Dear Doctor,

I have this day rec'd yours of the 2 Oct.--I answered your last the day it came to hand but did not send it hoping that I might have something more to write. The Iron is rec'd. It is not of a good quality--The Iron we had last fall from Ogdensburgh was worth [4.00?] Dollars more a ton than this--It is hard I have engaged 11 Tons Scotch at [?] the Wharf Gross--I can have as much as I want at that price probably [$30?] per Ton less in 2 weeks---Hard [?] to [?] can be had better than to purchase Iron at Ogdensburgh. I have not heard nor seen your Rochester Furnace man. He never made his appearance--Janes has sold 20 Machines--I have on hand one ["on hand or rather the" crossed out] Mill, the machine, [?] is not made for want of time--We do not at present make very good work in [?] Furnace--though some better than heretofore.

I wish that Tunnicliff¹ would come out--He has written me that he will be here the first of January I have answered his letters and told him that I will depend on him, he promising to stay [?] year at [?] per day and board--I received his letter without asking him to come--the offer is voluntary on his part. He stated there are reasons which will positively preclude his working for [Gardner?] longer than he is now engaged for--Now I want to know how much before the first of [?] he will come with Mr. Backus [?] consent--as he will not come before without it--[?] knows & will not keep him longer than I can obtain another man--and he wants to be off as his brother in Michigan wants him through the winter if he can go [?].

I will purchase the remainder of our Iron if you think best on this side--They ask us duties on the last and now say that there is a duty on Iron & Coal which is not the case.--I would purchase 10 Tons more of Scotch if we could pay for it--but if times are to get worse, we had better be careful--Stopping rather that go fast.

You want for $100--I have not got it. [?] has this day to gone to Youngstown to collect some money due him--he has given me some encouragement that he will be able to get about $180, if so I am to have it--Davis & [Good?] are to pay me some money by the last of next week--if either they or Dean pay me the money, I will send you $100 if not I cannot--I have paid Dean [?] of the $400 due him and the interest--If I obtain the $180 of him it will be for a Note I took for my chance on the lot I sold last spring--so that will not be a debt on our hands to pay at a further day--I have said nothing to Wilson in relation to our Furnace--although he is a respectable man and worth property he is not the man you want for a partner.

Janes Machines take the lead of anything in Market--he will at present sell 10 to one of the old King--I have never seen them thrashing but some of the farmers say they can thrash 30 Bush per hour with 2 horses.

John Fisher²

[On side of page:] We are making a set of Stove Patterns for a man in Town fashion--are calculating to make some if they will answer. Caleb was thrown from the waggon but not hurt very much and he is now about well.

¹ Fisher also mentions Tunnicliff in W-MCP4-6.189, W-MCP4-6.195, W-MCP4-6.203, and W-MCP4-6.231. There are two letters written by Tunnicliff. See W-MCP4-6.179, and W-MCP4-6.181.

² John Knox Fisher was Dr. Calvin McQuesten's first cousin and business partner. He had some difficulty working with another of the foundry's co-founders, Mr. [Joseph] Janes, and was often concerned about the man's methods of conducting business. In 1838, Janes ran off, leaving behind his wife and thousands of dollars of debt. See W-MCP4-6.237. For more on Fisher, see W-MCP5-6.240.