| Notes |
- (Transcribed copy of an original letter written by Mary Bassett Sly to her
parents Nehemiah and Mary Lawson Bassett) provided by Geraldine Ruth (Bassett)
Maynard.
Lockport, Niagara County, May the 16th, 1830
Respected Parents,
I now take my pen in hand to inform you of our health which
is tolerable good at present and hope you are well. i have never wro
Grandmother or any of the family, nor heard from them since James come home
last summer i mean to write to them and if i get an answer write to you. Money
was scarce in Sardinia James thought best to go out of the place to work so he
started the first of February to look for work business was dull at that
season and wages low, he heard that wages was higher in Canada than on this
side he went there and hired out to work for 15 dollars per Month he worked a
day or two and was taken sick with a desease called the Black Canker, he was
soon reduced so low that he was thought incurible he was speechless but had
his right mind he saw a bottle of vinegar in the room and motioned for it they
gave it to him he drinked it was soon better (that complaint was in general
Mortal a great many died with it, the doctors could do but little for it.) as
soon as james was able he started for home when he got as far as Lockport he
was so much better he hired to work though his mouth was verry sore, he came
home about the 10th of april; i expected when he come home to go to Michigan
this spring and was ready and almost fancied myself there but James had such
hard luck that he was no abler to go than when he started from here (i wish
that general Equality had been invented, and Money never known.) We removed
from Sardinia to Lockport. James was hired to a wealthy man for one year he is
to give him 16 1/2 dollars per month, his work is tending sawmill driving team
and so forth James thought he did not want to stay away from Michigan a
summer to pay our debts and go there in the fall with nothing i hope if we
dont have sickness this year we shall be able to come more decently than we
could this spring i want to hear from home verry much and i want some of the
family to write an answer as soon as you get this for i want to let
Grandmother and the rest know how you are, i wish that father and Mother would
make themselves able to come and see me this Summer, Why cant you? it wont
cost much and you would as live cross the Lake as not, i am not able to come
home and i should not dare to cross the lake alone with a child i want you
should come and see our great Boy he is almost large enough to chop down small
trees, so no more we live in the lower town a few rods from the Lockport house
i want to see the children verry much
Mary B. Sly to Nehemiah and Mary Bassette
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Bassett Family Association Database
1809 - 1830 (~ 181 years)