1854 HARRISBURG PA Stampless Cover W/ 2 Letters Benj Chain To Wife GOOD CONTENT
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:69089321 | State: Pennsylvania |
| Place of Origin: United States |
Stampless cover with blue HARRISBURG/PA. cds postmark and blue "PAID/3" in oval handstamp, and with "Chain, Rev. Com'n", written at top right.
Includes the original enclosure, two letters, dated at Harrisburg, Pa., Feb. 24th & Feb. 25th, 1854, from Benjamin E. Chain, to his wife, Louisa, back home at Norristown, Pa.
The writer of these letters, Benjamin E. Chain, (1823-1893), was born in Norristown, Pa.; Graduated from Jefferson College, Canonsburg, Pa...., in 1842; admitted to the bar in 1844 and practiced law in Norristown. In 1845, he married Louisa Bean of Norristown; In 1850, he became the first elected District Attorney in Montgomery County's history; A lifelong friend and legal adviser of Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock, who was frequently a guest at his home, and in 1886, he attended to the details of the General's burial in Norristown.
Great content, written shortly after his arrival in Harrisburg, writing of doings in the State Legislature, the efforts for his committee to begin their work, problems with the State owned railroad causing delays which wouldn't have occurred if it were privately owned, and more.
Includes (from Feb. 24, 1854 letter):
"My Dear Louisa,
Mr. Keel of our County tells me that he is going home this evening & I thought it the best way to get a letter to you by sending it by him. I wrote you this morning by mail, but I am not certain when you will get the letter as the mails are very irregular. This morning the first mail arrived here since Monday last. But the snow is melting fast & soon we shall be thawed out.
I have secured lodgings at Buehler's Hotel at five dollars per week - how I shall like them I cannot tell yet until I have tried them a little longer. We have adjourned over until tomorrow morning, when I think we shall get under headway a little. Sunday intervening, we shall be able to have the reports of the Committees ready by Monday - so that our business need not be interfered with much.
My ride yesterday has made me very tired, but I got an excellent sleep last night & feel comparatively bright today....
As our pay is not very remunerative, I have determined to live sparingly...
The members of the board are as yet comparative strangers. Each one, however, feels this & hence it is the desire as well as the policy of each to make the others as friendly as possible....
With remembrances to all & to yourself all the love you desire, I am ever Yours, B. E. Chain"
(From Feb. 25, 1854 letter)
"My Dear Louisa,
Your letter is at hand this morning & was most thankfully received. I feared that you would be alarmed about me & was under a good deal of anxiety lest you should think that I was in danger. I wrote you from Phila. saying that I would not attempt the passage up until well assured that I could get on without trouble or delay. Yesterday I wrote you by mail & also by Mr. Keel, who had come up through the storm, so that by this time you must have leaned of my arrival here & of my safety.
Do not let my safety trouble you. I have been considerable of a traveler in my life, tho as yet a short one, & have learned to take care of myself, & will always do so.... So do not, my dear Lou, be constantly regretting my absence or grieving because of fancied dangers or injuries. Remember that we cannot in this world be always together. Business - the relations we owe to our fellow men - the responsibilities of life often call us to separate, & those separations serve but to make our after intercourse more dear & abiding. We cannot always be selfish - we owe duties to others as well as to ourselves, & in the pursuance of those duties must often deny ourselves many things which we would desire.
The conduct of those having control of the State works between Harrisburg & Phila. has been very culpable & will be an argument in the legislature upon the subject of the sale of the line. Had the Road been owned by a private company, the trains would not have been delayed 24 hours; as it was, they were detained for 3 days.
I am well & getting on pretty well. I think that I shall acquit myself here honorably. I have made some friends already & shall endeavor to make more. The Board, as at present convened, is principally composed of old Senators & members of the Legislature who are men of considerable influence in their respective districts. We shall get organized today & proceed to business. We have lost two days, but must make it up in labor henceforth..."
Very Fine.
COMBINED SHIPPING FOR MULTIPLE ITEMS.
[JK]
NO SHIPPING OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.
Includes the original enclosure, two letters, dated at Harrisburg, Pa., Feb. 24th & Feb. 25th, 1854, from Benjamin E. Chain, to his wife, Louisa, back home at Norristown, Pa.
The writer of these letters, Benjamin E. Chain, (1823-1893), was born in Norristown, Pa.; Graduated from Jefferson College, Canonsburg, Pa...., in 1842; admitted to the bar in 1844 and practiced law in Norristown. In 1845, he married Louisa Bean of Norristown; In 1850, he became the first elected District Attorney in Montgomery County's history; A lifelong friend and legal adviser of Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock, who was frequently a guest at his home, and in 1886, he attended to the details of the General's burial in Norristown.
Great content, written shortly after his arrival in Harrisburg, writing of doings in the State Legislature, the efforts for his committee to begin their work, problems with the State owned railroad causing delays which wouldn't have occurred if it were privately owned, and more.
Includes (from Feb. 24, 1854 letter):
"My Dear Louisa,
Mr. Keel of our County tells me that he is going home this evening & I thought it the best way to get a letter to you by sending it by him. I wrote you this morning by mail, but I am not certain when you will get the letter as the mails are very irregular. This morning the first mail arrived here since Monday last. But the snow is melting fast & soon we shall be thawed out.
I have secured lodgings at Buehler's Hotel at five dollars per week - how I shall like them I cannot tell yet until I have tried them a little longer. We have adjourned over until tomorrow morning, when I think we shall get under headway a little. Sunday intervening, we shall be able to have the reports of the Committees ready by Monday - so that our business need not be interfered with much.
My ride yesterday has made me very tired, but I got an excellent sleep last night & feel comparatively bright today....
As our pay is not very remunerative, I have determined to live sparingly...
The members of the board are as yet comparative strangers. Each one, however, feels this & hence it is the desire as well as the policy of each to make the others as friendly as possible....
With remembrances to all & to yourself all the love you desire, I am ever Yours, B. E. Chain"
(From Feb. 25, 1854 letter)
"My Dear Louisa,
Your letter is at hand this morning & was most thankfully received. I feared that you would be alarmed about me & was under a good deal of anxiety lest you should think that I was in danger. I wrote you from Phila. saying that I would not attempt the passage up until well assured that I could get on without trouble or delay. Yesterday I wrote you by mail & also by Mr. Keel, who had come up through the storm, so that by this time you must have leaned of my arrival here & of my safety.
Do not let my safety trouble you. I have been considerable of a traveler in my life, tho as yet a short one, & have learned to take care of myself, & will always do so.... So do not, my dear Lou, be constantly regretting my absence or grieving because of fancied dangers or injuries. Remember that we cannot in this world be always together. Business - the relations we owe to our fellow men - the responsibilities of life often call us to separate, & those separations serve but to make our after intercourse more dear & abiding. We cannot always be selfish - we owe duties to others as well as to ourselves, & in the pursuance of those duties must often deny ourselves many things which we would desire.
The conduct of those having control of the State works between Harrisburg & Phila. has been very culpable & will be an argument in the legislature upon the subject of the sale of the line. Had the Road been owned by a private company, the trains would not have been delayed 24 hours; as it was, they were detained for 3 days.
I am well & getting on pretty well. I think that I shall acquit myself here honorably. I have made some friends already & shall endeavor to make more. The Board, as at present convened, is principally composed of old Senators & members of the Legislature who are men of considerable influence in their respective districts. We shall get organized today & proceed to business. We have lost two days, but must make it up in labor henceforth..."
Very Fine.
COMBINED SHIPPING FOR MULTIPLE ITEMS.
[JK]
NO SHIPPING OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.
![1854 Belcher, York Manuscript Stampless Cover W/ Letter [y1239]](https://pic-g.avaluer.net/imgstmb/c/c/h/y/p/-1854_belcher__york_manuscript_stampless_cover_w_letter_y1239-1_251_tmb.jpg)