A Handshake and a Harvest of Timber

“it ant often you can buy one half interis in a farm and pay in lumb”

Gather ’round, friends, and take a look at this little scrap of history I pulled from the archives today. It’s a letter from September of 1883, written by a fellow named R. H. Maxwell to his neighbor, Laban Guinn. You can almost see Mr. Maxwell sitting at a wooden desk, his pen flying across the page in a bit of a hurry. The paper is a soft, off-white color, showing its age with some honest staining and creases where it was tucked away for safekeeping. The blue ink is so bold it actually bleeds through to the other side, and you can see where he spelled things just like they sounded—like writing ‘lumb’ instead of lumber.

The heart of the letter is a bit of a puzzle Maxwell is trying to solve for his friend. There was some trouble with a land title, and a piece of property was about to be sold off. But Maxwell, being a resourceful sort, found a way out. He met a ‘nice man’ who didn’t need cash right away; instead, this third party was willing to take lumber as payment. Maxwell suggests that Laban could pay off his debts and even buy a half-interest in a farm just by firing up the saw. It’s a classic example of the old-fashioned barter system, where a man’s hard work and the timber on his land were just as good as gold in the bank.

This letter reminds us that back in the late 19th century, folks had to be creative and look out for one another to keep their dreams alive. It wasn’t just about cold hard business; it was about finding a ‘chans’ to make things right when times were tight. Today, we might swipe a card or send a digital payment, but there’s something truly special about the idea of building a future with your own two hands and a bit of help from a neighbor. It’s a testament to the grit and community spirit that built the world we walk on today.

Original Transcription

September The 1883
Mr Laban Guinn
Dear Sir
I had a interview with J W Lewis
in regard to our busnes he said our title
to the land was a good one but the land
that I sold traded to John . G. Gwin
would be Sold and I think it is advertises
now for Sail there is a party that ofes to trade
for lumb them notes or what you ow me
after giving you a credi of what on haff the
land he ofrs to buy them and giv you a chans
to pay it in lumb he will giv you a rany
prise for the lumb. I ow the party and
I must pay them some way and that will
pay your debt and mine two I wont close
the bargin for a few days I will hold him
off and you rite me at once it ant often
you can buy one half interis in a farm
and pay in lumb now if this arangements
sutes you rite me and I will make a contract
with the party to giv you time on it so as
it will giv you a chance to get the lumb
sawed he is a nice man and will treat you
rite and will buy all the lumb that
you can saw well let me hear from you by return
mail # R H Maxwell

[Page 2]
P,S, I would like to sell
my one half interis in the land
I failed to make the trade with that
party R Maxwell