HALL LETTERS #4 Letter from Ira Hall, Sr., Stowell's Corners, Jefferson County, NY, to his son Ira Hall, Jr., Mexico, Audrain County, MO, December 17th, 1869. Stowels Corners, NY. Dec 17th 1869 Dear Son, Ira, I acknowledge that I have been too negligent in writing to you but your mother and some of the children have often written to you, on that account I have excused myself from writing. I would inform you that my health has been pretty good during the summer and fall past, and is very good for a person as old as I am. I am able to labor, do most any kind of work, such as threshing with threshing machine, [husking?] corn, pitching [m--?] [draning?] wood &c, your mothers health is not very good. Her health is quite delicate, takes cold very easy, which causes her to cough very hard, she's not now so bad as at some times, she is always at work when she is able to be about the house. The rest of the family are in usual health. Samuel & Winnie [sons] are not very rugged & tough, hence many ill times, which last but a short time, a day or two at a time. Sophia [unmarried daughter] is at home, this winter, not teaching school, taught some winters past. Ella [daughter] has left her native home, is married and lives near Adams Center. Several of us, were at her house yesterday, your sister Sophia and her cousin Jennie Briggs, your Uncle Samuel [Hall]'s daughter she was married last Monday evening and came out here the nex day, she and her husband, his name is Wm H. Briggs, lives in Bridgewater Onieda Co. NY. He appears like a smart well informed man, his father is wealthy, they say. They expect to go home tomorrow, they [--?] a short stay, came on a wedding [trip?]. Reuben [nephew] was with us at Ella's yesterday, he I expect will make you a visit soon. He thinks of starting for the west tomorrow, Dec. 18th. He thinks of visiting Edwin [son] also, so you may anticipate a visit from him if Providence permits, if he does not change his mind, which I think he will not, he does not get married yet. Jay Dimick's family are well I believe, Jay has been again elected as a member of our State Legislature to help make laws for the government of the people of the State of New York. Our neighbors are generally well. You wanted to know something about Esquire [Begley?] I think, you mentioned something about him in one of your letters. I saw him sometime past and he was smart as a whip, said he could do more work than any of the boys, I think. J.T. Reynolds [a Watertown lawyer], your old chum, has been arrested and taken to Albany on a charge of pension frauds, he waived examination, gave bail in the sum of $10,000 for his appearance at January term, U.S. Court in Albany. I think that he is rather slippery. There was a trial last week in the City of Watertown for a murder, by one man stabbing another in the [Woodruss?]. Judge Ingraham, from New York City presided by order of the Governor of our State. The Attorney General of the State of New York also attended, it was said that he was very smart. There appears to be great dissatisfaction in the verdict of the Jury. They brought in a verdict of Manslaughter in the third degree, he was sentenced to State Prison for four years. It was thought by most all, as I understood, that they would bring him in guilty of murder, an ignorant set of Jurors, the intelligent Jurors were rejected and thrown aside, it was a pretty clear case of murder. I am sorry that your health is so poor, I hope that you will recover your health that you may enjoy yourself with your companion [wife Helen] and two little boys [Claron and Raldon] -but it is getting late in the evening and I must close my letter. Give my respects to your wife. I should like to see you both in this country, come as soon as you can [--?]. Your mother sends her love to you & Helen and the two little boys. Yours with Parental regard, Ira Hall, Sr. ------------- Posted by Kelly Hokkanen More Hall info at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~khokkanen/hall/