Willis, John ?. Letter to Isaac Post.

Title

Willis, John ?. Letter to Isaac Post.

Creator

Willis, John ?

Contributor

Post, Isaac, 1798-1872

Date

1848-03-05

Description

Handwritten letter from John ? Willis to Isaac Post, March 5, 1848.

Is Part Of

Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Rights

The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Identifier

705

Location

Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Transcription

(Page 1)

                                  Jericho 3 M 5^th 1848
Esteemed Brother and Sister
                We have lately received an exceptable [sic]
letter from you ^thee^, althou I had prity [sic] much concluded to
write to you about a month ago, tha and give you some
account how things are getting on here, but the concern seemed
rather to cool off but after receiving one from Rochester it has
somewhat revived but not with ^that^ cleaness [sic] that I should like
but I am in hopes as I proceed things will print that may
gratify if nothing more, in the first place I will go back to
our Quarterly Meeting that was held in New York in first
month last, but I supose [sic] Meeting maters will be uninterest
ing to you, but I will mix a little Abolition without to make
it more palateable [sic], in the first place we had a pretty good
Meeting, Henry Ridgway a member of Crosswicks Monthly M
on New jersey a lovely interesting minutes, (reminded me some
of Stephen Tredwell,) he preached well on bouth [sic] days, he and
his companion put up at John A Wrights with us he is a
very interesting little man in conversation, John asked him many
questions in regard to ^his^ views on different subjects, and also the refers
that he had heard of him, at different times and Henry was very
free to give the whole history which was very interesting and
instructive, John observed he had heard at one time that he
(Kenny) had pretty much left the society of friends, had joined the
Abolitionist, Moral reform, and Temperance ^societies^ and was going
about lecturing on the different subjects, Henry admitted
that he had taken a prity [sic] active part in those things but
not to that extent that had been reported of him, he mentioned
that at one time he was attending and appointing meetings in
Pennsylvania and at one meeting he had appointe[sic] at friends M
house at a certain hour and thence being a number of Aboli
tionists belonging to that Meeting and Charles C Bubly being
in ^that^ rigion [sic] they had a meeting appointed for him at the same
time and place and unbeknown to Henry, Charles lectured

(Page 2)

and Henry preached and so the Meeting ended and it was
reported that he and Charles were going about lecturing on
abolition when he new nothing of Charles being there untill [sic]
he came in the meeting houses at an other time John said
he heard that Henry Ridgway was rather backing out from
taking such an active part in Abolition, moral reform and
[obliterated], and was coming back to the society of friends, Henry admitted
that what he had heard was nearly correct, that he had been
convinced that to be to active in these things would lead from
the truth, and he had to come out of them, although he was
in favour of abolition and of moral reform but he did not find it
his place to join those different societies, _________ in reading the
queries and answers, the answers in regard to attending places of
diversion came up clear from all the Monthly Meetings a friend
from the country said he could not see how New York friends society
answer the query clear for at every pace he visited in the city
they had acknowledge [sic] that yong [sic] friends in the city was in the
practice of attending places of musich [sic] and dancing which was
considered to by places of diversion and how friend could answ^er^
that query clear he could not see, the overseers I believe to a man
said they did not know of a single instance of a friend attending
a place of diversion and whenever they did they always reported it to the
quarterly meeting, I thought they wood[sic] soon have our country friend
floored, but he was backed by a friend of New York Meeting, and so
the subject droped [sic], but I learnt[sic] aftermeeting [sic] that country friends did
not understand what musick [sic] and dancing was, it appears that
yong [sic] friends are in the habbit of attending parties at friends houses
and will have a little good singing and some handsome musick [sic]
plyed[sic] by some of company on come nice instrument and step about
the room a little was not considered a place of diversion but
old fation [sic] country plays of selling pasons [sic] and kising [sic] the girls
and I expect William Hallowell will think that New York friends
are perty [sic] near right on that subject, as I believe he likes to hear
good singing himself. There was a committee appointed some months
ago that way opened to prepare a memorial for George D [Whla?]
and produce to a future meeting they produced to the monthly

(Page 3)

meeting last fourth day and is said to by [illegible] ^a^ good me
I supose [sic] it will come to our next quarterly meeting _________
in thy letter thee seames [sic] to think that friends rather stand in the
way of reform instead of advancing the good causes, now I think very
different, I suppose thee thinks because we dont go to abolition meetings
and temperance meetings and make a great Cheering and pass some
very strong resolutions and sing some abolition songs and temperance
songs and make a great harrowing we are doing nothing for the good
cause ferry differen [sic] I think, for I do beliefe [sic] that I do more my
self in advancing the cause of temperance ^than^ thee and Amy and Sarah
all put together I expect that you are not doing much but talking
and punishing your selves with drinking [illegible] water, now I go
and for the right use of these good things and not the abuse of any
thing, we have commenced cleaning our nice cider I hope it will
be verry [sic] fine so that the Newyorkers when they git[sic] it, they will
desferice [sic] with all distilled Liquor, which has been the case I
believe in several instances and more we make the more we
shal [sic] endeavor to spread the cause of temperance, this thee sees
is practical work something that can be seen not all mind _______
we hear that Mary Hallowell has been disowned for not attending
meetings. and that William has resigned his right, I do not know
that I can blame William for if friends where to disown my wife
I would resign my right at once

(Page 4)

Henry continued lame has 2 crutches but thinks he is gitting [sic] better
the smelling is pretty much gone out and the soriness [sic] shifts about
in different places but that is much better than it has been yet
it is verry [sic] difficult for him to bear any weight on his lame foot
it is now first day evening and the 12 of the month Henry contin
ues lame walks with 2 crutches goes verry slow, Catherine
about as usual not any better perhaps not quite as well as
some times [sic], Mary has gone to Milbury Samuel Hecks little
boy is quite sick with the inflammation on the lungs they
sent for Mary this morning, Abigail Willets wife of Jacob
our neighbor has been very poorly for about 2 weeks we
have just heard that she has a little girl some 2 or 3 hours
old, I am in hopes she will soon be better, but Mary has
been fearfull [sic] that she would not get up again, Mother
Kirby is not verry [sic] smart but genarly[sic] so as to be about
father is quite smart health good except lame,____________
Thomas Whitson and Mary Willets proposals of Marriage
came to our prepatire [sic] Meeting last fifth day, our
Jericho and Westbury yong [sic] folks have seamed [sic] to have got quite
in the spirit of getting Married this season, Thomas Whitson
is the son of Thomas Whitson that lived at Flushing.
                                                         (I wrote something that Many said words
                                                              not do to send and I cut it off)
[Inserted Page]

(Page 5)

Read the enclose first

                Jericho 3 M 12^th 1848.
I comenced [sic] writing to thee [obliterated] truly more than a week ago
but have not sent yet had perty[sic] much gave out as Mary fund[sic]
so much ^fault^ with my letter but as she is gone from home I
thought I would send it. thee may tell Edmund P. that
his father has sold his [fat?] open for $8 per 100 lb they are
butcherd [sic] at Oysterbay the one that was slaughtered last
week weighed 1008 lb I think this the lightest one the
other to be slaughtered this week. Henry bought them last
8 Mo. for 63 dollars and now gets about 163$ for them that
is the way to make money on long hand, Henry and his
boys have got to be quite in the spirit of farming they have
had about 400 bush of wheat sold it for 10/6 ts 11/ per buss
have them [earn?] mostly on hand Samuel thought last
fall they should have about 1500 bush of [ears?] they
have oats at 50. C but are none waiting for the price to get up
corn is worth about 5/. last winter 8 and 9 shilling
what a difference; Isaac Willis has gone to spend the
Evining [sic] with some nice pirty [sic] girls, at Robert Seamans
we begin to think there is some hope of Isaac. but as
for Samuel he will just wink at them and that is about
all, Joseph [Shotwell?] has bough [Doltes?] Rodgers old plce [sic]
at Jericho for his son Joseph, they expect to move ^in^ about
the first of next month he gave about 120 dollars per
acre a fair price, Chickens are north in New York about
8 and 10/ per fair turkies [sic] 2 dollars and 18/ a piece if a man
wants to make money by farming Long Island is the
place we have just sold a lot of Locust timber from
6/ to 8/ a foot according to the sise [sic] I believe they want
it to build the war steemers [sic] so they can have them to
kill the Mexicans with unless they make peace which I
hope they will. for I think they have been thrashed
quite enough perhaps as much as they deserved
from your brother J Willis. please excuse every imperfection

(Page 6)

[Text in top margin, written upside down]

Velvet Ribbons [illegible]
communication connection with
Persevere ye honest men ever keep
the precepts tin commission
                                omission

[Text normal]

Willet E Post

                Isaac Post
                & son Rochester
                New York

[Text in middle of page, written upside down]

AP IIP Joseph Post
controvert contraband contrite
prevent [perponderence?] [preconcerted?]
many men of many winds

Tags

Abolitionism; Agriculture; Family; Quakers

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Willis, John ?, “Willis, John ?. Letter to Isaac Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 22, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/2997.

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