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Transcribed by Gary Carroll, [email protected]

PAPEI ACC 2851/6 - Letter from William Black Wellner to George W Howlan

Stratford, Lot 48
14 Aprl, 1855

Dear George
It is a long time since you and I have exchanged scrawls and the balance is rather in my favor however as it is not a very large one there will not be too much interest on it. I have not much leisure now to spin much of a yarn as I have only yesterday made up my mind to take a somewhat bolder stroke than usual viz. to stroll off to Boston in search of a stock in trade and as I shall be a stranger in a strange place and as it often does such a good turn to have some thing in the shape of a decent character with them I have thought perhaps you might be kind enough to give me a written character - now that you are mixed up with an American firm - that might be of some service to me in that country "provided always" that you consider me worthy to bestow such a document on and that it is not contrary to the rules of your establishment. Capn Ryder has seen me but does not know as much of me possibly as you do though it does not take the Americans long to find out who & what parties are. If you should consider it prudent to comply with my present request perhaps you will be kind enough to send it along by an early mail as I should like to get away about the 1st of next month. I would not have gone this spring only that a person named Solomon Mutch and George Moore late of the California Club are both building & threaten to open a store each the coming autumn. These with Beer already in our market with a large shop & large stock are matters not to stand with ones finger in his mouth and look at. He must be "up and doing" and although there are some going over who would take my business to do yet as the fox thought the best messenger to send for a goose was himself I consider it is better for me to go if I only get £ 100 worth than be served as Thos. Dodd was last fall. He commissioned some person to get stoves of the most approved kinds which they did with a vengeance he having now on hand about £ 400 worth of them that will take him 400 years to get rid of by retail & last fall a person was going who told me to give him a memorandum of what I wanted which he would bring, instead of which out of 10 articles noted he only brought 2 that were anything like what was wanted but "nuff sed' & ? I am priviledged now to make up a Mail Bag in my dormitory & the postman will soon be along. I must "saw off short" with signing myself your

Ob Sert
W. B. Wellner