LETTER #2, May 27, 1883 From Blansett, Ark.

Dear Brother,
I received your letter Saturday and was very sorry to hear you are sick and that Ma has been falling down again. I hope you are both well again by this time.

I am very much obliged to you for that money. I guess I can make out on it, for the present any way, and hope I will be able to pay it back before very long, although I do not see much prospect of it just now.

I have been to see all our kin in the county they are all well I believe except Aunt Jane, who has the sore eyes. Grandpa has got so he can get out of bed by himself and walk about the house with his crutches, but he fell down this morning and I expect will be afraid to try it much more for awhile although he did not hurt himself much. The reason he don’t get well is because the bone was not set right, or rather I should say it was not set at all. They could not get Dr. Bevell and they got Dr. Washburn who is naturely a fool for want of sense and after they got him they wanted him to wait till they could get Dr. Bevell or someone else to help him but he declared he did not need any help and so went ahead by himself but he never got the ends of the bone together at all they lap about an inch and that makes the leg a great deal shorter than the other and of course never will get right again.

I wrote you about riding all night in a buggy with a young man as I was coming out here, his name is Will Savery he said he might possibly be in Knoxville before a great while and would go to see you if he does you must show him round and treat him the best you can without getting drunk with him, as he will very likely want you to.

Thair are going to be but very few free schools in this county this year from what I can learn, and I don’t think they are going to pay the teachers any thing where they have them. They have got a young fellow to teach where I taught before at $20 a month and board himself, but I don’t believe he knows as much as that.

Thair seems to be a very good chance for a man out here if he has got a little capital to start on, but that’s what every one here hasn’t got.

There are going to be about 50 farms sold for taxes here in a week or two and I expect a man could get some of them for almost nothing.

Then John Mitchel wants to put up a cotton gin on his place but he has not got the place paid for yet. He don’t want to go in debt any more until he does get it paid for although the gin would pay for its self in about three months. He is one of the best hands with a gin in this county and I suppose he knows what he is talking about when he says with $150 gin and a $450 engine he can gin 6 bales of cotton a day and they all get 1/12 for ginning so you see that gives a profit of at least $15 a day clear of expenses. If I had about $300 I think I could get him to go in with me and we could by the gin and engine for part cash and the rest on credit and then make it all back and more too by the first of February. It would not be nessicary to buy then before the first of September.

He told me if I would put up a store on his farm he would give me a lot to build the house on and then help build it and then furn over the post office to me. He is post master at Greenridge 6 miles from Waldern on the Dardinell road and if they build a railroad from Dardenell to Waldern it will run through his place. Will Brown is a county surveyer of this county, Uncle Sam (Samuel C. Brown)is postmaster at Blansett and Grandpa, Will Brown, George Smith, Marion Evett, and John Mitchel are all school directors in their own districts.

May 29 Grandpa was hurt worse when he fell than he thought. He has not been out of bed since.

I received Ma’s card the same time as your letter and will answer it in a few days. The mail goes to Blansett 3 times week now commencing last week.

Write soon, your brother, W.H. Brown

Transcribed and submitted by Betsy Smith

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