Hayes Letter 1839060501, James Hayes to William Hayes

              ADDRESS: (THE FOLLOWING LETTER CONTAINS NO ADDRESS AND IS 
WRITTEN ON BLUE PAPER.) 
 
Dear Brother I recvd yours of last March (I think) & 
intended to answer it without delay but have at last 
resolved to delay no longer. It is very satisfactory to hear 
from you and hope our neglect will not be followed by you. 
It has been a general time of health for sometime past 
except the scarlet fever which has been fatal to many 
children. Our family & your other friends have been 
generally well and are so still. Mother still lives with 
John Alexander and is quite healthy.  Mr. Campbell I think 
from Amsterdam is on his way to your place.  Mr. Craig does 
not go your direction. I will attend to accept the 
cultivator which I drew off from your letter to take to 
Albany & by some carelessness got lost & on enquiring for 
the letter found it had shared the same fate. If I find the 
letter I will still procure the nos of the cultivator you 
wrote for and have them sent on. But for fear I do not find 
it in your next (illegible) the est. & no & I will not be so 
careless.  Lewis talks of coming out after Harriet but I 
think he will not go till his boys show a determination to 
go and then he will of course. There has not been much 
change in Society since I last wrote.  George Spier died 
suddenly last April.  Old Mr. Archibald Spier & wife are both 
low not expected to recover. Isaac seems very happy with his 
young wife.  Henry has a fine girl about 7 weeks old. James 
is with him in the store. They have plenty of business. 
Janny's health is better than formerly. Property has risen 
fast for a year past.  I think I shall sell in the course of 
a year & if I do I shall if I live be in a situation to 
visit & perhaps may some time yet call on you.  I think I 
could have sold last spring for $40 per acre the whole or 
part but asked 20,000 dollars for the 204 acres which if 
times continue I think I will get by next spring. Stock is 
uncommonly scarce & high yearlings sold at 10 (?). Early last 
spring cows from 30 to 40.  Good beef is worth now $10 in 
Albany port about $22 per (illegible) oats from 4 to 5 
shillings flour about $7.50 (?). Wages for mechanics 
high and laborers on the Ffrm advancing fast  The season is 
backward. Has been cold & for several days quite wet. A good 
deal of corn just showing its yellow top above ground. Had a 
cold winter & but little snow.  I got no news about your lot 
from Mr. Rogers.  I suppose you will not get it.  We have had 
quite a contest about schools, our district is divided. We 
have a school house a few roads (?) south past of Enoch 
Lacy's shop. The east have one on Pendleton's Corner by Esqr. 
Smith.  They have another west of Wm Burns.