RK-352

Chicago June 19^th/57

Dear Bob.

I commenced to write you last Sunday afternoon but had only got to page 5, when some evil spirit possessed me to read over what I had written – Of course the result was as might have been ex pected – the 5 pp. went into the waste paper box and I became so dis gusted with my efforts that I incon tinently retired.

You say you are “not over well satisfied with your success.” etc – You expect too much. No great good is ever achieved without some outlay, either of labor, time or money. And - tho’ I doubt not for a moment you are perfectly well aware of the fact – you are not only achieving a great good, but laying for yourself the foundation of a glorious career in your profession. I imagine

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I see that graceful nez retroussé becoming still more aspiring in the height of its contempt for such outspoken phrazse; but, dear Bob, what “every body says must be so” and – in short I’m as envious as possible – I was speaking to Evans the other day and had hardly conclu ded my business with him when he commenced about you – When had I heard from you? What was you doing? Had I heard the snake story? etc. etc. Till I was fairly sick, and that gutta percha countenance of his, was squeezed up into a thous and wrinkles each one of them distilling a sort of Punch & Judy smile which was really revolting to a young man of delicate susceptibilities –

Andrews is well and is getting along finely with the Museum. – He is going out shortly to dig up a Mastadon some– where near Peoria I believe and I

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have promised to give him my valuable assistance. Amasa Uncle Flint and Lawrence went up to Lake Superior for Evergreen Trees and have not some three or four weeks ago and have not yet got back. Your Mother was dreadfully worried about them Charlie came in with the team last Tuesday expecting to find them but they have not yet come – at least that I am aware of – tho’ the boat was expected in last evening – I have been down ^{to the wharf} twice but there were no tidings of her I shall go down again before teatime.

You say in your note you “don’t know what to think of my Kansas move” – etc. I’ll tell you – I have been miserable this past spring and although I have struggled not to yield I have sometimes felt as if there

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was no use living – I was sick and incapable of making any exertion – had no energy – in short I was emphatically “blue” – regular ultra-marine. - fast color, warranted to stand any amount of washing – When I met White – Horace White – quasi editor of the Evening Journal – Kansas Shrieker Agent of Associated Press etc – and he offered me $1000 per annum to go to Lawrence and sell pine boards in his Lumber Yard – make a claim and play L generally – I didn’t take long to make up my mind – got my trunks packed – got an agency for Patent Portable Houses and Burke’s wire Fence. – A lot of Garden Seeds & Sugar Millet to sell on commission to sell for Emery and an engagement to correspond with the Dem Press – passes over the roads and arrangements made to report

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my markets for two weeks (while I was gone to make up my mind whether I should stay or not) and should have bid farewell to Skunk City on the Saturday night following the Friday that your father went down to see but for one of the most fortunate circumstances in the world which prevented w[double underline]hite from being ready. The Tuesday following I rec’d two letters from Allyn Weaton of the Ashlar a Mason ic Magazine published in Detroit, and one from Messers Chase & Gore of West Urbana publishers of the Spirit of the Agri cultural Press. – a new weekly ag’l paper started there. The first was in acceptance of my terms as Asst Editor of the Magazine – (which is to be brought