Box 2, Folder 8: Typewritten Letters, 1829-1832

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1832.

Marietta O. Oct. 4th, 1832.

Mr. I.A. Lapham.

Dear Sir;--

Feeling desirous of obtaining a large supply of the petrifactions in iron stone, found at Brush Creek I again trouble you. *** Dr. Hempstoad told me you proposed visiting Marietta this season; nothing would give me greater pleasure than the opportunity of waiting on you at my house and showing you my cabinet of Natural History.*** I am much pleased with your article in the last Journal of Science on the boulders &c. Your theory is doubtless the correct one.***

Very respectfully,

S.P. Hildreth.

Portsmouth 18th Oct. 1832.

Dear Brother;--

I have intended to answer yours of the 30th of Sept. before, but, owing to an unusual call upon my time, I have been compelled to neglect it as well as other matters. Even now I have but a few moments to spare to write to you.

I hope you will write me often during the prevalence of the cholera in the city, it is the only evidence I can have of your being alive. We have had no case here yet, which is known to be certainly the cholera, but expect it every day.

The grand celebration which we were to have on the 23rd, was abandoned on account of it; there is much alarm among the citizens.

Father thinks of coming down to Cincinnati to see you. If he does I will come done at the same time and meet him there. But I think he had better not come yet. Don't neglect to write.

In haste,

Increase.

D. Lapham.

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1832.

Portsmouth, Ohio, Nov. 8th, 1832.

Dear Brother;-

I think it is very cruel of you not to write occasionally during the prevalence of cholera in your city. I wrote to you about a month ago requesting you to write oftener than usual; but you have not even answered that letter.

Do have the goodness to write when you get this letter. I understand the pestilence has now disappeared among you so that there is no further cause of alarm. I hope you will give me some account of the complaint and how you felt while it was raging. I should further like to know what precautions you adopted to escape and what you would recommend to me, for we live in daily expectation of its breaking out here.

So far I have lived without much fear, watching every appearance of disorder, thinking that it may be prevented if taken in time.

The Directors of our Portsmouth and Columbus Turnpike Road Company have applied to me to make a survey of their work as far as Piketon.

Have not heard from home since my last.***

There was a slight break in our canal above Waverly on Saturday, but mended so boats passed yesterday. My line stands well and leaks but little.***

I am going home some time this winter, think of going by Columbus and Urbana and returning by Cincinnati.

Your new method of calculating cutting on roads will be of use to me and I should be glad of any other matter of the same kind, whether of your own invention or not; particularly now, for they will help me in my present job. Don't forget to write.***

D. Lapham.

Increase.

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1832.

Of the 11th mo. Ioth, 1832.

Dear Son;-

We received thy letter of the 31st, which was very satisfactory but we were disappointed at the time that we were expecting to see thee to behold a letter with not one word about coming home:

That was almost too bad but I recommended thee to the Divine Goodness who hath ever been my strength and support through out all the trying scenes of this life, and on Him depend for thy safe keeping until we meet again; if not in this life, may we so live that we may meet in the world to come, when we shall sing praises to our Redeemer, for I know that my Redeemer liveth, and because He liveth we shall live also if we believe in Him. He is able to deliver us out of all trouble if we put our whole trust in Him.*** Turn to that Divine Teacher within thine own heart that teaches us as never man spake [sake?] and He will teach thee what His good and perfect will is concerncing thee. If thou sees the necessity of a Saviour say in thy heart, "a Saviour or I die". "a Redeemer or I perish" and let thy heart be wholly given up to Him to mould and fashion into whatsoever vessel He pleaseth and be willing that His will be done. We must take up our cross and follow Him that is meek and lowly of heart; think nothing too great to be given up for His sake for He is altogether lovely and there is no spot in Him.

Now have patience while I relate some of the operations of the Divine Spirit on my mind when I first saw the necessity of a Saviour. My mind became like the troubled ocean when one wave followed another in quick succession; then I prayed earnestly to the Lord that he would command the waves to subside, which He did in His

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1832.

own good time, but I waited and as His Holy Spirit came to reign over every evil thought of the mind then I exclaimed great is the peace of Thy servants and as I became faithful and obedient: to the divine manifestation made known in my heart He became that "bread of life" that nourishes the soul unto eternal life. They that put their trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion that never shall be removed. If thee has any doubts ask of Him who giveth wisdom unto all liberally and upbraids none, but ask in sincerity of heart for He Never turns any away that ask aright and may the Lord bless thee is the earnest desire of thy affectionate mother.

Rachel Lapham.

Increase A. Lapham.

Portsmouth, Dec. 12th, 1832.

Dear Brother;--

I have delayed answering your letter until now because I wished to inform you precisely of the time of my departure for home.

I shall start from here tomorrow morning, shall go on horseback and shall strike a bee line for Urbana. As I have only a few weeks to spare from the line at present. I think I shall not return by your city. I wish you would write home on receiving this; they must be rank anti-Jackson politicians at home, they say that the cash is all "vetoed out of the country by that armant knave Jackson:: a fine epithet that for the president of the United States.

I have abandoned the idea of getting employment on our turnpike road; they wish an engineer who will be always ready to do any work for them without paying a regular salary. Can't go that:

If you lay a ruler (Straight edge) on a map of Ohio between here and Urbana (and observe what towns it touches) may be you'll guess the reason of my taking a straight line home.

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1832.

But "I'll lay" you'll guess wrong for it is only Euclid's simple reason viz.: a straight line is the shortest way:*** I expect to remain at home two weeks.

Yours in haste,

Increase A. Lapham.

Darius Lapham.

Baltimore Dec. 6th, 1832.

Dear Sir;--

Your communication on the method of raising water in Spain was received and published. Accept my thanks for it. I will send the dahlia seeds with pleasure when I can procure them.

If I can be serviceable to you here please command the services of.

Your friend, Respectfully,

I.A. Lapham.

J.J. Hitchcock. Ed. Am. Farmer.

Dec. 14. Got on my horse and started for home; went up the canal to Bear creek where I turned to the west through a hilly country. Rainy in the afternoon; staid at Anderson's Mills on Sunfish Creek 27 miles from Portsmouth.

Dec. 15. Rainy with some snow. My road lay along the valley of the creek to its source; here I crossed the dividing ridge an descended into the valley of Paint Creek at Bainbridge. As the creek is too high to be crossed I had to ride five miles out of the direct road to get to Greenfield on the west side. The streets of Bainbridge have lately been paved with tan bark and other materials to the depth of 18 inches. I stopped to enquire about the roads &c., "How far is it to Washington Sir?" "Well now I'll be dogged if I can tell exactly" but somewhere betwixt three and four hundred miles I reckon." I rode on and enquired again and found it was ten miles to Greenfield and twenty four to Washington