Creator
J[ohn] Reid
Recipient
John Muir
Transcription
[4]
I am here for my things w/o for the winter when I get through I will go home & make some arrangements I world be almost tempted to come out & work for you a spell to see how things will go. I am satisfied that if I was a lone here in the house business I could make plenty of money as I am satisfied there is 50 per cent in raising houses. another thing that is bothering me at present is I have got to pay on this land $1000. next December & do not see where I am to get it at present it may be something will turn up before that time. Walter seems to be very anxious to help but when the time comes he may have enough to do with him self. Now John I have written you about how I stand but prefer you to keep this to yourself. Maggie may write a letter about this herself this leaves me well & all right so far as [in margin: health hoping this may find you & family well also [illegible] Reid]
[1]
Spring Valley Ranch [illegible] Kansas Augst. 24-1887 Prof. John Muir
Dear Sir
This is a rainy day for Kansas Maggie write me that you have written to her & have kindly [inquired?] about my affairs or how I was getting along. well to commence that fall when you was here in Neb we got some sheep to feed & did well [illegible]about [illegible] 000 to 8000. last fall we intended to have got some sheep again to feed but failed as prices did not suit us. we came accross a party that had from 700 to 800 head of horses that wanted to bring to Crete for us to feed. as we had yards & considerable feed so they came without money to buy feed so we
[2]
had to furnish them money tell we was holden for $20,000. I demanded a bill of sale of the horses for that amt. as their was demands coming against those [partiess?] that was going to interfere with our interest & that Mr. Foster had sign notes with those parties to amt. if $11.000. unbeknown to me. so that was placing us in bad shape. well all we got the bill of sale I then went to Kansas City with 3 car loads of horses to sell so as to get back some of that money as it was coming due. while I was there in Kansas City Mr. Foster & those parties made another sale supposing to be a better one as [stricken word] liabilities were held by other parties against those parties who own the horses to the amt of $14.000 and when they found out that [stricken word] Reid & Foster and the horses they kicked supposing
01275
[3]
the sale not to be genuine & the upshot then was going to be an long lawsuit. well in order to make a settlement we had to lose about $2500. as the parties who own the horses were going to go against us to make it out that the sale was not good. since that time I have been trying to sell out myinterest in the horses here in Kansas to Mr. Foster but he will not sell nor buy. so I am trying to get along as well as I can. the banks have sgone against us also. will not let us have any money [stricken word] to wrok with. they tell me to separate from Foster & then they will help me all I want. but unwilling to do anything as long as Foster stays with me. I am in bad shape as present do not know hardly what to do. I feel like throw things up & go to work to support my family
Location
Collyer, Kansas
Date Original
1887 Aug 24
Source
Original letter dimensions: 20.5 x 25.5 cm.
Recommended Citation
Reid, John, "Letter from J[ohn] Reid to John Muir, 1887 Aug 24." (1887). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 1726.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/1726
Resource Identifier
muir05_0858-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 05, Image 0858
Collection Identifier
Online finding aid for the microform version of the John Muir Correspondence http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0w1031nc
Copyright Status
Copyright status unknown
Copyright Statement
Some letters written to John Muir may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Owning Institution
Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.
Pages
2 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
