RKFP-089

Princeton Nov 24. 1854

Dr J.A. Kennicott

My dear friend

I am glad to hear that you are about to get up a volume of State Agricultural Transactions I will endeavor to induce my brothers and also Mr. Lovjoy to afford some assistance and I think they will do so. As for myself I will gladly do something if I can, but that is doubtful, I am at present in a very un= favorable situation for undertaking any thing of the kind, as I have lately had, and still have much trouble and perplexity. You are doubtless not aware that my house has been burned. This took place about three o'clock on Sunday morning Oct. 8th. My loss is heavy, and one which I am ill able to meet, amounting as I suppose to $3000 and no insurance. We saved some of our goods, but great part were destroyed. I got my head rather -

severely scorched, and received a blow upon it from a falling rafter which confused my ideas for a week after. My friends have kindly loaned me $1000. with which I have been rebuilding, and trying to get the house in such a condition that we can stay in it through the winter. The walls are repaired, and the roof has just been put on. I have had great difficulty in procuring the necessary workmen; have had to pay exorbitant prices for labor and materials; my two oldest sons on whom I depended much for assistance have been sick for nearly three weeks past with typhoid fever; I have myself been for sometime nearly disabled by rheumatism, and altogether we are in a rather bad situation. My boys are now getting better, and I hope will soon recover. The weather too has been for the most part extremely favorable. No sales from my nursery this fall.

Could not [Dunluss?] be induced to try to get a a bill passed at the next session of our Legislature, making fruit stealing felony? I think we have a better set of members than in the last, and a better chance that such a bill may succeed. I concur in the sentiments of the resolutions you sent me.

I was not pleased with the post= ponement of our Fruit Convention; which as far as I know was done without con= sulting any other members of the Association. If there was not much fruit to exhibit, there was important business to transact; and the action of the Com= mittee appears to me an unwarrantable assumption of authority. What do you think of it?

Yours truly

Arthur Bryant