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Letters from Sidney Walter Curtis
This letter is most likely written to Eleazer William Curtis as he mentions two other brothers in it. A third had died earlier in the year.
Louisville November 4th 1845
Dear Brother,
Your very acceptable favors of 21 October from Cheshire was this day received. I should have written you before this time but did not know where exactly a letter would find you. After arriving hear in August I found a couple of young men and commenced the dry goods business while sale & retail but more of the latter than former. We have been doing a very elegant business since we commenced. We sell entirely for cash and cheap at that & the individual who asks for it with the expectation of obtaining it goes away sadly disappointed. We are doing what we call a tip top real first rate A no. one business and intend to make money if such a thing is in the history of a city dry goods business & I think it is. We intend selling about thirty thousand dollar worth of goods the first year & as much more the next as we can, but all this will be known hereafter if ever. You say you are sailing up stream. A slow business is it not, dependent entirely upon the wind. I am sorry to hear that T---by has been sick so long. I hear from you frequently. Prescot Devol left here last week for Pittsburgh on the Sanartes. Doctor Teval from Hockingport was here a few days since on his way to St. Louis. By him I have a letter from Leander & Ruhamy [Ruhama]. I also received an epistle from Charles last week. He says his is high up in the 40 eleventh story of the Marietta College pouring over his musty books at a rapid rate. Glad to hear he has gone back, and think he aught not to have again until he gets through and would not of course had he the needfall [sic] to carry him through. We must among us endeavor to keep him supplied. I say endeavor, we can do it and must. I will go my full share & more too if necessary. Don’t ever intimate anything to Charles what I have said. He won’t like it we will speak of this here often
I am sorry to hear the death of so many of our old neighbors about Hockingport since I left. Humphrey left here about 10 days ago. He is in the Flour trade again this winter and can’t but help do well with it. There is great excitement here today about Flour it has went up 15 cents on the Barrell in consequence [of] the late foreign news.
We have had a very dry warm and pleasant fall here. Has been no rain here for six weeks past until day before yesterday. Nothing more than I can think worth writing & what I have said don’t want to much in my estimation but all to fill up. I should be glad to hear from you often and you shall be often troubled with documenting evidence of my existence. I will also send you a paper every week. My best respects to Dad & all the balance my inquiring friend & fellow citizens. Write me soon as this comes to hand & much Oblys
Truly Yours &c
Sid
O [or A].K.
Louisville, January 16 1846
Dear Brother
Your favors of 15 Dec was received and might have been answered before this, but through my negligence I have not done it and now that I am about to write you I can provide you no news. It's an artic[sic] with at present. Little coal in this market very scarce and at the moderate price of 30 cents per bushell and none here for sale but will be soon now I suppose as the river is opening and rising.
I received a letter from Ruhama a day or two since also one from Charles. Nothing new except a few cases of matrimony which have taken place at the port all of is no news to you I suppose. My deer[sic] sick friend's daughter has been talking with herself a sleeping partner Geo Williams. all right that is done according to scripture.
We have had an exceedingly cold winter here so far never has there been known so hard a winter here as the present. Such continual cold weather. They have been crossing on the ice immediately above the falls for a long time until the last thaw which has cleared the river.
Augustus ?Deites? laft here yesterday for Orleans on a broad horn. Mr Vaujeldes returned home. They stopped here several days waiting for the ice to run out that they might go over the falls. The steamboat Lumeatta in attempting to cross the falls with a flat in tow got into the ice and was washed onto the rocks where she is you all broke to pieces is said to be a total loss. The flat she had consisted in part of her freight pork and lard which was stove and sunk also
Our business has been very good this season. Our partner Mr Brown is out east now buying a spring stock. Its our intention to rush the kettles this spring do as much as we can for cash. The pork killing is over. Here this place has killed over a hundred thousand head of hogs this winter a good number over any previous season. Now that I have said as much or more than you will in all human probability be willing to and accept yourself the same
Truly your
Sid
P.S. You had better pull out your boat and get some good paint on shore.
Addressed to E.W. Curtis, Williams Landing, Yazoo River, Mississippi
Louisville, December 20th [18]46
Dear Brother
Your favors of 9th just from Memphis way yesterday received and glad to hear from you and your safe arrival at Memphis. You say you ?nature? going into the Yazoo Pass of water enough. I suppose of course you have done so. We have had a very high river here the past 2 weeks. It has been nearly to the top of the banks. Consequently you will be abundantly supplied with water in the Mississippi River. The weather has been very cold here the past four or five days. We have very little of no news here. Business generally is tolerably good. Hog Killing is going on here new quite extensively. There won't be near as many hogs killed and packed here as was last year. Christmas is near at hand. We will be here if nothing happens next Friday. We intend taking a glass of eggnog and perhaps go to one or two break down dances and then swear off for a year.
I heard from home about a week ago. They were all well. I got an epistle from Charles yesterday saying he is doing well and flourishing like a golden bay tree rolling on with ?rafied? strides with his studies. He spoke of not having heard from you since you left. I shall write hime soon and will tell him to write you at Williams Landing.
I send you a paper with this and will do so often. Also write you frequently and hope you will do the same. I shall expect it.
MIss ?Yeajildes? is in Jeffersonville also Miss Dickinson who came down with a sister of Alf Dickinson who ?back? in Orleans. She is going to school in Jeffersonville.
Now that [I] have nothing more to say I will close and say no more. Write me soon as this comes to hand.
Very much oblys
Truly yours
S. W. Curtis
Address to Mr. E. W. Curtis, Memphis, Tennessee. It was postmarked 3 December.
Louisville, December 3 1851
Dear Brother
Since you left here nothing of interest has transpired worth note. We are having cold and disagreeable weather. According to promise I send you with this the papers in which you will find the presidents message ?Prep?> Devol is here now is on the look out for something to do in the Boating way. He says he has quit forever the up country trade. will probably if he does not get a Boat here go to Orleans.
I have not heard from home or Charles since you left. Business generally is not very brisk here now. The pork killing is going on this cool winter with great activity. I wrote you this letter not because I have any news to send you but because I promised to write you every 3 weeks. Let me hear from you soon as you arrive in Memphis and your destination
Yours Sid Curtis
[Ruhama is Sidney's sister. Leander is probably Leander Estell Curtis, his brother. I've added punctuation and capitalization and guessed at a number of words]
Addressed to: R. J. Curtis Hockingport, Athens County, Ohio
Sacramento City, California, Dec 15 1853
Dear Ruhama
By last mail, which left here for the states 15 days ago, I wrote Leander? a long letter giving my reasons for my delay in writing you. But as the Manfield Scott [ship?] which carried the mail was lost and a greater portion of the mail, you may not receive it. But from the middle of July until the first of November I have been over the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Carson Valley buying cattle which my partners and myself drove over to this side in the valley the first of November and with which we shall do very well with so soon as they get fat enough for sale. Since I returned I have been in this place in the grocery business and shall remain here until I make sale of my stock and its probable become permanent here but for the _tain during my trip over the mountains. I had a good time and like much my business prospects here. The business here is most entirely done with the mining region of the country and done for cash exclusively and take it altogether. I am very much pleased with California so far as I have been and I have seen a good portion of the state. You will no doubt before receiving this see Harvey Curtis who left here for home a few days before I came in from the mountains. I saw him but once in this country. (When) you will see him he will tell you all about the way we go on. On this side of Jordon. About the books you spoke of I wrote to Vance reminding him of them and telling him if he had not sent them to do so and hope you have by this received them. If not let me know in your next. You will hereafter hear from me regular, once a month at fast_ unless I should go into the mountains again which I shall not this season. While in the mountains this fall I killed one grand and elegant grizzly bear which done me more good than all the shooting I ever done before or ever expect to do here after. The way I done it was to put a bait and watched it up a tree by moonlight and when the varment came I perhaps by [word crossed out] made a good shot and killed it which looked days to me as it weighed over 600 pounds. Some of them weigh as high as 1000 and hundred but I saw none of that kind. I also killed five deer but saw no Antelope nor elk although they are plenty this side of the mountains in the valley. Now that I have written about enough, I will stop by saying you will hear from again from me by next mail. There is two mails leaving this country every month for New Orleans and New York and your case write me just as often as you ever did and I hope if not too much trouble to hear from you every mail. My regards to all. Leander, hoping soon to hear from you again. I will send you a California paper with this
I am very truly your
S. W. Curtis
Addressed to : Leander Curtis, Hockingport, Athens County, Ohio
Sacramento March 29 1854
Dear Leander
Your favor of July 2 was duly recieved by last mail and glad to hear from you by the last mail I wrote you and I don't know that I have anything in the way of news to write from this side of the Jordon. At present things are not very fresh? at present? but better times expected after awhile. The rainy season is supposed to be about over now with the exception of a few showers in April after which not another drop until next Nov. a long dry spell that to a green? once? accustomed to that style of weather. The grocery business is moderently good and improving in moderation. The past 6 month has been extra dull in this country, worse than ever in the stats but the miners are generally doing well now and such have good diggins will get out much gold if they have good luck, but the states is quite as good a country to make money in now as this is and much more pleasant to live in. Hoping you are all enjoying good health & gliding? days? through life in the some old masaic? style as you say. My kind regards to all. I send you papers today with this. Let me hear from you soon? or annually?
Truly yours, Sid
Addressed to: R. J. Curtis Hockingport, Athens County, Ohio
Sacramento, April 13 1854
Dear Ruhama
On this sheet I hand you the entire city of Sacramento. In the rear of the city you have the range of Sierra Nevada Mountains which look very near on this sheet but are from one to one hundred and twenty five miles distance and it may not come amiss to tell you that in these mountains is where I shot the grizzly bear last summer when I went over into Eutaw [Utah] territory or Carson Vallley. From these mountains snow is visible the year round. In the summer they go up and gather snow and bring it down and sell it for ice 25 pound That is done here ice is scarce here which is often the case here. Now that I have said enough about this and that I will only say as I have no news to write you that I am in good health ditto spirits and hope this may find you all enjoying the same blessing. In the last steances day I wrote you. You are now in my debt two please pay up. I sent a pictorial union on which are many places that I have seen. They all look very fine on paper, very different when you arrive at them. My regards to all.
Truly yours,
S. W. C.
The writing in this letter was difficult to make out. I have guessed at many words and placed question marks when I couldn't make them out. Fort John was in Amador County, California
Fort John May 17th 1857
Dr brother
Your last and much esteemed? favor? bearing date of 4 March was received some weeks since and would have been answered --? this but I have just written to either Ruhama or Leander and I went/work? upon the principle of killing two birds with one Dornick or Stone. Though said letter would answer for all and hope and have not the least hesitation in saying I was right. but upon the other hand I am still strongly opinonated? with the belief that it is the duty of all of you to write to me. Therefore pitch in and send on your communications. Don't one wait for the other. Go upon the old maxim and a very true one too. He that helpeth himself the ??? most helpeth. Consequently all and each one write me and I will write for you all. And here I go. I am happy? in the first place to say to all that I am as I ever have been in the enjoyment of most excellent health ditto spirits, and glad to say our diggings are paying moderately well and can but? hope they will continue to reward the labors with a golden fleece but if not, what then. Why disappointment is said to be the lot of man and when trials & tribulations & reverse of fortune overtake us tis our duty as man and christians to stand firm with unflinching nerves and passionate? industry, economy, morality and a stiff upper lip with such qualities. Raw? that is bond? of woman? much? & will in all human probability sooner? or later? come out all o.k.
You say w? fever? is saying in yours ninety? I don't? wonder oh? if Ayel? Kansas presents grah? inducements to the industrious and enterprising man the spectator, the tradesman, the man of agriculture? & in fact to all those who are not prominently and satisfactorily situated. Were I in the states and desired a change, I would go to Kansas instantly as she is bound to be the posey spot or Garden of Eden among the western states and from all accounts I read I suppose more thickly & ?spadily? inhabited than ever was known in any territory before it will be in Kansas unlike this state as people that go there go to locate permanently and those that come here came to make a pile and have consequently many didn't make this pile and rather susceptible to stay. This? is nearly as many leave this state& every year as arrive in it and nearly all the gold taken out of the ground here is shipped to the states and other countries. Consequently keeps this side of Jordon poor yet she is rich in minerals, the average export of gold from this state monthly which is known? is over five millions beside? annually. A large? amount? of quick silver & large? amount of dust is taken by passengers? on their own account which is not recorded? or no bills of lading given? Consequently it's impossible to ascertain the amount. I some times think I would go west were there any chance but the fact is I can't get any farther that way unless I take to the Pacific and I don't suit me so well on water as on land consequently I will stay here a while gih? and when I do emigrate I will go East. You ask when that will be. This I can't at present say but hope not an extra length of time but am not ready to leave? get? awhile
I am happy to learn the extent? of the christian revival at Coolville that same old valley where ounce stood the old mill which run the stones that cracked my father's corn to feed us all on in our youthful days, I shall always have a great reverence for that same old mill much more so than the saw mill where I took a sack of corn once near Nuberg? to get ground and went away very much disappointed because they were not prepared for grinding purposes. And another thing which always keeps Coolville ?g---? in my reminiscences tis when in my youthful days I took great pleasure in walking barefoot to the general training? and grand menagerie of wild beasts or the circus where the Shetland Poney is flebly? riden by the Monkey. Twas a happy state of things in those good old by gone days to have a surplus of cash on hand accounting? to ?foom? those to 5 or 10 cents all in copper to regale ourselves with upon gingerbread and sweet cider. I often look back with pleasure upon those little green spots in my youth, it shows how easy & how little it took to make us perfectly happy and what the odds it don't make a speck of difference as long as we are happy. Now I will ?goudow? as the Spainard? says or quick? as I have said enough upon all subjects I now think of. I have often lately sent you California papers and once or twice asked if they came to hand but no reply. Let me know in your next. Shall be highly rejoiced to hear from you often. I shall continue as I always have done to write you frequently. The mail arrives to this side Jordon from a post? twice a month a good and speedy opportunity is offered for frequent communication
My regards to all & ?hlivr? me truly yours? Sidney W. Curtis