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PF2.2.82
Date
9-5-1839
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Kenyon College Sept 5th 1839
Dear Father
I [reed] a letter from you dated 31 July about the 15th August containing a bill of 20 dolls also a draft for 50- both of which I sold for a premium of 142 per [?]. The person who bought the draft is a merchant here and will probably come in to New York himself some time this fall. Our Commencement was as I stated to you in my former letter on the 20th and on the morn of the 21st I started for the north. The route and means of conveyance were so fixed that it made it more convenient for me to visit [Fallreadge] first. If you can get a map of [this] you can track out my route through Soudon ville, Wooster, Akron, to Cuyahoga Falls which is within 4 miles of Uncle [Sperry’s] house. The crops this season through the country which I passed are all very good. Could wheat in particular have not been better for years. I arrived at Cuyahoga Falls (a pleasant village of about 2500 inhabitants so called from the falls of hives on which it is situated) on the evening of the 23 and remained there all night. I found out that two of Uncle Sperry’s [sous] were there at school also that another [(Lyman)] was [?] and resided there. After just calling at the house of the latter (who by the way so much [usembles] you that I should have hailed him had I met him a stronger in the [shut]), I started with the other two (who are about [Ima] 23 and Lewis 24 years of age) for [Tallmadge]. However I first paid a visit to the falls which are a series of rapids nearly a mile in length, between perpendicular banks of granite rock in some places over 100 feet high - making it one of the best places for never failing [water] privileges that I ever saw. We walked out the greater part of the way on the banks of a new Canal which cuts off one corner of Uncles farm and got an reached them towards noon, I found nearly all uncles family well, except [Levinus] who was moving about the house and looking rather [bellious]. Uncle himself is stout and vigorous as his brother [Ebenizer] was when I left Con. He has however given the change of the farm nearly 200 acres to his son Adna who is marries and lives with him. [Two] daughters are unmarried and living at home the youngest Betsy teaching at the district school. Three of his sons are preparing to emigrate to Illinois intending to settle on wild lands then this fall one [?] is coming east to New Haven for the purpose of improvement in his trade (carriage [driving]) and another is going south to New Orleans. Thus they separated by land and sea. It is very improbable that I should ever have seen as many together at any other time. I staid at Uncles till the 26th Tuesday - talking with cousins, eating apples and plums, [roving] over the farm, helping innoculate apple thus, etc., etc. Uncles [hobby] by then is an orchard and he really has a fine one which he appears to care more for than all the rest of his farm I have no doubt that I am in his good graces for I inoculated as I mentioned above more than 20 apple trees. On Tuesday he took his horse and waggon and carried me over to Medind about 28 miles - The [bout] lay through the village of Akron of 3000 inhabitants a place that has sprung up within 5 years and much more business like than Waterbury in Con. Yet within ten miles of this place we drove through thousands of acres of land wild as it was when the Indians roamed over it. We were directed to pass through the “center” of the town of Granger and after looking in vain for miles among woods and swamps for a village a wood chopper at length informed that a little log house which we passed standing all alone on a hill near the road was meeting house, school house, town house, and centre” --
We found Uncle Edward not very well. Aunt Betsey looking a little older but other wise much as she was in old Con. [Issael] and his wife lives with them Edward has a little house about 300 yds off. Uncle is building a new house for himself very small though perhaps long enough for him and aunt. When it is finished there will be three houses on a farm of about 150 acres, within one of them as large as Lewis Sanfords. Uncles though very good for [grass] does not appear to me much better than the majority of farms in Con of the same sign - though [the] crops are bad in that part of the county this year. Edward is much the same here that he was in Con not making much headway except in his children of which he has 4. When I arrived in [Medind] himself and wife had just returned from Camp meeting. [Israel] has no children and so far as I can judge is doing very well, his wife though a very kind does not appear to be a very preferable personage. Uncle Edward keeps as he did in Con a first team and is as proud of it as ever. I rather think from what he says that he will be back in old Con within a year on two a visit. I left them on Friday and got back to Kenyon Sat morning. Coming through Wooster, Mansfield, [?]. The country through which I passed though for the most part as well cultivated and as much cleaned up as in the East nevertheless generates the Ague and Fever so badly that in no place do the people look as healthy as in New England. In New Portage Akron [?] on the Canal I saw a more ghastly set dragging around the sheets than ever saluted my eyes before. Some of them shaking so that they could not put their hands in their pockets yet for all this crawling about. When I am though it is entirely healthy. It’s the low ground that does the business. I was at church on Sunday in [Tallmadge] a thorough going Yankee town but among the guild in the [gallsey] did not see our healthy [c?] name except cousin Betsey and she complained dimally at home. People here especially girls are worse than in Con about walking they think they cannot [ste] ½ a mile a foot and the result is sickness for whatever exercise any one takes unless it is active it does no good. -- [Euos] you say was wounded on the 4th by the [?] of a [?]. I suppose he is not much worse on you would have let me know it for since your last letter I have read nothing from old Con. Easily if you write [upon] there. I [reed] the 70 dols and paid 35 for my board last session 5. Shoes bill, Books 3.50, Society 3.00, [necessary] as I mentioned in my last letter such as Straw Hat [?] about 5.00 Traveling expenses up I was [camed] in a private conveyance by a fellow student but for horse [?] [?] it cost me 3. By the stage 4 loging dining 1. In all traveling 8. Making the whole stand [?] 35. 5. 3.50 3.5. 2. 4. 1 = 59.50 - You sent 70 cash on hand 10.50 - but I owe my wash woman about 3 - Look Below
I have commenced boarding myself as I stated in my last letter it will lesson my expenses very much the first week cost me 75 cents and I do not think it will come out to a dollar any time in the session you ask me how much money I shall want. I can’t tell, I shall have to pay out for my board ready money for the most part - and I shall have to pay 20 dols at the commencement of next session for [teachers]. If in your next you send me however 20. I think to say my teacher I think I can get along for some time with what I have though if you send more I shall not waste it. If you had rather send a draft do so I can sell it readily.
Yours as ever, Lec. G. Peck
Truly I thank you for the money you have sent me I have sent you an account of what I did with it which I hope will satisfy you. I have much more to say but room will not allow it. By paying my board at the cost of 75 cents a week you see it will lesson my expenses 50 dols a year quite an object the attend and I am sure it will not much exceed that price. I should like to skip another class my extra study and I think if I can get a chance to [?] I will try this doing that in two years which usually takes 4. I hope you will be able to read this letter and don’t forget to answer soon and send me some [napirs].
Your affectionate son,
L G Peck
Recommended Citation
Peck, Lucius G., "Letter from Lucius G. Peck to Levi Peck" (1839). 19th Century Correspondence. 78.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/correspondence_19thc/78