Dear Doctor

I send you enclosed a Draft at 3 days for $300. which is all I can raise in any shape to send you--I had made arrangements to send it the first of last week but without my fault there was a mistake which precluded the possibility of doing so--I have put off writing you from day to day hoping to send you the Draft.

Your letter came yesterday I should have sent you a letter last night but I had good assurance that today I could send you some help. I knew you would be uneasy but I did not know what to write. There is no money to be had here from any quarter--I am daily harrased [sic] to obtain money for Bread for the hands; the Draft I obtained with notes at the Bank--they will to day sell Drafts for Oct. but will not let you have money.

The notes I took from three persons who are good; for work which we have don [sic] and for which I ought to have had the cash before this--We Endowed them and there has been [sic] things as strange as if we had to pay them when due 90 days from the 21^st though the men are good--but there is but little difference between men these times.

Will you write to Carrington & Prall to day [sic] that is when you get this and see if we can have 15 Tons of Lacawana coal (some for Rumsey included shiped fourthwith [sic]--we are out. I have had no means of paying for any or I should have ordered them before [.?] Carrington & Prall wrote us a five weeks ago that they wanted to supply us. Chapel has don the same--Coal first rate--have a sample--Write me as soon as you hear--I will send him the day they are shiped [sic] $225.00 and pay the ballance [sic] when they come to hand. I know where the pay is coming from or I would not promise these days--Nothing from the Iron.

We are now selling a few Machines--Janes new one works well. We have some work on hand to do at present that is much wanted, it is very important that we obtain our Coal next week. We have nearly finished our large job, but the Castings are not yet taken away--When we receive our pay for that job we can pay for some Pig Iron--I have don purchasing of Van Norman--his Iron is a damage to us--I should take 10 or 15 Tons if we could pay for it from Ogdenburgh. I have not time to write a line. Let me hear from you as soon as you hear from Oswego--I shall send $225 as soon as the coal is shiped. It is $15 on credit.

John Fisher¹

¹ John Knox Fisher, Dr. Calvin McQuesten's first cousin and business partner, had 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.