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| Title | Letter to Mary Jones, 7 October 1877 |
| Creator | Jones, C. Anson
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| Description | Letter to Mary Jones, wife of the last president of the Republic of Texas, from her son, Cromwell Anson Jones. |
| Transcript | Houston Oct. 7 - 1877 - My Dear Mother _ I received you letter of the 5th last. yesterday evening and intended replying the same day as you requested but was unavoidable prevented from doing so. To-day I received you letter of yesterday but not until about one o'clock, so could not dispatch this morning the office being closed I am informed though the mail leaves this evening, so this will reach you to - day or to- morrow morning _ Of course Ma, if it is more agreeable to you to make the proposed ar- rangement to board with Mrs Golden, I am contented _ I have been actuated in all things by a desire to promote you r comfort & happi- ness first, my own pleasure being second- dary _ In approving of your suggestion of board- ing here when you made it to me. I thought that if you boarded at all, it would be the best place for you, aside from the fact that ------------------------------------------------------------ after our eight year separation, I might oc- casionally see something of you : but of course if it si not agreeable to you or a cause of unhappiness, I would not have your adhere to it for a moment _ When I speak of your comfort & Happiness, I mean that which will be permanent & lasting & not that which is only transitory & purchased at the expense of deprivation & self denial in the future To this end it has been the desire of my heart to see your means in such a shape that you might have a permanent and suf- ficient income assured to you without fret- ting away the principal until all should be gone _ It is with this view and for this _ _ _ _ that I have thought it unwise at this time for you to invest means in a place _ Now I do not write my dear moth- er to say for you not to buy or to interpose any opposition to your plans. You ask my advice and I will give it with my views, hav- ing the question to you for decision. Beginning with the time of my recollection of such matters where we moved on the Bay, I do not remem- ------------------------------------------------------------ ber that with our entire force at work we ever came out ahead, even if we made wnds meet _ Since the war with both your sons & Soon-in-law or the place mostly or all the time it has even been worse and each succeed- ing year has witnessed with the utmost ex- entious our place steadily going to decay & _ _ _ & we in spite of sales of land and other property going in debt and becoming poorer day by day and exhausting our resources. I state this in no spirit of complaint (for certainly you & all of us did the best we could) but simply as facts & past experience which may serve as a guide for future action _ I cannot see now how you with many years added to your life and infirm in health & all of us away from you Sam expecting at any time to go away & Gastons plans & movements uncertain, can do better on a place containing five acres of land. It is time that one years board at $25 _ would make the first payment on the place, but I can not see, considering purely the question of economy how you would have money _ Count up the actual cost of provisions, hire --------------------------------------------------------- of servant, accidental expenses interest on investment^wear & tear of place etc etc, I cannot see any differ- in cast _ I cannot see that the place would return a cent of income _ Very few farmers with full ability to labor & give close attention to all details of business are more than keeping even ( & may not doing that ) except on large farms in rich sec- tions of country& with the aid of stock etc considered as a purchase to sell again I cannot see any investment in the place _ Thousands of pieces of improved real Es- tate are selling at the same discount where there is a reasonable prospect of getting rent for them if they are not oc- cupied. It is possible that you might get what you gave if you have plenty of time in which to make the sale _ In my hum- ble judgment it is not a first rate in- vestment with a view to selling again _ But as I said before Ma, I inter- pose no objection. I have expressed my views above frankly & plainly in response to your request _ I have said nothing about the cast of going to housekeeping which is considera- ble and which never returns cast in case of sale _ Still if you think it best to buy ----------------------------------------------------------- and are satisfied that the title to the place is clear & that it is free from any incum- bance, do so and I will furnish the desired account to refund to Dr Jordan _ Let me know what you have concluded & what the amount is & I will take steps to pro- cure it & give you any other assistance in my power in furtherance of your wishes _ If you conclude to board witht Mrs G- in the meantime or permanently, I will cheer- fully furnish the desired amount & what- ever more is necessary to you comfort & en- joyment _ I will take steps to have your things here packed up as you direct forwarded to you the first leisure moment I have _ I learned after returning to town that the lady I as- sisted on the train was Mrs Bringhurst neé Miss Houston, & thought it a very pleasant coincidence _ I was sorry I did not known who it was sooner _ I am very busy yet with County Court. will get through in a week or ten days _ With much love my dear Mother I remain, as ever _ Affectionately Your Son - C. Anson Jones _ |
| Date | October 7, 1877 |
| Genre | letters (correspondence)
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| Subject (Name) | Jones, Mary Smith McCrory
Jones, C. Anson
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| Subject.Topical (LCSH) | Jones, Mary Smith McCrory, 1819-1907--Correspondence
Jones, C. Anson (Cromwell Anson), b. 1850--Correspondence
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| Subject.Topical (Local) | People--Individuals--Mary Jones
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| Subject (Geographic) | Houston, Texas
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| Original Collection | Mary (Mrs. Anson) Jones Letters, 1858-1900 http://archon.lib.uh.edu/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=306 |
| Repository | Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries |
| Original Item Location | ID 1970-003, Box 2, Folder 78 |
| Use and Reproduction | This image is in the public domain and may be used freely. If publishing in print, electronically, or on a website, please use the citation button above. To request higher resolution images, please use the Request High Res button above. |
| Digital Collection | Mary (Mrs. Anson) Jones Letters |
| Digital Collection URL | reformatted digital |
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