My dear Cal,

Am overcome with shame to think that I have not written you for months. In reply to your last letter I suppose the books which you asked for arrived safely. All through the month of August I was very busy indeed and up in Hamilton a good part of the time putting through the purchase of the right of way across Hamilton Beach for the Toronto and Niagara Power Co. It occupied a strip immediately to the East of the Grand Trunk right of way and for the most part runs right down to the water's edge so that there is not much of the Lake Shore left to the residents of the Beach. The only people that raised a kick were the Lees people and they have finally been settled with, so the Beach as a pleasure resort for the poor citizens is pretty well done away with. It will [sic] them to vote for railways and the full dinner pail.

Bob Henderson was in England all summer and he did not get back until the first week in September so I had to stay until then. However I got about ten days holidays in September and went home, during which time I performed many interesting but onerous domestic duties.

The law school opened the last week in September and I got back here then, where I have remained ever since with the exception of a day which I took off on Thanksgiving. Such has been the history of my life.

Have seen Greig a good many times since he came back and he tells me that you are enormously fat. If you weigh 160 lbs you must be. I only weigh 155 lbs stripped myself, probably about 168 with my clothes and I have the advantage of you, in height of enough inches to make you about the proportion of the famous Buddy McGraw. Greig seemed to take the West very well on the whole but according to his stories there must be a beastly lot of human wrecks out there and the remainder of the people appear to live on a little soda water with whiskey if they can afford it. I don't think I'd fancy the country to live in.

During the summer Dave Ross was down with a bad shin. He had slipped on some rocks under the water up near Kenora and had taken all the skin off it. Then it did not heal so he came down here and laid up for a month until it did heal. He subsequently went back to Kenora, threw up his jobs and is now in the West. I had a letter from him some time ago. He has begun started [sic] to look for his vocation. He has acquired a lot of experience which may be useful to him some day but I would be very glad to see him settle down.

One day when I was up to see him Mrs. Ross asked very kindly for you. I think she deplores the influence which Knox has on a young man. She gave me the enclosed typewriter paper and asked me to forward it to you.

Edna seems very well indeed. She was better I think than I ever saw her during the time I was at home. She seemed much more optimistic in her cast of mind than she ever was heretofore. It would appear as if she had rec'd a permanent cure.¹

I hope you are not the least bit anxious about your examination and I would not read anything before Xmas for worlds if I were you. You will have absolutely no difficulty in passing the examination with say at the outside two to three months preparation. You will be able to do it with much less than that.

I have taken your room and [?] is in my little room, with your friend Duncan-Clarke in the west room upstairs. Kelly is in the little front room downstairs and the rest of the downstairs rooms are occupied too just now but I told the old ladies you were coming back after Xmas and they said you could have my old room. You can sleep in whichever room you like, it does not make any difference to me and work in the larger room.

Well, there is not much more to tell.

Last Saturday I paid a visit to Eddy at St. Mary's for the week end. He sent me down a ticket. I am becoming quite in favour of living in a small town. Saw Mrs. Irving but I did not get a chance to go anywhere as it rained or snowed all the time I was there.

Must close.

Your aff'te brother

T. B. McQuesten

¹ In 1904, Edna had been awarded the Governor General's Scholarship in Classics to attend Queen's University in Kingston, but a nervous breakdown prevented her from completing her education (W5297). Her mental health continued to decline over time and in 1920 she was institutionalized at Homewood in Guelph, where she stayed until her death in 1935. See W5426 for more details.