31 July 1882 • Elmira, N.Y. (MS facsimile: CU-MARK, UCCL 12448)
Yes, I find no fault with Harley’s darkies.
The Kaolatype stands me in, out, up to the present time, thirtyⒶemendation or forty thousand dollars—the latter figure is nearest, perhapsⒶemendation. It has been a pretty uniform expense of $500 a month for 3 years & upwards; butⒶemendation there has been a scattering week or so, latterly, when it hasⒶemendation paid its week’s expenses. So I judge it won’t be much of a trickⒶemendation to make her go, now. What will you give me for a fourth, fifthⒶemendation, or sixth interest? Look in onⒶemendation Webster & let him expose his booksⒶemendation & his business from the beginning. This is the first time I have ever offered any partⒶemendation or portion of the thing forⒶemendation sale—but there was no way toⒶemendation guess out a value before. In theⒶemendation first place, I want your brainsⒶemendation; & after the business has ◊◊en begun to pay a fair & regular profit, IⒶemendation want an establishment started inⒶemendation Boston. Soon sell you aⒶemendation shop-right as not, but would ratherⒶemendation have you on board as member of the fambly.
Meantime, don’t forget to keep an eye on that Bierstadt businessⒶemendation—we must be around inⒶemendation case anything happens to it.
My hope was, to be able to write 10,000 words a week, hereⒶemendation. I was sick two or three days, in the beginning, & Jean’s attackⒶemendation kept me worried for a whileⒶemendation; still, I have written my 15,000Ⓐemendation words in the week & a halfⒶemendation that I have been actually atⒶemendation work. Hope I can keep itⒶemendation up.
MS in the hands of a copyistⒶemendation, here, would probably be unsaferⒶemendation than in the safe of AdamsⒶemendation Express—so I think IⒶemendation will revise this, after a few daysⒶemendation, & ship it to you without having it copied.
All hands well, now.
MS facsimile, CU-MARK. The facsimile, supplied by Christie’s East in 1994, is imperfect: many of the letters on the left edges of the pages are partly or wholly obscured. Two additional sources have been used as a basis for emendation where necessary: a transcription in an undated Profiles in History auction catalog (no. 25, lot 112), and a facsimile of the first page in a Remember When Auctions catalog (31 March–5 April 1999, no. 45, lot 3622). Partly obscured but otherwise readable letters have been silently restored; all missing letters have been supplied by emendation, as listed below.
Christie’s East, 21 September 1994, lot 54, partial publication; Remember When Auctions, 31 March–5 April 1999, no. 45, lot 3622, partial facsimile and publication; Profiles in History, unknown date, no. 25, lot 112, partial publication; MicroPUL, reel 2.