RKFP-035

Buffalo. Jany 31, 1853

Dear Charlie

Yours of 7th inst came to hand in due time and I have neglected to answer it till now. Pardon my neglect for remaining so long one of your silent correspondints I should have written last week but I did not have time being as I was, in New York. and busy from morn till night. I have already said I was in New York last week and a glorious time I had of it too in the great Gotham. I started from here on Wednesday 19th inst 6 O clock in morning and arrived in New York at 10 O clock P.M. thus making the Passage (420 miles) in 16. hours. this is what I call travelling pretty fast through the World. I found "Traitor Ed" without any difficulty, and a fine time we had together I tell you.

You say in your letter that I manifest a great improvement

in my letter writing both in matter and in Penmanship. As regards the matter I lay all the blame of my improvement to the B.U.D.C..

I am glad to hear you speak of Mrs K. in the manner which[strikethrough] that you do, about being a Buffalo Lady. I tell you Charlie in my travels East I have not seen as many[underlined] good looking and good behaving misses, as I have here. I suppose that ere this reaches you, you will have recd a letter from our Sec'y in relation to the Washington Monument. What do you think of our plan. It is my opinion that if we get up a block of marble this time it will be a grand thing. We have now about $30.00 subscribed. for my part I shall give as much as I can raise I think $3. or $4. Ed. Phillips says $1. - I do not know whether you have heard of our plan of raising a Cabinet for the Club. We propose to have each number collect all the specimens he can and put them together than thus

form a Cabinet which will in time be a great benefit, as well as pleasing to us, with a view to this object. I brought all my specimens of minerals & shells &c. from N. Y. which will help considerable as I have quite a number. Now I must tell you a little more about New York Last Monday night Ed. P, & I, went to see Barnum's Museum (for I thought I would not come away saying "I had not been to see Barnum") We there saw some curiosities as well as humbugs. but one of the Curiosities is "his Happy Family". Consisting of Monkeys, Cats Dogs, Rats, Mice, Squirrels, Badgers, Owls, Doves, Jackalls, Chickens, &c All[underlined] alive[underlined] and in the same cage and sur enough they are happy. And one of his "humbugs" is the great "Kah-a-Nove"[?] Diamond worth $150,000,000.00. when first we saw it we both burst out laughing. but to take a second look at it over the large printed letters, we found the following words written very[underlined] fine[underlined] with a pen "fac similie of" which set up our laughing bumps considerable but

enough of this at present. I am somewhat in a hurry at present and I will with more next time. I hope you will accept my excuse for delaying so long. I will try to answer more promptly hereafter

Yours affectionately [illegible]. H Van Hoesen

To Chas. A. Kennicott Pomologist Northfield