Baltimore Md.

Sept. 8 1867.

           

Dear Sister.

                                    Yours of the 4^th inst was received last Thursday. I am still staying in the city and doing nothing. The sweet potato trade will not prove very profitable as I do not think of engaging in it very extensively. I have sent twenty four barrels to Boston by steamer and do not think they will return me the cost $51.00 I think I may as well consider myself lucky in not sending a schooner load as I intended / for if I had and they not sold any better than the lot I sent, I could have hung up my fiddle and come home and gone to work again.

 

            I made arrangements with a man on the Eastern shore of Virginia to furnish me with eight hundred barrels delivered on board I went to see him the last time I went down the bay, and found there was a schooner loading for Providence, 3 dollars per barrel 150 pounds to the bbl He had promised to give me 1.60 to the bbl at our first interview, but was not willing to allow but 1.50 then / This rather broke up the bargain for that time, though I expected to go down last week and load but news that I got from Boston this last week rather put a damper on me

 

It has been so wet all through the summer that the crops has not done well they have grown to vines instead of potatoes and it has also caused them to rot very soon after being dug. I shall not undertake to send any more to any distance north

 

We sent 28 bbls to York Pa. last Friday and have not heard how they sold yet

 

My peaches all sold last Monday. I did not get rich on them. One basket I sold to an old fellow who said he / would leave them with me till he came back along. he paid me the money $1.50 and left. I sold out all the others and waited for him to come and take his away, waited till noon and he didnt come so I put them into a store close by and went to dinner. I come around again at three oclock and the peaches were still there. a nigger had been helping to sell all the morning and he went to the man's house to see why he did not come after them. he found the man a little stewed. He asked him if he wasnt going to take his peaches away? No, says he! I dont want them. I can get all the peaches I want for half the money. so the nigger just hauled off easy like and we sold the peaches again for a dollar. He had forgot that he had paid for them

 

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I think you will have a chance to write once more. If I do not get into something this week I shall come home soon. L. C. Cook

 

Next Thursday is the anniversary of the battle of North Point and Fort McHenry there is going to be a big time

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