Franklin County: Alexander K. McClure to Eli Slifer,
April 12, 1865
Summary:
McClure writes of the prospects for the post-war economic situation, as well as
rebuilding his house.
McClure & Stoner
Publishers
Franklin Repository
Office,
Chambersburg, Pa.
April 12, 1865
Chambersburg, Pa.
Dear Col-
I wrote you last [unclear: evening] that I had arranged for my Lumber. A friend who is an old dealer, has kindly consented to supply me at cost, and I will save much trouble & some money by the arrangement.
i fully agree with you about the wisdom of [illeg.] Bains very high. [illeg.] was 22 1/2, & the new one will be the same. I would have made it 24, but for the fact that it will, [illeg.] at 22 1/2, be rather too prominent for the House.
I am going to rebuild my house this summer also & it is a fearful undertaking. I am sorely perplected about it & the more I study the more I get confused as to what kind of House I shall build. Mrs McC & I have agreed that the roof shall be on the top & the cellar under the House, but that is about as far as we have got.
My grounds are such that I have but a certain amount of room each way, without
interfering with some tree or something else, so that I must locate it about as
the old one was & cannot widen
[page 3]
out either way. I mean to
follow the general plan of yours which is something after the old one, [deleted: ] Library, Drawingroom, kitchen & on one side &
parlor on the other.
I will go down to Philadelphia next week, if I can then meet [unclear: Jr Rice] & will stay there until I worry out a plan, & then I will dismiss the subject & put the contractor at work.
It is a jolly time to build. Home & [unclear: Bain] will cost me all of $20,000 & then finishing is to follow.
I think the war is ended, & the Order is safe. In that there is no army
in [unclear: Vgnia] for [illeg.] to
[page 4]
fall back upon,
they will soon be compelled to abandon their occupation, as the will be hunted
& shot down wherever caught.
There will be [unclear: restagnation] in [unclear: answer] this year. Gold will higher. [illeg.] to 1866 than now, & I doubt a letter at [unclear: will] at any time in the next three years touch so long a [illeg.] as it did on Monday last.
Our debt is now [unclear: $4,000,000,000]. It is all very well as long as the [unclear: gvnmnt] delivers $4,000,000 per day: but when that stops, the [unclear: severe] ordeal for government credit will be at [deleted: ]
Yours
AK McClure
Hon Eli Slifer
