[Letter of 1866 April 30]

[Letter of 1866 April 30]

1866-04-30

African American fathers

Fathers and daughters

African American businesspeople

African American abolitionists

Lombard Street (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Anderson, Caroline Still, 1848-1911 [recipient]

image/jp2

Correspondence

This material is made available for private study, scholarship, and research use. For access to the original letter or high-resolution reproduction, please contact the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection (blockson@temple.edu; 215-204-6632).

Temple University Libraries, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection

William Still Collection

Blockson manuscripts

William Still Collection

Philadelphia PA: Temple University Libraries

blockson@temple.edu

BMS010X0028

Phila April 30th, 1866/ Dear Carrie -/ How many moments I may/ have to devote to an answer to your two/ last letters, I am not able to see just now,/ yet I feel that I must not make any/ further delay, at least so far as an attempt/ to do the work is concerned./ As to your previous letters which has/ been kept a considerable length of time unans-/=wered, where it is at this moment I cannot/ say, nor have I time now to hunt it up - so I/ will only allude to it from memory./ I think it was in it that you informed me/ that Prof. Peck’s property could be purchased for $6000/ also you endeavored to impress us with the notion/ that we should come to Oberlin to live at any/ rate that it would be well for your mother &/ the children. This proposition let me say - is not/ intertained[sic]. I am more deeply involved in/ business than ever. I may have informed/ you weeks past of my Chase purchases on/ Lombard St.; if I did not- I will do it now./ I purchased within the last 3 or 4 weeks 2 three/ story brick houses on Lombard above 4th St./ This property was formerly owned by Jos. Cassey/ (the father of the Cassey’s) who lived & died/ there. The house that he lived in is a very/ nice house & just about the kind of a one/ I have been ha hunting for, yet I am not/ as yet inclined to go there to live. That/ part of Lombard St. is pretty genteel & quiet,/ you know, but still I have some prejudi-/-ces against Lombard St. and may hesitate/ for sometime before consenting to move/ there. I bought the property at Sheriff/ Sale and got it quite cheap or I should/ not have bought it of course./ Now, I am out of the notion of coming/ to Oberlin to live. There is too much/ work here to do, for me to make up my/ mind to think of leaving./ We have the carpenters busy at/ work on the High School Building, alter/=ing it into 4 [stores?], (2 Bassment & 2 on the/ 1st floor.) Which will be finished in/ about 5 weeks./ Today I advertise for a coal yard./ How soon I shall get one I cannot say./ I hope it will not be long./ Now, a word about the change you/ propose. I mean in regard to going to the/ Hall. If Mrs. Dascomb is there I do not know/ that I shall object, as Mrs P. is going away./ You seem to be worried about/ your Mathamatical studies. “Sphere” or/ no sphere, I want you to work at it &/ master it. I have an idea of seting[sic] you/ up in a store as soon as you are done/ your education, and I am sure you/ would be [pu?]but poorly qualified to suc-/ceed well if you was not ready in figures./ I admit it is hard yet, remember/ everything that is particularly valuable/ is not gained expect by exertion. That/ you have the capacity to succeed fairly/ in this study I do not doubt./ I presume you have failed to/ master the rules, hence find difficulty/ from this direction. So without having/ to go over the [entire?] ground might you/ not make your self[sic] proficient by carefully/ going over the rules again./ The idea of having to turn back is/ not pleasant to contemplate - yet not to be/ thorough is still more to be dreaded. If/ your health will admit of extra exertion/ I would greatly if I were you [rather?] prefer self denial/ and assiduous study to going behind my/ class./ The great majority of our young/ people are carried away with dress. & show-/ love pleasure, music & light studies - but/ I hope you will go in for solid worth./ Aim for # a high moral character, superior/ knowledge & a marked love for justice & right./ If I were you, I would make very/ strenuous efforts before I would be turned back/ [xx?] &c [m ?] ./ Did you see our report in the Chris-/tian Recorder of April 21 ,,st relative to $1281.50/ which we raised here amongst - the colored/ people & send to the congressional com-/mittee, [for?] to enable them to distribute/ radical documents on the suffrage/ question./ With regard to the scholarship/ I will send that on, rather the money, before/ the next term commences, will that/ do?/ We are all well. Give my regards to/ Mrs. Peck. I shall write her quite soon./ Your aff. Father/ W Still/