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AMERICAN IDSTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
MosES AusTIN TO JAMES BRYAN 1
DunHAM HALL, Deer 4, 1812. Dr Sr I rec 4 your .letters from Philadelphia by yesterdays mail and noted the Contents, few events of my life has given me more unhappiness than the detention of my son Stephen with his Cargo in New Orleans his last letter gave me reason to suppose that he would soon leave the low Country and I hope to god he may have disposed of his Cargo, and be on his way for Philadelphia. Yesterday brought letters from Mrs Austin after her return from, New Haven but she had not seen you when she wrote She expressed great Desire to see you. I hope It may releive her mind when she has a Conversation with you- Would to god I could give you something pleasing on the Subject of business, altho times was bad when you left this they are much more depr~ssed at this moment-the Indian "\Var first put a general stop to all business, by drawing of all the troops to the frontwr. Since thE}y returned the Weather has been most unfavourable to min- ing and little has been don[e]. Mine Shibboleth is nearl~ abandoned and what remain are doing little. to Collect is almost out of the question. I do not think any person about the Mines has Collected as much as to pay the expences of a Ride after the Debtors, that has been the case with me and I know that its the same with Your Brother and William Bates. the truth is nothing is doing, and both money and Lead are equally difficult to obtain-and what makes the matter Still more distressing, is, that Lead when obtained will not command Money at more than 3/50 Gents, or-375. the reduced price has driven most of the hands from the mines. many have joined the companies of rangers and many inlisted under Capt Allen, that you may be assured, that little lead will be made this Winter. I have good prospects, in digging but the fall has been so rany that many of my best leads of mineral are under Water I wrote you some weeks past respecting a discovery of Antimony. I have rece 4 further information on that Subject, and have rea$0n to believe that its of consequence and if a lease can be obtained that something great may be don[e] with if I hope to hear :from you on this Subject- Salt Peter, js, I understand in demand and a good price. I will thank you to inform the price in Philadelphia Dry goods are not plenty and a good ·assortment wc;mld sell im- mediately but how the payments could be made is the question. A good store at Herculaneum would do a good business, and command
s OrlgiD&l In possession of Mrs. Emmett L. Perr7.
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