Author: Nathan C. Draper of Washington DC
Title: Letter to “Brother and Sister” [Moses Nelson Jr and Nancy J. (Draper) Nelson]
Date: 21 November 1852
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note:
Washington City DC
November 21, 1852
Good evening, Brother and Sister. [Moses Nelson Jr & Nancy J. Draper Nelson]
After so long a time I will try to write a few lines to you to let you know that I am well at present and hope those few lines will find you all the same. Sister [Nancy] I received your letter and was much pleased to hear from you again. I was glad to hear that you had been at Westmoreland and seen all of our folks. If I was not there I presume you see all that you had time to see so it was just as well as if I had been there for if I had been there I should wanted you to start a week expressly for me to talk to but I do not expect some times to ever see you for a week for I do not know where I shall be this time next year. I may be here and I may be in some far distant land where I have never dreamed of, there is no knowing where I shall be for I am not yet settled and I never shall be till I get some where where I can make enough to pay my share of our fathers and sisters support and board and clothe me and the same for a wife if I should ever have the fortune to get one. But sister there is more prospect of that than there was at the time I was out to see you.
I am doing very well here where I am but no better than I was when I worked at my trade in Westmoreland. To be sure I get more a day but I have to pay such a high price for everything that I have Board Close of all kinds I will just tell you what my boots has cost me since I have been in Washington then you can judge from that what my Close has cost. I am all most a shamed to tell you but it is the fact they have cost me $21.25. This is from the first of December 1851 to December 1852 for I calculate I have got enough to last until then if no longer and every thing that I have had has cost me in proportion to that Board and Close. But I guess I can stand it till next spring if I have my health. Then I will see what I can do but I tell you that if I make a living it is little than I have done for the last 2 years for I worked as hard as ever a fellow ever did and got all of nothing for it and I expect the same for interest and that is mighty poor encouragement don’t you think and while I am here I have some enjoyment if nothing els but I do have some money and all the close I want to ware and I will as long as I work for them. I have sent home some money but it is a small some.
I guess you will think I am in a hurry by my writing but I guess you can guess at it and that is all you will want to know of such a subject.
Now I will tell you now about the price of edibles. Butter good is worth 50 cents, pork from 12 to 15 cents a pound. Apples is from $2 to $2.50 per bushel that is the best fruit. Flour is worth $6 to $6.50 and all kinds of vegetables in the same proportion. So you can see that a person cannot Board very cheap here. Now I have told you of all the bad things but I have not said any thing about the weather. It is very fine but rather cool. It has been very wet this summer and rather cool to what they usually have it here. Though I think I have seen some warm days and as warm as I want to see for comfort.
Nancy I am very glad that you have got that picture of mine if you consider it looks enough like me to call it Brother. But I will assure you that it is a perfect likeness as far as the features is concerned though it is rather dark I will admit. Rather darker than the original if I have lived where the Dorkeys are. It is getting quite late and I will have to close by saying good by. Write as often as you can.
Yours as ever,
Nathan C Draper [age 34, unmarried until 1854]