October 26th, 1886

The Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago

Your letter from Brighton of the 14th inst is just received and am very thankful to hear you are well and I dare say by this time you are safely housed at home again - well, please God I shall hope to be with you in time for the goose at any rate perhaps a week or so before. Through the goodness mercy of God I continue to do some business in every city - the two firms that gave me orders on my last visit have repeated them and I have opened 5 new a/cs with the best wholesale firm in the place, on whom I called last year without getting order but now to receive a splendid one and every probability of its being a very large a/c. Received a very nice encouraging letter from P.F. Co. with yours - repeating some complimentary remarks a good customer at Boston had made in reference to my call. No one would credit the difficulty I have had here to get hold of the trade - call, call and call again - I do think I have spent 2 days with the new a/c I have opened - it is a mystery to me how their brains stand the work – in addition to all the heads of every department there is one man who is head of all and every detail of their gigantic business seems to filter through his brains - he sits at his desk amid a crowd of persons all having something to offer or to say and he quietly disposes of one after the other. When my turn came yesterday (had had 3 or 4 before this) I had to open all my samples and go through the whole thing in the presence of several others waiting. At last he yielded and then began to figure down the order and it was worth all the trouble I had taken.

They are as sharp as needles but there is a fairness about them I like very much - my samples - make quite a sensation everywhere - on calling this afternoon upon this firm again for shipping instructions they told me a cracker maker in the City had called and very much wanted to see my samples which he had heard of, they warned me not to shew them to him. Went out to tea with a Dr. Young here last night - a nice brother and a magnificent house and his wife knows something of Eliza and Nellie at Yeovil. We were greatly alarmed during the evening by a report in the evening papers of the sudden death of Queen Victoria, giving, all particulars of the occurrence at Balmoral. It kept me awake a little in the night and I see by the paper this morning that one man went out of his mind with the fright. It turns out to be a false report.

Have had a nice time here at the meeting and tomorrow I go on to St. Paul, Minneapolis, Omaha and Kansas City where I shall hope to hear from you all again. Through mercy I am keeping well - the weather is now getting cold and my Jaeger clothing comes in very useful.  Give my kind love to dear Gant and all the brethren, Miss Wilkins, also dear Eliza and Mr. Robertshaw and with much love to you my dearest Angee, also Emma and children and Harry also Arundel, Harriett and their little ones and believe me.

Being very affectionate Husband

Received a letter from Arundel yesterday - he spoke of poor Hortop's funeral but not of Mr. S's part in it.

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