Mobile Feby 12^th 1843

 

Dear Brother

                        Your favour of the 27^th was received yesterday. I had given up all hopes of hearing from you and made up my mind to write you to day about those same old shoes. There is a man in this place by the name of Elias Beizie, formerly of Boston, who keeps a shoe store. he is an idle fellow, and does not pay much attention to his business but leaves it to his brother who is a young man about my age. his brother has been with him nearly three years winter & summer and during that time has acquired a thorough knowledge of the retail shoe business. Beizie tries to keep his brother down all he can but Ben, the brother, is determined to stand it no longer, but set up in business for himself I had a conversation with him this morning and asked about the shoes. He says that he will go into business with me if I can furnish a stock of Ladys Shoes, he will get the store attend to the business & furnish the store. He showed me the books of his brother which show a profit of $25 to $40 dollars pr day. now I have not the slightest doubt (if I should open a store with this same young man) but what I could make money like the devil, now what I wish to know is this. If you can send me (if I should wish) an invoice of Lady's Shoes to the amount of say 5 to $800 dollars on 6 months. He is willing to sell shoes for me on commission if / I do not wish to go into business. He has given me a list of the different kind of Lady's Shoes which you will find annexed They sell here, at wholesale and sometimes at auction for the following prices           

Poorest quality .50 cts            pr pair

Second      "     .75 to 1.00     "

First quality from 1.00 to 1.50    "

At Retail they will sell from $1.00, $1.50 to $2.00 pr pair

 

I should like to have you send me (on joint account) three or four cases of assorted kinds as soon as you receive this I think I can dispose of them to advantage. The following is a list of the different kinds, referred to,                   

Fine Kid    Slippers and ties, also common

of each,             "     "        Buskins both light and welted

                         "     "        Welted lace and ties

                          "      Ladys gaiter boots & bootees

                                                           

A lot of each of the above different kinds for misses

In fact a general assortment of all kinds of Lady's Shoes.

 

Now if you can get these shoes at a very low price on 6 months send them out. I will guarantee that you shall have funds to pay your note before it becomes due. I think I could dispose of enough at retail in three months to pay for the whole

 

What you say respecting W. J. Goods can not be done to advantage I think, for this reason. All W. J. Goods which are sold here are purchased at Boston or N York or New Orleans and consequently can be purchased at those places cheaper than they can here. I can purchase N. Orleans molasses by the barrel 40 gallons to a barrel, for 17 to 18 cts pr gallon, and N.O. sugar pr barrel 250 lbs pr bbl for 6½ @ 7 ct per lb. The expenses to get them to you would be above $2.00 pr barrel including freight and all other charges. You can ascertain what you can sell those articles for there and let me know, and if I think it will be advantageous to invest money in them I may do so.

 

To get the shoes here it would cost 6 ct pr foot, freight, wharfage here would be about 6 cts pr case (probably the same in Boston) the other expenses would be about $1.00.

 

If you should send the shoes you will invoice them at the lowest price cash price send bill lading and invoice by mail mark them GCH

Mobile Ala 

 

Having said that much about the shoes, I will now notice your letter more fully. You request that I will give you a description of Mobile, that I can not do for want of room but I will give you a short sketch. Mobile is inhabited entirely by Northern people who come here for the purpose of making money, and they care for nothing else, consequently there is very little society and no amusements except such as are connected with dissipation. There are no Lyceums or Lectures and in fact none of the opportunities of acquiring knowledge that there are in Boston except the knowledge of dissipation which can be acquired here to perfection. Bar Rooms Billiard Rooms Lottery offices and Gambling shops of all descriptions abound here in abundance. But still for all that Mobile in my opinion is one of the best places for a young man to go into business in that there is in the U.S. Although it is one of the most dissipated places there is, I have learnt to be steady by coming here, for I have not been out of the house of an evening more than a dozen times since I have been here. One days journal of my life will answer for all the rest. I rise at 7, eat breakfast, go to the store & attend to the business of the forenoon, go to dinner at 2 directly after dinner go to store and stay till 6, then shut up go home and amuse myself the best way I can, until 10 oclock & then retire to my virtuous bed. There are 6 men of us in the house, viz, Gandolfo, old Quilp, we call him, Cheever, the bookkeeper a very smart fellow rather self conceited, myself General clerk and Salesman, M^r Everett, Quilp's brother in law, who is no great shakes, and does a little of everything, and whom we call, Newman Noggs, a man by the name of Angelac, who does the heavy work in the store, and a nigger drayman. We also have a nigger chamber maid and an Irish cook. The [paper hole] of the family is composed of Mrs Gandolfo & her child about 6 months old, and a little girl to tend it. Mrs G's a decent sort of woman but dam stingy for she locks up all the closets, because myself and Cheever used to steal the pies and cakes, but the keys of those closets will be missing one of these days.

 

I have made arrangements to stay with Gandolfo until spring for $15.00 pr month. In spring we shall make different arrangements. I expect I shall have charge of his business here during the summer as he intends to keep the store open all the year round & he will be obliged to go on to the north in summer. He does about the heaviest wholesale business that there is done in Mobile and has one of the largest stores. He has about $10,000 in cash on hand and has a stock of goods worth 40 or 50,000 more. I am not afraid of his accusing me as he did Ben Bradshaw, for betwixt you and me Ben had the game as well as the name. Neither do I think he is so bad as folks say he is, although I may have occasion to alter my opinion before I am done with him. All this I tell you in private, and do not let it go any further.

 

The weather here with one or two exceptions has been very warm all winter. when it is cold we feel it with a vengeance To day, Sunday it is as warm as July, and I am writing this at an open window.

 

I am glad to hear that there is prospects of business being good in Boston. It has been very dull here all winter. The rivers have been low but they are now rising and I think business will be first rate for the rest of the season. There will be a great deal of cotton here, and freights will be high in fact they are so now. 1 ct pr lb costwise & 1^d to Liverpool. Cap^t Stearns has had as much as he could do ever since he has been here, he sends his love to you and Nancy says he will take that whiskey punch first opportunity. Folks here dont know what vegetable diet means here we live on venison roast beef & pork and grow fat and never think of the horrors that you mention

 

            I do not understand what you mean about that division of property, what property is it, and who is concerned in it. If there is any tin to be had I should like to have it

more over /

 

I wish you would go to the Lynn Chocolate Manufactory and ascertain what you can buy No 1. chocolate for by the quantity and let me know. I was glad to hear that Nancy has recovered from her sickness give my love to her and tell her I will write her a good long letter one of these days and tell her all about the Southerners and their slaves. Give my love to M^r & M^rs Sweet also to M^r M^rs & Hannah Collar and all enquiring friends. not having any more room to write and not having time to write it if I had for the supper bell is ringing, I will bid you good by for the present

 

direct your letters to me care of James Gandolfo Mobile Ala not Lou

 

Hoping you will answer and make that shipment immediately I remain your affect                                                                                                                  Brother

George C Herbert

 

PS. I think it probable that I shall stay here all the year round. I wish you would send me some music you can make a little bundle and direct to me care of James Gandolfo and put it on board any vessel bound for Mobile and I shall get it only send by letter what ship you send it by. I will send you a paper to day with a card enclosed. Have you ever received any papers from me.

 

[direction]

Single

Mr. Thomas Herbert

N^o 1. Pine Street

Lynn

Mass

SOURCES