Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, December 8, 1799

Quincy december 8th 1799

Dear Sister

I feel an inclination to write you every week athough I
have nothing new to inform you of

I know you are as interested as I am in , Start deletion, know , End, the result of the present
negotiation about mr Whitney we have so far gone on very Smoothly. The committee met as I told
you they were to—nine of them—mr. Cranch mr Black, Cap t. Beal mr Spear & Cary: these were the old ones who invited
mr whitney. to these the Town when they meet added Mr Bicknell Cap t Jo Baxter cap t Adams I Should have Said first, & capt Hall to , Start deletion, fix , End, consult what might be proper to
offer Mr whitney. 1 mr Spear
thought 500 dollars a year & 800 Settlement—would be reasonable mr
Bicknell 500 a year, & 500 Settlment & ten cord of wood— Cap n. Adams that 500 doll. was as much as was
offer’d mr Whitman & he was a man of as great abilities as mr Whitney , Start deletion, but , End, & he was not willing to add
the othe 500—Cap t. Baxter thought mr whitman a
much greater man than the present candidate & that 500 was enough
Without Settlement. upon the whole 500 Sallary & 600 Settlement was
agreed upon to be reported— I do not think it enough considering the high
price of Land here & the Stile he must live in to be respected— I Wish
the Town may add more when this report is made which will be tomorrow—but I
have no expectation of it— I dont believe he will Settle for it—& Sure I
am it would be a Shame to lose him for two or three hundren Settlement. we
Should give him as much as Milton does their Minister Who in my mind is not
half so good or great as mr whitney has a popularity which will last— 2 Cap t Adams was very mild he certainly lik’d , Start deletion, him , End, Mr Wy formerly. cap n Beal & Baxter were Sour had it not been
for them the highest proposal would have been agree’d on. so far we have got
along pretty peacably

yesterday we had the first Snow which has fallen this
winter it was follow’d by a hard rain which has carried it almost all
of—& tis very cold

I have receiv’d a long Letter from My Son he appears to
be in much better Spirits. 3 he thinks he has got thro the Worsts of his difficulties. His Books &
Furniture have been taken by execution at the suit of General Forest &
sold at aucttion the General Purchased them for £193-0-0 4 & left them in my sons
possession till he can pay for them. this is treating him like a
Gentleman

He expects to be set free from all his other debts of
Moores in a very little time The poor child has liv’d in fear of a Prison
for many months— I hope there is tranquility in store for him yet— they were
all well

I sent a Letter to you from J. cranch to his Uncle I
thought it would do as well to send it to you as to the President. or Would
it be best for him to apply immediately to the President? I have had another
Letter from his Wife since She is very anxious least they Should lose some appointment for want
of being in season with their application— as dismal a place as Harper’s
Ferry is She is willing to go to it rather than Mr Cranch Should be out of
business— She is very anxious to know whether there is any prospect of there
being any work for them. if you can find out do let me know tis a dreadful
thing to be Out of imployment & have no other Means of Support

I could hear from the Moon almost as Soon as from
Atkinson I have no inteligence since Mr S[mith] was there I Wrote to Sister
Soon after you left us

we are expecting to see the Presidents Speech— 5 […] have Sad Tydings from
Liverpool tis Shocking to humanity to think of— 6 I am glad to find you have heard
from or of your son abroad. Mrs welsh told me she thought there must be some
Mistake as they had Letters from her son which said that Mrs Adams had
recover’d her health finely

you my dear Sister will I hope continue to keep well thro
the winter. do you Sleep better than you did here mr Cranch & I have had
bad colds but we are better mr cranch has gain’d a great deal of Flesh

when I write again I hope I shall be able to tell mrs
Smith about her Sons health my Love to her & the Sweet little Caroline I
long to hear her tongue run & see her Sing a song to her Grandpapa—
Cousin Thomas is with you I suppose. my Love to him & cousin will m. & Louissa The President is always
included in the Love & affection / express—for you by your ever /
grateful Sister

Mary Cranch