A Humble Apology and a West Virginia Promise

In regard to your Locus Timber I am Free to confess that you have been treated Badly about it

Pull up a chair, friends, because I’ve found something special in the archives today. It’s a humble little slip of paper from September 10th, 1877, sent out from St. Albans, West Virginia. When you hold it, you can almost feel the weight of the years. The paper has turned a warm, golden beige, and the dark iron gall ink—the kind they used back then that sometimes bites into the page—shows the faint marks of time where it’s bled through just a touch. It’s got a fancy business letterhead for Mr. S. H. Brown, but the message inside is as personal as a neighborly chat over a fence.

This letter was written to a man named Mr. Labin Gwinn about a load of locust timber. Now, locust wood was precious stuff back then, known for being tough as nails and rot-resistant, perfect for fence posts or railroad ties. But poor Mr. Gwinn was caught in a bit of a pickle. It seems the folks he sold his timber to, J. W. Van Horn & Bro, were having a bit of a communication breakdown. The man in charge of the cash, Mr. Brown, had been away, leaving the Van Horns in the dark and Mr. Gwinn without his hard-earned money.

What I love about this letter is the raw honesty of the writer, signing for the firm. He doesn’t hide behind fancy legal talk. He admits right out of the gate that Mr. Gwinn has been treated badly. He explains the trouble with the money matters and promises to have it sorted by the end of the month. But here’s the kicker: he tells Mr. Gwinn that if someone else comes along with cash in hand, he should go ahead and sell that timber to them. He says they will not think hard of him for it. It’s a rare glimpse into a world where a man’s reputation and his word meant everything.

Looking back at this 146-year-old apology, it reminds us that history isn’t just about big battles or famous presidents. It’s about the small, quiet moments of integrity between two people trying to make a living. It shows us that even in 1877, folks struggled with delays and mix-ups, yet they still tried to do right by one another. It’s a little reminder to keep our own promises and to be as gracious as this writer was when things don’t go quite according to plan.

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