My dear Mother,

Rec'd your letter this morning and the Presbyterian on Thursday last. You will have to try and exert yourself to take a little exercise although so long as you are able to sleep at night I never did see the sense of taking exercise. You will probably be quite stout by the time you arrive home.

Went out to the Gartshore's last Tuesday. Hilda having decided to go away on Wednesday morning, which she did so that I can't give her your message. It will redound to my eternal disgrace that I did not get up early enough on the morning to see her off. However the train station is a very unsatisfactory place and Leslie Gartshore went in with her.

You never told me to my knowledge at all to buy the Saturday Globe and afterward send it up to you and I will do so to-day. I have not done much this whole week except saw a little in the afternoon for the sake of my appetite.

One James Crooks who keeps the Brunswick Hotel in Hamilton was down here last week and I questioned him as to the property which the T.H.& B had options on and he told me that they had options on all the property to the South of MacNab St. as far as James St, that he knew of himself.¹ They might have more but he was not aware of it.

The Toronto and Niagara Power Co are having a somewhat stormy time on the Beach. Several people during this last week have got injunctions out against them to prevent their building. It will not stop them for any appreciable length of time and meanwhile the law costs are piling up for the firm, which is all that we need to consider.

Locke's youngster's name is John Rae Locke the name having been drawn out of a hat by the youngster when 5 days old. Mrs. C.F.A. Locke wanted it named after its dad but Locke always objected to his own name so he proposed the other one. The two names were then written on pieces of paper and deposited in a hat. The youngster then drew for its name. A very good idea indeed. Well my dear Mother must close.

Your aff'te son

T.B. McQuesten

¹ In 1895, the T.H.&B. had received permission from the city to run a new line along Hunter St. between Whitehern and the MacNab St. Church. Both properties were devalued by the presence of the railway lines. Isaac McQuesten's law partner, James Chisholm, fought the railway over this new line and Thomas would later become involved with other legal battles with the railroad. See W4415, W5636, W6391, W8707, W9013, W9126 and Box 12-653 for more information and links.