Franklin County: John B. McPherson to Edward
McPherson, February 2, 1860
Summary:
John B. McPherson informs his uncle, Edward McPherson, of a local suicide. John
also mentions a fair hosted by the local Catholic Church, the threat that his
school will only be open six months during the year, his school studies in
Latin, and a visit from a conjurer and midget.
[deleted: Jan] Feb. 2 nd , 1860
Sidney Shelby Co. Ohio,
Dear Uncle,
As I have now a leisure hour after recess, I will employ it in writing to you. I
received your letter yesterday & was I [deleted: h] glad to
hear that Grandpa was better. The winter here, unlike the same season at
Washington, has not been very dull at least not to me. We have had good
sleighing and skating almost all the time and there have been a good many
parties here among the boys & girls, to most of which I have gone. Next
week, the Catholics have a fair, which is to begin on Monday and continue during
the week. The proceeds are to be used for the purpose of finishing &
furnishing the Catholic Church of this place, that is, if they (the proceeds) do
not go towards filling the pockets of the Committee, in whom I have little
confidence. I expect that it will be patronized extensively by the community in
general, & it will go a good ways towards making next [added: week] pass pleasantly. The weather (that
never-to-be-worn-out-topic) is cold here and has been
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so for about a
week, with the exception of one or two melting days. The snow, which fell last
Friday & Thursday, sticks to us most perversely and has all the
appearances of continuing for two or three more weeks, unless the weather
changes for the warmer. This morning an Irishman attempted to commit suicide by
hanging himself & no doubt would have done so, if the rope had not
broke. He is not yet out of danger. He would have been a good riddance to the
town, if his project had only succeeded. Two or three weeks ago, there was a
conjurer here, with the most celebrated dwarf, which the world has ever seen.
His name is Gen. Charley [unclear: Violet]
& he [added: is] only twenty-nine inches
high, weighs twenty-three pounds & is eighteen years old. He was born in
Fort Wayne, Indiana & under the guardianship of his father is travelling
with Prof. Millar. He goes throught the sabre and
musket exercises with great dexterity. So is said he is one inch smaller than
Tom Thumb, & certainly he is better proportioned than any man, I have
ever seen. I have not very long to write yet but
"I will improve the minutes not hours I have." Our Latin Class has quit Circero
& entered Virgil & in not quite two weeks we have read[deleted: s] as far as the fourhundred
& twentieth line. But I am above fifty &
five lines ahead of the class as I translated in the leisure moments.
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of time [added: in] which I had
nothing better to do. I am beginning to like his style, which I did not like at
first. We are now reading in the (to me) most interesting part of the first
Book, at the passage, in which Virgil represents Aneas
as being conducted, with his companion through the city by Venus, who had
previously made them invisible. It is rumored that we are to have but six months
school & six months vacation as the funds in the Treasury have
"[unclear: gone] out". There is the bell for the dissmissal of school so I have only about five or ten
minutes more to write. Our family are all well, with every prospect of
continuing so. How are all my friends in Gettysburg? Please write soon again
& a little plainer. By doing so, you will oblige both myself &
Jane, whose assistance I often require to help me [deleted: with] in
"translating" your letters.
Your affectionate nephew.
John.
Please don't forget my request.
