Ledger # 2 of Walter B. Gwyn

pages 200 - 299

Jan’y 27^th, 1896
Dear Bull;
 Your favor received, and such being the ease, please consider yourself absolved from all further liability to me on account of balance of the fee, through your friend certainly ought to pay the whole amount. I guess I can hardly tackle Spanish right now, having quite a sufficient amount of cussing to do in English.
 I know however, from what other friends have told me, that there is a great amount of stoic philosophy in the Spanish Literature, and I have no doubt much quaint and beautiful food for though.
With best wishes, and hoping you will be happy soon and long,
W. B. Gwyn

Jan’y 27^th, 1896
James M. Gwyn Esq.
Springsdale, N.C.

Dear Brother;
Your favor received, and I write to say there is no hurry about finding the certificate of stock in the A.& C.M.R’y Co. as there appears now to be but small chance of carrying through a project in which I had some hopes when I wrote you before. I have this moment thought of the other thing you mentioned, the rat trap at Dickerson’s store. I will go now and see about it.
I done been. I bought and paid for it, and also paid 25/express and addressed the tag to you at Canton, and Bob Long promised to put it in the Express Office this P.M., so I suppose it will go along with this letter. Accept it as present from me.
Little Helen is getting along very well, and was out of doors today aon the back porch. Laura had not left her room yet, but is convalescent and I think will be around the house in a day or two. I am glad to hear your sick ones are again coming round all right.
With love to Sister Minnie and all the rest,
Yours Affection.
W.B. Gwyn

Dr. C.A. Schenok-

Jan’y 27, 1896
Dear Sir;
I receive yours of the 17^th, and have been expecting the load of wood you said in your postscript that you had ordered sent to me, a load (Cord) of scraps, at $2.50. I refer to the short wood wanted for the wood stove, concerning which on I wrote you on the 14^th, specifying that it must not exceed one foot in length nor ten inches in diameter. If some of it is over one foot in the length, it might fit at a round hole near the front end. Please send … and also one cord of good sound oak, which I will have cut at any house for a kitchen stove. This I notice by your price list, you deliver at $2.50 also making five dollars for the two loads.
  I could like these orders filled immediately, as I am running short of wood.
Yours Truly, W. B. Gwyn

Jan’y 28/96

Hickory, N.C.

Dear Sir;

Your favor 27^th [?] check $15.95 just received, and I have paid the token on the Bailey St. lot and herewith [?] receipt. Lots are beginning to sell right well again, when parties want them to build on. Write me what you are willing to take for the lot, and I will see if I can get a purchaser. Of I can get a purchased at your price are can their file a proceeding to sell the shares, of the minions at then proper indicate fast of said piece[?], and others make title.

H.C. Godfrey Enq.

Jan’y 30^th, 1896
Elizabeth City, N.C.

Dear Sir:
 I received from you a letter dated the 7^th Inst., acknowledging receipt of a letter from me to Walter A. Burnhem, from which I led to infer that you are a relative of Mr. Burnham, or else that you or the firm of H.C.Godrey & Co. have an interest in his lot here, the subject of my letter referred to.
 In the said letter you say: “We will take for the lot ($500.00) five hundred dollars cash. And in a postscript you say “In case you can sell, draw deed, send some to me, and I will send it to Mr. Burnham and have him sign some and return.”
 I presume that of course you are authorized to speak for Mr. Burnhem, or you would not have undertaken to do so. I thought the price named was a little too low, and I thought I would try and get more for it, and finally I have got a man to say he will give six hundred. There is only one other man that I know of who might buy in that particular locality, and I find his idea he is about the same or lower.
I presume Burnhem will be more than willing to allow me 10% commission instead of five, under the circumstances, in which case I will make no charge for writing the papers. I have been attending to the taxes &c. for a long time, several years, and had a great deal of correspondence about it.
Not knowing whether Burnhem is married or not, I inclose two powers of attorney to suit either case, as you will see on examination. Send him the one which suits the case, and tell him to execute and acknowledge before a Notary, or Clerk of Court of Record, as per certificates as attached. Tell him to be careful to fill all blanks. I have only a verbal understanding with purchaser, but hope to hold him to it if paper is executed promptly and retuned forthwith. Let me hear from you by return mail.
Yours Truly, W.B.Gwyn

[Geo. W. Pack in Afc. With W.B.Gwyn]

W.A. Smith, Esq.
Feb’y 1, 1896

Hendersonville, N.C.

 Dear Sir,
Your favor of the 28^th was duly received. My recollection is that we did not see anywhere that Lyman had listed the land. Regarding your suggestion of letting the lots go to tax sale again, and buying them at such sale, I must say I see nothing in that, as Lyman would have an equal chance to buy, and might claim a right to redeem after sale. Meantime, Mrs. Patton’s right to sue and annul the tax deed he holds might lapse. For full particulars as to the status of the lots, it seems rather to me that you should apply to Jones, who, as Mr. Farmer informed me, he considers Mrs. Patton’s local attorney. He has a partner, young and active, and there are[sic] only one of us getting somewhat old and infirm particularly when not regained as counsel. Of course I will aid in any way I can, but what information I might get from the record would, any way have to gotten again by Jones. As to the foreclosure proceeding, “White Egypt”, I have written B.L. Gralisan. Did Farmer speak to you about another letter, and shall I have an answer in a day or two?
Yours Truly, W.B.Gwyn

The Thompson Meter Co.,
Feb’y 1, 1896

79 Washington St., Brooklyn, N.Y.

Gentlemen:
I have been making considerable effort to get the Board of Aldermen to introduce water meters here, and to that end addressed a long communication, consisting of some eight pages of type written matter, making a copy for each member of the Board, some weeks ago. It made a deep impression on the members, and resulted in the adoption last night of a report by the water committee favorable to the purchase on one hundred meters. They will not however buy any until the Finance committee authorize them to make the expenditure and they will not buy them on credit I think.
They ware in trouble about how to commence, and in discussion last night some members proposed some impracticable plans as to selection of the persons who should be compelled to use the first meters. These suggestions would produce trouble on the ground of invidious distinctions being made, and I am afraid the board as at present constituted will have trouble in getting over this first snag.
 I think however it is reasonably sure that they will buy say twenty five or fifty meters in the near future, and I consider it highly important to your Co. to secure the first order. They asked me last night if there would be any discount on your published prices if they took a quantity, and I expressed the opinion that there would not be, and a member of the board remarked that your agent Mr. Snow had said the same thing. I noticed one of the members of the board with a folding blotter of the Kearsy meter Co. in his hand, and he said their prices were the same as yours. Now my fear is that that company have offered or will offer to make a discount on the first order in order to get their meters introduced here.
I thought best to write you immediately and put you in possession of the facts, so that you can determine your course and write me accordingly. If you are willing to make a discount, I can inform the board to that effect, without necessarily stating what it will be until they say just what they want.
Yours Truly,

W.B. Gwyn

R. L, Graham Esq., Feb’y 1, 1896

Dear Sir;

Parties owning the notes secured by the deed of trust to you write on “White Egypt”, the 13 acres below the Cemetery, towit, your brother Sir C.E. Graham, and Mrs. Annie E. Patton, want the deed foreclosed, and want me to attend to it, looking to getting my compensation out of the proceeds of the sale. Mr. Smith, the attorney of Mrs. Patton, suggested that, as you can authorize some one here to make the sale for you, under the late statute, and thus would not have to come your self, you would agree to turn over to me what commissions you might get if you made it yourself, and, if this is agreeable to you, I will write up the advertisement for you to sign, and also an authorization to some auctioneer here to make the sale in your place. Kindly answer at once, as they have been after me several times for not attending to it sooner.
Yours Truly, W.B.Gwyn

Mr. John N. Macomb.
Feb;’y 1, 1896
Lawrence, Kas.
Dear Sir:

I ought to have, ere this, answered your short letter of the 4^th Inst., but we have had measles in the family, which has interfered considerably with my business. My children are better now, and I hope out of danger. There have been many deaths from the disease, in other parts of the State, but none that I know of in Asheville.
 I inclose a letter from J.B. Cook, of Chetopa, Kas., which explains itself, and which please return to me. It is possible that you can strike a trade with this man for his place near Chetopa,, in exchange for say your village a property at Sylva and some part of your mountain lands near there. I think from the description that he has a right good piece of property. Hoping to hear from you soon, I remind.

Yours Truly, W.B.Gwyn

J.B. Cook Esq.,
Feb’y 1, 1896
Chetopa, Kas.

Dear Sir;

By the mail I write Mr. John N. Macomb, of Lawrence Kas., inclosing to him your letter to me of date the 2^nd January 96, and he may write you or come to see your client’s hand, though of course I am guessing at that. I asked him to return the letter hand if of no interest to him, and if he does not want to trade, or your man does not want his property, I will see if I can do anything with anybody else here, or near here.
Yours Truly, W.B.Gwyn

Fr, M. Allaton Esq.

Feb‘y 3^rd., 1896.

Tryon, N.C.

Dear Sir;

Your favor of the 30^th January was received, and in reply will say that all the cases are separate as they now stand, but it is probably that the Doubleday and Thomas cases will be consolidated, as they are so nearly alike. But the defendants are trying to make out that they have no relations whatever with you, and, will probably, almost certainly, insist that your case cannot be consolidated with the two other cases.
As to the plan of procedure when the cases come up for trial, it will be as other civil cases in case we do not succeed in having the trial referred to referees to be tried out of court. If we do, the referees will try them out of court, and will summon witnesses to testify before them the same as before the judge and jury.
There is no probability of a trial in the court for over a year, owing to the crowded condition of the docket.
Yours Truly, W.B.Gwyn

Chas. S Hartshorne Esq.

Feb’y 3^rd, 1896.

Jersey City.

Dear Sir:

Inclosed please find my check for $38.00, the rent for Jan’y, less 5% commissions.
Dr. Moore says he appreciates your desire to know somewhat in advance as to whether you will have him for a tenant for another year, but, while he thinks he will want the property, he cannot now certainly say so. In this connection, he says he has had an estimate made for a stable on the property, by Mr. Tenent, and that such as one as he will need will cost about $150.00. He wants to know whether you will have it built, and says that if he takes the property he will expect to pay an increased rental, say $20.00, to be paid the first month .This will make a round sum of five hundred dollars for the property, instead of four hundred and eighty as now.

We talked about his purchasing the property, and asked me he lowest price. I replied that the lowest figure I was authorized to offer it at was $6,500.00, but that I had instructions from you to report any offer of less. He said that of course, as he supposed, you would take a great deal less than that, which gave me an opportunity to bristle up and say that he was undoubtedly mistaken, and that I was by no means sure that you would reduce your price as much as five hundred. I then made some figures after he had said that he had ascertained what your house cost you, i.e., $3,600.00, and I had replied that my understanding from you was that there had been some extras raising that figure to $3,900.00.

I undertook to show him that a fair valuation of the land; and was $3,300, and that, if the house cost only $3,600, with ten percent off for depreciation, the value would still be $6,300.00.
He said that the house was unsuitable for most families, needing more rooms. That is true, Mr. Hartshorne, and might as well be recognized. There have been some good sales recently in that vicinity, particularly two lots near the Montford Avenue School house, one of which sold at $20.00 per foot, and I understand the lot is only about 150 deep. Two or three other lots in other parts of town have also sold at the same figures, to incomers. In fact, it is just about this way here, and I suppose elsewhere, that a person wanting a lot for improvement will pay a fair price, but will not pay half that price for another lot lying alongside, which he does not actually need. In other words, speculation is dead.

Now when it comes to buying a house, both the lot and the house must suit the purchaser, and you know that human fancy is quite capricious in the matter of houses, or we would not see so much variety in house building. Your house is uncommonly tasteful and well built, but has one quality that will impede its sale, and that is the fact that it was built for two people only, while most families have more than two people.
ERGO: I do not think that recent sales warrant you in raising your price, but should only encourage you to hope that the day is approaching when you can sell at or near the price you ask.

The last thing I asked Dr. Moore was whether he would object to my putting up a for sale sign, small and inconspicuous, on one corner of the property, and he said he would consider it and let me know.
As building the stable, or promising to do it, I suggest that you say that you want to sell the property this spring, but that, if you do not, you will give definite answer by April 1^st,. if he will be ready by that time to say whether he will renew the lease.

Asheville, N.C. February 4^th, 1896
W. B. Gwyn, assignee of Jas. W. Hallingsworth makes hereby his final report to the clerk of the Superior Court of Buncombe County…as follows. Referring to my report of date Feb; 26^th, 1895 on file in said Clerk’s office, it will be seen that the total amount of bills and accounts undisputed, and still in my hands uncollected, was two hundred and seventy one dollars. Other disputed accounts, as shown by said account or report of Feb. 26, 1895, were also still in my hands. I have turned over all the accounts (having collected nothing on them in the meantime) to the said Halligsworth in full settlement of balance of his personal property except in (?) the deed of assignment to me dated Dec. 4^th 1894- and taken his receipt therefore, dated January 30, 1895, and hereto attached – Of these ills, as will appear by reference to my said report of Feb. 26, 1895, the following named person deny that they owe Hallingsworth anything on settlement (?). J. W. Albright $6.95, J. W. Campbell $23.85, M. C. Nablitt $8.30, E. C. Starnes $6.85, R. R. Porter $54.54, Dr. Crawford $14.32. Of the undisputed account, a very small percentage, if indeed any at all, are calculable by law. Of the $1.33 (?) be in my hands at the date Feb. 26, 1895, of my former report, $1.00 was paid for filing said report, and the remaining thirty three cents will be (?) to pay for filing this report. I would have brought some of the bills, but had nothing on hand to pay costs, and Hallingworth declined to advance the money. I have also turned over to paid Hallingsworth, as appears by said receipt (?) attached, and asked to be taken as a part of this report. The law ledgers or account books, showing items of above bills and other sales of goods by him prior to the date of said assignment to one and also his (?) and bill file or case, containing various…(?). All of which is respectfully submitted, this Feb. 4^th, 1896.

W.B. Gwyn Assigned of Jas. W. Hallingsworth