Adams Family Correspondence, volume 14
m.
I wrote to you the 14th.
Inst. acknowledging the Receipt of Yours
of Feby. 21. & the 6th. of this Month. I have conferred with
Mr. Porter and his Wife relative to
their Continuance on the Farm for 7 Months— I cannot bring Mr. Porter to a less Sum than 175 Dollrs. for that Term, which is 25 Dollars more
than you mentiond, altho it appears to me that it would upon the whole
be better to give that Sum, than to get a new Family unacquainted with
the Run of Business and other Circumstances that might be mentiond, yet
not knowing what might lay in your Mind, I thot it prudent to refer it
Your Decision. Shipley came the Beginning of this Week brought his
Brother with Him, who wishes to work on the Farm, He is a very likely
looking Young Man.1 the
Former will ask not much less than 132 Dollrs. per annm. and if for the
Season 12 or 13 Dollrs. per Month, the
Latter will probably ask the same— I have set them to work, till I hear
from you. As soon as the Frost is out of the Ground, there will be much
to be done. The Building will produce additional Work, the Labourers
when not engaged in other Business will assist the Carpenters in
Framing, attending Masons, carting Sand, Lime &C all the Heavy
Articles such as Brick Lumber &C except the Sand & Lime &
underpining Stones are on the Spot— The Framing is begun and shall
endeavour to expedite the Work as fast as possible. We have had as yet
but Two or Thre Days favourable for the Business, Frost still in the
Ground, considerable Snow in many Places travelling excessively bad—
Mr. Bates thinks it would be best to
defer painting in the lower Room & Chamber of the present House,
till the New Frame is up & coverd, as a Door must be cut through
each of them— it might be likely to injure the Paint and the Door not
have the exact Shade of the Room— But if you think upon the whole it
would be best to have it done immediately, it shall be executed. Is it
your Intention in the new End to have but one Chamber over the Hall—
Would You have the Fire Place below of the same Size as the keeping
Parlour— you may have it of what Dimensions you please, there will be
room enough for the Purpose—
Mrs. Cranch has wrote
some time since relative to the House Revd.
Willm. Clark occupies. Mr. Clark sometime in Febry. wrote to me
that He could not pay his Rent, till Midsummer, Wished to know whether
he was to continue there another year, as there was an 181 Opportunity of his getting
another Place. I have given Him no positive Answer— The House wants some
Repairs, and if you think best to let it to Mr. Whitney, perhaps it would be best to reserve the Goose
Pasture out of Mr Frenchs Lease, and let it
with the House— in this Case it would produce a much better Rent— The
several Matters mentiond above, you will be so good as to express Your
Mind upon them by the first Post—
I thank you for the Eulogies you was so kind as to send me. Major Jacksons I think equal to any I have seen— Mine if it will be any Gratification to you, the reading of it when you return will not be refused— I feel mortified at the continued Vexations & Delays of those restless Spirits in Congress, who seem to be invariably pursuing the Maxims of French Philosophy, and who will never rest till they have destroyed or mutilated our present Form of Government— Patience. Patience.
Adieu for the present with Mrs. Tufts’s best Regards & assurance of Affection / From /
Yours.
PS. have you any orders respecting the Garden—
Will you be so good as to get Mr Brisler to enquire the Price of Clover
& Hirdseed & write me word—2
th.
Being at Quincy to visit Dr. Phipps who has been confind with a slow Fever for 4 or 6
Weeks past and is yet in a languid State— receivd Yours of the 15 &
18th. Inst.
this and a former Letter will give some Information upon the Subject
mentiond in yours. other matters Time does not permit me now to advert
to—but shall write further in a Day or two—3
RC (Adams Papers); internal address:
“Mrs. Abigail Adams—”; endorsed: “Dr
Tufts 26 March / 1800.”
William Shipley’s brother was probably Daniel
Shipley, a single man taxed in Quincy in 1800 (Sprague, Braintree Families
).
Herd-grass is timothy or other grass grown as hay or
pasturage (
OED
).
Tufts wrote the bulk of this letter on the third page of a folded sheet. The paragraph following the postscript and the entry dated 27 March are written on the second page, which is vertically torn in half.
th:March 1800.
I have to acknowledge the receipt of, and to thank you
for your kind favor of the 7th: instt: which came to hand ten days ago. The 182 extract from Col: T Johnson’s letter,
contains information, which is very useful to be known by the distant
proprietors of lands in the State of Vermont, and I shall very shortly write
upon the subject of ours, to that Gentleman— The Surveyor General Mr: Whitelaw has heretofore had some Agency in
paying off arrears of road & other taxes— I may perhaps have occasion to
employ him further in the management of the business, but shall not forget
Mr: Johnson if his services should be
required.1
It has given me great pleasure to hear of your’s and my Aunt’s health during the course of this Winter— My parents have, likewise, for the most part, enjoyed tolerable health, though my Mother now & then has a memento of her old complaints— She is not now so well as usual, but we hope her indisposition will be but transitory—
I have most sincerely wished, that I had the Ability to
be more serviceable to your worthy Son, my Cousin William, than I have been.
I interested myself as much as I could to procure his appointment to the
Clerkship of the Supreme Court of the U.S. on the resignation of the present
occupant, and I have a reasonable hope that he will obtain it, as soon as
the seat of Govt: is removed to Washington— He
is opposed but by one competitor, and though he is brought forward with
considerable patronage—I think his pretentions are far inferior to those of
your Son, in whose favor, at least two of the Judges, are, I think warmly
interested.
Present my best love to my Aunt & both her daughters, grand daughters & sons not forgetting my little namesake, & believe me with much esteem & respect, Dear Sir, / Your Nephew
RC (MHi:Christopher P. Cranch Papers);
addressed: “Richard Cranch Esqr: / Post
Master / Quincy”; endorsed: “Letter from T: B: Adams / Esqr. Mar 27th.
1800, in / answr to Mine of Mar. 7th / 1800.”; notation: “Free.”
Cranch wrote to TBA on 7 March (MHi: Christopher P. Cranch
Papers), stating that he had placed property he owned in Vermont under
the stewardship of Col. Thomas Johnson and suggesting that the Adamses
do the same with Vermont lands they acquired in 1782, for which see vol.
4:315, 316–317. Johnson
(1742–1818) represented Newbury in the Vermont state legislature for ten
terms (150th Anniversary of the Settlement of
Newbury, Vermont, Groton, Vt., 1912, p. 38). For the Adamses’
previous interactions with James Whitelaw, the Vermont surveyor general,
see vol. 12:417–418.