine involving perhaps
$600 or $700. Curtains & Cornish for
the Drawing Room and several
other things which are not likely
to be furnished from Washington
if you break up there
We are in hopes that you maybe
able to spend considerable time
at home this next summer and
Jenny
Page
5
thing in nice order in the home
For the past five years
Jenny has been very closely
confined by the care of her
children by sickness building &c
I think it would do her good
to see a little more of Auburn
society and my various business
connections make it oftain
a matter of policy that we
should occasionally entertain
those with whom I am connected.
I have been home since last
Wednesday but confined most
of the time to the house with my
sore throat which is a constant
trouble to me this winter. I
return to New York tomorrow &
shall be there for the next two
weeks
I have to day sworn to your
Page
6
income return for 1867 which
is about $18.000. I send
herewith the statement for Feb.
I had an offer for Aunttie’s
house the other day of $6000
but there was some little dif-
-faiculties about terms of payment
removal &c and it fell through
Your affectionate
Son Secy W Seward Jr
The American Express Co
today stop doing business
here and all places West of
Syracuse or the NY Central
R.R. Which is of course
a source of much rejoicing
to the friends of the Merch Union
who succeed them.
McDougall
Dutch Boarding House next to Mr
Days
proposes to fit it up to live in
Merchants Union Express Co.
Auburn, N.Y. March 3 1868
My dear Father
In conversation
with Aunty
Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03
the other day she told me that you were under
the impression that you were
paying the entire expenses of
both families at Auburn &
Washington, I have looked
over my expenses here and
find that to keep up our
place here and support my
family in 1867 cost in round
figures about $8,000 of which
I have paid $5,300 and charged
you $2700. There have been some
extraordinary expenditures for the
past year which will not probably
occur this year and I estimate
the expenses for 1868 at about
from $5000 to $6000 I don’t
know exactly what your
views or wishes are on this
subject but I desire to do
what you think best in the
matter, I have heretofore charged
to you such expenses pertaining
to the house and stable as would
naturally occur against these
were the place kept up without
attaching the expenses of my
family to any great extent
to it. My own plans
and wishes in the matter are
these. That up to this time
and perhaps for the next two
years to come I could not
well afford to take the entire
burden of keeping up so large
a place but that after that time
I could have saved enough from
my income to warrent me in
relieving you from all further
expense here if you desired it
and retain the house in the family
as it should be this would be
far more pleasant to me than to
think of selling the place where
we
Birth: 1836-08-25
Death: 1837-01-14
Birth: 1844-12-09
Death: 1866-10-29
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
up and go elsewhere in the same
town to live, for I look upon
my home ^as^ permanently fixed here
no matter how much business
may call me elsewhere nor do
I think I should under any
circumstances be inclined to bring
up my children
Birth: 1880-07-13
Death: 1957-09-02
Birth: 1864-11-10
Death:
Birth: 1862-09-11
Death: 1921-10-05
City, My business prospects
and connections you are well
aware are excellent and if
my health doesnt fail me I
shall undoubtedly within the
next three or four years
be independent. Should
things remain as they are there
a few things which I should
like to do this Spring at your
expense or mine involving perhaps
$600 or $700. Curtains & Cornish for
the Drawing Room and several
other things which are not likely
to be furnished from Washington
if you break up there
We are in hopes that you maybe
able to spend considerable time
at home this next summer and
Jenny
Birth: 1839-11-18 Death: 1913-11-09
would like to have everything in nice order in the home
For the past five years
Jenny has been very closely
confined by the care of her
children by sickness building &c
I think it would do her good
to see a little more of Auburn
society and my various business
connections make it oftain
a matter of policy that we
should occasionally entertain
those with whom I am connected.
I have been home since last
Wednesday but confined most
of the time to the house with my
sore throat which is a constant
trouble to me this winter. I
return to New York tomorrow &
shall be there for the next two
weeks
I have to day sworn to your
income return for 1867 which
is about $18.000. I send
herewith the statement for Feb.
I had an offer for Aunttie’s
house the other day of $6000
but there was some little dif-
-faiculties about terms of payment
removal &c and it fell through
Your affectionate
Son Secy W Seward Jr
The American Express Co
today stop doing business
here and all places West of
Syracuse or the NY Central
R.R. Which is of course
a source of much rejoicing
to the friends of the Merch Union
who succeed them.
McDougall
Birth: 1839-09-14 Death: 1914-05-24
has
purchased the Dutch Boarding House next to Mr
Days
Birth: 1817-02-23 Death: 1878-02-28
and opisite to us andproposes to fit it up to live in