Jefferson Davis Letters - 18751213_Fife_to_Davis_2

enrolled as memeber. About [illegible} time at war disocverd that not being {underlined} incon[??????] each member was liable for whatever of debt the Society [illegible} incur. It began to be seen, too, that the Society was intended to be a [illegible] of "intellefence office" for the [illegible] in general, as well as for the [illegible] of those who who paid at [illegible]. [illegible] [illegible} made for paying [illegible] for the time they would have to give to the manager [illegible] of the business there was no shock from which they could [illegible} dividually - no profits - in short nothing to induce either members or officerstp give any attention to the affairs of the Society. Each seen [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] that - havingpaid his twenty five dollars - he had nothing more to do with it the reward was that the conduct of affairs was life almost entirely on my hands. The Society was as gauzed[?] complete, in London - in Lowe 1873. But he [illegible] that date I saw that [illegible] [illegible] would not do and informed Mr. Grinffing - as he was there in London - of the fact. Some of those who [illegible] as members refused to pay their fair[?] - others feared with coferessious[?] of dir conduct - others with order to erasre their names from the roll. And most of them, and of the outsiders, regarded the whole project as a [illegible] scheme "a hunting" or a swindle. The thing did not [illegible] there [illegible] they [illegible] that the [illegible} always undervalued [illegible] [illegible] that were thris[?} af[???] there - they [illegible]