Resurrecting the First American West

Cranston 14 April 1816

Dear George

I have only rec^d yours of the 14 & 24 ult & notice their Contents the draft for 794.5 has been presented and accepted and shall be paid at maturity. I shall be laid under great difficulty to get hold of funds from [?] Estate to meet my drafts for the farm, I shall antissipate them & shall provide for the payment at all events, the estate cannot be settled untill some time in September wether this will retard my setting of[f] from here I can not yet determine, I wish you not to draw on me further if it can possably be avoided, but inform me of your necessities, & I must remit you by which I can save [?] by purchase^g at Phil^a western money, I very much doubt wether I get from [?] estate enough to pay for the farm it is so cut up by division besides more Creditors appear than we knew of: money is [?] was never so hard to command & Every one is push^d & Exceedingly distres^d to get it; the same difficulties are comeing on at New York & Phil^a makes me sometimes wish I had entered into no engagem^ts whatever I am glad you purchas^d the Negro, I will [scrable?] this that payment in some way or other but I pray you all be verry prudent, and do all that [?] possable to make the farm yeild the greatest Crop. the Tobacco Crop more particularly which for this year I most rely on, should be kept well hoed & clear of weeds & not neglected none of you ever speak of John or each other I hope he is verry Industrious & attentive, tell Mary I think she should be more with the family; its our duty one and all to be verry very prudent & Deconomical & by Jo^s [? ? punitive?] I fear it does not enter enough into his Views, I verry much apprehend that I shall not be able to save one dollar from the Estate where we

Newman gave me a list of the folowing prices for which he woud do the wood work. no having then rec^d the plan of the house, I gave him your dimensions, allowing three rooms on lower floor & four chambers, a roof like that in cranston

Framing 27 square of joist @ 75. cts - $20.25 27 square flooring @ $3 p^r square 81.00 19 window frames @ 6 p^r frame 114. 2. outside door frames @ 10. 20. - 8. door frames 2.50 - 20. - 11. doors 3.50 each - 38.50 255. sash lights @12 1/2 cts - 31.87 600 feet base & sur base - @ 12 1/2 cts 75.00 120 ft cornice @ 25 cts - 30.00 12 square of thingling - @ 9/p^r squ 18. Tuning up stair case - 80.00 2. chimney pieces - $15. each 30.00 6. " " $5 - 30.00 $588.12

the [page damaged] was done the other day that you might form some [damage - idea?] [damage - entirely?] of the cost, the house was allowd to stand [set?] above from the old one, the plan & workmanship similar to [damage - the one?] in Cranston, at least the work to be handsomely & well done the plan which you have sent out will cost considerably less, as there is but one outside door that will beat the above price fewer windows, beside, the lower rooms which were calculated to be best finish'd will be left 'till you come out, & the stair case much less, not so many chimney pieces the roof much cheaper &c,

Our sublime mansion has two stone chimneys, one at each end, but no fireplaces above the chimneys are outside and about and occupy rather more than one third the end of the building so that a good part of the north chimney will stand in the pantry - it is 5 ft from the corner withinside to the edge of the chimney, & you have put the door leading from the old house into the pantry in chimney place below, and a door against the wall of the chimney above, but I suppose you intend to pull down the north chimney which will be the best way I think. -

Will you have the chimney at north end of the New house flush with the wall or outside Kentuck fashion

[drawing of house labelled 'N. end']