Bradys Bend Iron Works, Bradys Bend, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. He describes...

Bradys Bend Iron Works, Bradys Bend, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.

He describes his work in the ironworks, that he has bought a farm on the Alleghany river of 175 acres; he mentions Montford Farm where he was born; that he uses markets at Pittsburgh and Cincinatti; that the steam boats bring in sugar He has iron ore and coal on his land; the ironworks are making T rail for the railways.

He refers to William's private affairs, telling him to sell the stock in the store and to come out to the U.S. and work on his farm. As to his own affairs, he speaks of the rough time he had when he arrived penniless. He will try and make it easy for his brother and Isabel, W.'s wife.

Men are turned off in the ironworks in the winter; it costs more to make iron than in England but they expect to put in a Whig President who will put duty on English iron.

He is interested in the pump William mentioned in a letter to him.

He asks about their sister Mary and if her husband is a clever doctor in which case he would do well in the U.S., but if drunk, not. They have no use for English school masters. He asks for equipment for brewing beer.

He is not yet married but soon to be to an English woman.

[Transcript in Appendix]

Transcript of 4543/5/1

Bradys Bend Iron Works, Bradys Bend: Armstrong County, Pennsylvania

Sunday October 27 1848

My Dear Brother, I received yours of the 4th of Octr. yesterday and was glad to find you where (sic) all well. I am in good Health and my intended wife. 1st in reference to your coming to this Country, You must not think of coming without your family along with you In reply to your 2nd question. I thought I told you in my last letter that I was a contractor at the Bradys Bend Iron works. I contracted for the whole job stocktaking, they (sic) Compy gave me so much per ton and I paid my own men so that by doing that if there was anything to be made it fell to my profitt but since that these works have stopped and are likely to stop all winter. Consequently I am thrown out of a situation however while I had the opportunity I endeavoured to save all the money I could with my hard earnt money I have purchased one Hundred and Seventy five Acres of land about 5 miles from this place and it is situated on the Alleghany river which 43 acres of it are under good cultivation and a small frame House upon it in addition to which I am going to build a Stone House likely this fall. I am going to live in the small frame House myself this winter expect to move in two weeks from now. the land I have paid for all but 200 Dollars and that I have to pay in 3 annual payments at inteest of six per cent per annum. In Order to give you an Idea of its situation as to a market for my produce I would Shew you the Montford Farm that I was born in and the river Severn on in addition to this there is Steam Boats that run up this river 6 months out of the Year by which conveyances I can go to the Pittsburgh Markett or to the largest markett in the United States that is Cincinnatti which is called the Queen Citty of the West in that citty there is 16 Markett spaces and Houses. Cincinatti is situated on the Ohio River that is one of the Western rivers the Steam Boats supply all the Western States of America with Sugar Molasses Hops and all the South American productions which come up this river with the importation of all foreign Countries you can buy goods from all quarters of the Glove in that Citty also the (sic) Build war Steamers and Pilot Boats at Cincinnati for sea. So that the North & North West part of the U. States produce Gold, Silver, Copper Lead Zinck tin iron and all kinds of minerals. I have an abundance of Iron Ore and Coal on my land which is open and I am going to Burn some of the Coal this winter if please god I should live, as I have named what the South States supply the north with so do the north states supply the south states with iron and all her productions in return and so also do these states supply England with a great portion of her Bread stuffs and c & c & c the Bradys Bend Iron Works have just completed an Order of T Rails of 8000 Tons for one of our western Rail Roads also they have filled an other order of two thousand Tons for another Rail Road at the Citty of Cincinnatti. and their are more Rail Roads to be laid out and I suppose will be completed we have better Iron in this country to make T Rails of that (sic) what is in England only it is a little harder to manufactur it: it is more durable than the English iron - Iron Manufactories are increasing in this country very fast - and steam engines are far cheaper in this country than what they are in England. I have told you all about these States that I have time to Stop now so that I will treat upon my private Affairs and yours on the other side of the page But dont send anything to me by that Lady for you may as well send it to India I am 600 miles from N.Y. and it is a cross country to get ther If you send anything it will be sure to be lost and praps cost more than it is worth//

Your Private Affairs I am sorry to hear that you are as poor as Job but had I have remained in England I might have been the same and that I was quite aware of so I took the Best means to get away and you must do the same. Now as you say that you cannot come till April or May I think in that time perhaps you may save yourself as much that will pay off your debts for Instance Dont you know what the stock is worth in the store when that is sold off, will not it pay all that the store owes or and above with that and your earnings - Cannot you save 50 pounds by April. If you cannot you had Better sell your Capitals of that 200£ and bring it with you what you have left. However I can tell you one thing that I think you may stop in England till you are Ninety and Nine and you will never be worth anything and what is worse than all you dont know from one week to the other wether you will keep a situationor not for if a man gives the least offence then he must be discharged and I think a man is eternally dread of a Tyranical Master for I Ate the thoughts of the English Tyrants when you receive this just take the Stock in the Store and see how much you can sell by April and use every exertion to save a shilling if you cannot sell that Cappital try to get some oud friend the as got money to lend you £30 or £40 And give them the Interest of your Capital till it is paid and come out here Send me word what you think you can do L should think that one of the Bank would lend you that much and give them that Interest every year till they have paid themself with Interest. For Instance look here Suppose you could only save 200 Dollars a year beside your family expenses for 5 years then you could Buy yourself a 40 acres farm ready cleared with a house in it look at this and see the Difference between England and America and I will ensure you to clear 200 Dollar per year over and above all expences and come out to me as soon as you can Still you will have to work and be industrious on my farm and if we can make 500 Dollars per year above all expences we ought to be Horse wipped. Again you must not expect to find it as fine clear'd a country as Engld But it is a New Country mountainous and very woody I am only 56 miles from Pittsburgh. We shall have to go 5 or six miles to a church that is the worst of these New Country but you ought to be able to preach a good sermon to us without going so far. You must excuse me speaking so plain but I have gone through a very rough mill and I will try to save you all I can from it for it is not very acceptable you have no idea what I have had to do to get along here in a strange country.//

J.E.B. Private affairs In the first place when I landed at the American shore I had to Borrow a Shilling to come to shore with and every face I saw in N. York was strange I had to pledge my cloths and watch and gun to pay my first 2 weeks Boarding and after that I traveled about 700 miles on my feet and lay in Barns Night and Begd my Victuals as I went along and the first thing that I could get to do was to be a Boats Boy on the Canals there was times you know nothing about I merely (mearly) send this to let you see what I had to undergo You will have none of this to contend with if please God I should live to see you arrive here I have paid Eleven Hundred and fifty Dollars for my 175 Acres And if you will come I will give you a home such as I have myself and if you will work with me on my farm I will give you one half of the clear profitts till such times that you are able to purchase a good farm for you self. There is a farm next to me now for sale and it could be Bought for 1000 Dollars all in Cultivation and a large Orchard close to the river Most of the farmers in this country are Idle and dont half cultivate their land if we could get that it will in a few years double itself and if you could bring money to Buy it I should be glad or If I could buy it for you, but I have done by Best I have bought 2 Horses & G....y 2 Cows and fodder for them for winter also I have 10 Acres sown in rye and again I have my stone house up and my winter living the Spring seed and my hireling paid I shall be something in debt myself till I get my first year crops off my farm is in a good situation for a Business providing that a man has got money it takes money here to make money it will be a good situation to make malt and I think that I can make fine Bricks with my clay and all that I want is a little more money. I shall be very glad to have you with me and will do all that lies in my power for you for I wish to see you out of that land but you must not expect to find this country like England the people are from all quarter of the Globe from every nation I am very comfortable amongst them and I know that you may be the same however I would not live in England again if you would give £1000 per year And should you not like farming I well get a good situation if I can and give you a home till I can do that I feel quite independant of anybody and every body every man in this country feels independance And tell Isabel that she had better come here and be a Lady on her own farm than to stop there and have her silk robed by such thieves I would not live among such thieves and be ...sed as you two are and get nothing for it tell Isabel if she comes here she shall have a good horse to ride about upon and her garden to fettle and her good sweet milk to drink my intention towards you is to see you get out of Trouble and have a good living upon your own land and by the time you are Ninety & none have a farm apiece for all your children this is my Intentions towards you I cannot say any more. Neither can I do any more and if you like to come come on but bring no one with you of any other trade I dont wish you to engage any men nor to lay out any money for me in work of any kind till you come yorself and then I wish you to bring a few flower (flour) seeds and some little things with you of that kind something that you can beg and to gain a good knowledge of malting and farming for your own sake and mine as I dont know what we may try to do but we can make a good living at farming and a man needs no more than a living dont send me any works till you here from me again I will write again soon as I receive your next letter and give you an answer to your particular Questions but next week I am going to my farm to see to things and I shall be busy all the time Industry and hard work will keep all things right. Isabel need not work at her Business if she comes to a farm without she likes.//

When you send me another paper please send me one with some news in it political or parliamentary news the Herald as nothing but sales & c it is not Interesting at all I will send you up paper every week after this

Engagement of men

I did not wish you to engage any men for me there is so many now at this time as can get wor I only wanted you to gain information for yourself and me so that it may do us some good. there as been about 11 Hundred men put out of employ at these works some are able to do without work this winter and others are forced to go and seek work this country cannot manufacture Iron quite so cheap as England and the Tarriff is to light and the English merchants have filled the Order for T Rails and and our Business is rather dull at this time the wages are higher here than in England but we expect to put in a Whig president next week and then we shall have the duty put on English Iron and that will give a good trade again

I received your letter yesterday and have not had time to answer all particulars about it but you must write to me again and I will answer those questions the pump I think may answer very well here I wish you would send me a drawing of it and I will tell you more about it I really am not able to send you money or I would but I will make a home for you again you come and that plenty to eat and drink beseen(sic - besides) dont send me anything untill you come you may get all the information you can and send it to me by letter You did not say anything about Mary where she was and what her husband is doing if he is a clever doctor he may do well in this country but if he is drunke dont send him let him take his chance School Masters is not worth anything in this country the schools dont half pay and the Americans like those kind of solid My kind respects to Mr & Mrs Webster I should like to see them but I cannot come to England I must mind myself and my own Business now as I am just beginning on my new appartment There is a great many English people about here and in Pittsburgh To Brew my own beer and it is equal to any from England when you come you may brin(g) me a putcher to put in the mashing tubs to stop the grain from coming through the tap bring 2 or 3 made with twigs There is plenty English tradesmen in this country and its maid (made) no more If you have any brass taps by you you may bring them with you. I dont give anything encouragement to anyone to come except you and I will see you safe if any one else should come on their own responsibility all very well Situation are not always to be got and these people are apt to cast reflections up to them that send for them but you and your family I will see to.

Time will not permit me to say any more so I remain your affectionat Brother J.E. Barnaby I am not Married but shall very likely be Married in a short time but I have had a little disappointment or it would have been before. My Intended is an English Lady.

Directed to Mr W.W. Barnaby, Belmont, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Old England

Stamped at Liverpool Nov.20 1848 Paid 34 "Brady Bend Oct.30"