Letter: To Miss Margaret McCandlish in Newville, PA, 1839

Letter: to Miss Margaret McCandlish in Newville , PA
from her Uncle James McCandlish, 1839

It was a cold Sunday night in Pittsburgh when James McCandlish sat down and wrote a letter to both his niece Margaret and her father. He is thrilled to get a coat for the winter, and he updates them on the goings on in Pittsburgh. He writes “I don’t want anybody to see this but them that should.”

Pittsburgh, January 5th 1839

Dear Niece,

When I went to supper tonight I found that your uncle Robert had came and brought with him a letter for me and some of the one thing needful both of which was very acceptable. I was very much pleased when I opened the letter and found that your father had honoured me with a few lines. I must say (without puffing him up too much) that it does me more good to read one of his letters than half a dozen of anybody’s else with the exception of Sister Elizabeth’s letters and you know how they must be good when they are “so few and far between.”

As regards your part of the letter I must say it was very short but it was longer than I deserved for I think I have treated you very bad in not writing sooner but I hope you will forgive me for neglecting you for so long. The weather has been very cold for some time past but it has moderated considerably. I was out collecting one or two of the coldest days and when I came in Davidson asked me what kind of luck I had. I told him it was very cold luck, whether he took the hint or not I don’t know but he told me to go to the tailors and get an overcoat worth twelve dollars. I went and such a looking coat you never did see. Its very coarse only three threads to the armful. I paid two dollars to get a velvet collar on it which was about all the money I had or I would have got a better one, however it must do me this winter and I will keep my money till I need it. Tell Uncle Piper I was expecting a letter from him. I am very much obliged to him for the twenty dollars he sent me although I did not need so much after I got my coat but he need not be afraid of me spending it foolishly. I must quit you and say a few words to your father. Mr. Chambers McKibben talks of going down next week.¹ I will then write to some of you.
Give my respects to all the friends
Your affectionate Uncle James McCandlish

[P.S.] Tell Mrs. Thompson that Wm. got the articles that was sent him.

I don’t want anybody to see this but them that should

Saturday night Jan. 5, 1839
Mr. John McCandlish, Esq.
Dear Brother

I received your letter this evening and was truly gratified to hear from you and thought it strange that you did not write long ago but reading it over I found that you attributed it all to laziness, and I now believe that laziness must be a family complaint. But I still think if you knowed how gratified I am when I receive a letter from you that you would write oftener. Accept my sincere thanks for the money you sent me and I promise you that I will put it to good use. There is nothing doing in the business line now the river is closed and I suppose it will not open until sometime in February. There never was such a scarcity of money as there is at present. There was but two weeks of navigation this fall and the largest number of merchants did not get up to pay their debts or buy more and that accounts for the scarcity of money. Politicks is running pretty high now the mayor’s election is next Tuesday. There is two candidates in the field and both anti-Van Buren, one a Whig the other an anti-mason. The anti was taken up by a joint convention of Whigs and Anti-masons—the Whig by a few firemen and boys but I suspect the Whig candidate will be elected as he is the [ ? ] moral man and if the loco focus don’t take up a candidate of their own they will all vote for him. They would rather vote for old nick than an anti-mason.

I have been in the store, I think, since June and have been studying Double Entry bookkeeping ever since with our bookkeeper Wm. Shrom (formerly of Carlisle). He is a first rate clerk. If I could write as well as you I would quit hatting and go to bookkeeping. I must quit writing as it is growing late.

Give my respects to Margaret and all the friends. Write to me soon and give me all the news.
Your affectionate brother
James McCandlish

Peggy and Margaret sends love to you and Margaret.

The letter was sent to Miss Margaret M. McCandlish, Newville, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
(Politeness of Mr. Heckendorn)