CORINTH, VT., Sept. 5, 1884. Hon. A. B. F. Hildreth: My Dear Brother: Your letter of July 16th was duly received. I was pleased to hear from you, but sorry to learn that you could not make us a visit this year, also that Liveria's health is so poor. Lyman and I are well. John is well. He is in the Bank at Littleton, N. H., and likes it there very much. Since Mr. Wason (Almira's husband) died Lyman has been settling the estate. He says Almira will have the farm clear of incumbrance and something more. Almira and her girls are well. We yesterday attended the centennial celebration of the settlement of Chelsea, Vt. It was very interesting, and I wish you could have been there. The history was written by Thomas Hale of Windsor, and read to the large audience by Matthew Hale of Albany, N. Y., and Wm. Hale, of Springfield, Mass., all brothers, and your school-mates of earlier days. This history will be published in a pamphlet and the Hildreth family will be mentioned in it. Your sister, HARRIET N. PORTER. CORINTH, VT., Feb. 4, 1885. Dear Brother Frank: Your letter of Jan. 19th is before me, I was glad to receive it. and am always glad to hear from you. We are all in usual health. Lyman has been to Canada and bought two car loads of young cattle to feed this winter. He has too much business on his hands, but, as you say of Liveria, he has great energy. John is still in the Littleton Bank. We sold our poultry in Boston, and got 19 cents per lb. for turkeys, 15 cts. for chickens, 16 cents for ducks. Almira's daughter Laura is married to John Dickinson of Washington. I have been to see them. They are well off, and Laura has done well. We raised 2500 bushels of potatoes the past sea son, besides good crops of hay, wheat, oats, Indian wheat and barley. The potatoes are worth 40 cents a bushel. The book concerning the centennial celebration of the settlement of Chelsea is published. I find in it a sketch of the Hildreth family. It speaks of father as a descendant of a good Puritan ancestry, in which Mr. Hale (the writer) and his family took much pride. He speaks of a son, A. B. F. Hildreth, who was a pupil of his first school, and makes some other remarks about you; tells where you are, and says you have been successful in business. He also speaks of a daughter, Mrs. Lyman Porter, of Corinth, and of her having an only child. John L. Porter, who graduated at St. Johnsbury academy, in 1883, and is now employed in the Littleton, N. H., National Bank; and other remarks about the Hildreth family. I will procure a copy of the publication and send it to you. Please give my love to Liveria. Your sister, HARRIET N. PORTER CORINTH, VT., May 9, 1886. My Dear Brother: You doubtless have heard of the death of our dear sister. Mary C. McCoy, in Lowell, Mass. Oh! how sudden and unexpected. it was. A postal card from brother Albert told me she was sick and not expected to live. I started for Lowell the next day, but when I arrived there poor Mary was dead and buried. She had a tumor on the right side of the abdomen, and for some reason they kept it a secret, although from the first the doctor said it could not be cured. Her husband feels his loss keenly. He said he did all he could for Mary. She was buried in Peterborough, N. H., by the side of three of her children who were buried there. Mary's daughter took care of her mother while sick. She is a good girl, and has many of her mother's good traits. John wants you should visit the White Mountains this summer and call on him at the Littleton Bank. Do come and take Liveria with you. Your affectionate sister, HARRIET N. PORTER. CORINTH, VT.. August 14, 1887. My Dear Brother: I received your letter in due season. I was very glad to hear from you and learn that you and Liveria are in comfortable health. I am in better health than I was some months ago, but the varicose veins in my limb still trouble me. I am obliged to keep it tightly bandaged to prevent too much blood going to my ankle. Lyman is at home. He now has three farms to work and keeps three hired men. I have no play-days. I am fifty-six years old. When mother was at that age I thought she was an old lady. John is now employed in a bank in Boston on an increased salary, and works a less number of hours than he did at Littleton. He was at the latter place three years and was well liked. He visited Littleton recently, and says the President of the Bank there was so glad to see him that he shook hands with him till the tears came. I expect our niece, Mary C. McCoy, from Lowell, will visit us this week. You ask about Laura (Wason) Dickerson. Her husband is able and keeps a hired girl to do their housework. She goes where she pleases, dresses nicely, carries a gold watch and chain, and if she is not contented it is her fault, not his. Her husband is an upright man in his deal, has money in a Montpelier Bank, drives a good team, and everything about his home looks thrifty and tidy. Give my love to Liveria. Write often. Your sister, H. N. PORTER. CORINTH, VT., November 27, 1887. My Dear Brother: It is some time since I have written you, but you are not forgotten. My lame limb still troubles me, but I keep about and see to my work. Lyman is about as usual. A History of Orange County is to be published soon and I have subscribed for a copy. It will be published sometime in the winter. When Mary McCoy was here we visited the "old home," to let her see where her mother was born and where her grandparents lived. The house is newly painted; the shed moved forward, and a room finished off in it; everything about the premises looks nicely, well painted outside and in; the old shop where father worked so much is in the same place; that shop was a dear object to me, for I had spent many hours there at my plays and keeping fires on the hearth by putting on shavings so that father could see to work evenings. We hear from John every week. He is in the Bank at 45 Milk street, Boston, and is doing well. He is a capable, faithful, honest boy, and appears to be liked by every one. How is Liveria? I hope her health has improved. Tell her that I often look at her photograph and wonder if I shall never see her again. I hope that next summer we may all be together again. As ever, your affectionate sister, HARRIET N. PORTER. CORINTH, VT., July 15, 1888. My Dear Brother: A few weeks ago I received a letter from the publisher, (Mr. Childs of Syracuse, N. Y.,) of the Orange County History, saying the book would soon be along. It has come. It is as good as I expected in the most part. It is a large 8vo. volume of 792 pages. It has a map of Orange county and engravings of such men as Ex-Governor Roswell Farnham, Col. A. M. Dickey, Dr. D. K. Pearsons, Hon. W. H. Nichols, and Gen. Stephen Thomas. These men are your personal friends. The first half of the book is a record of events. There is a census table, a distance table, and then the business directory of the county. The history of the Hildreth family is very good. It occupies two or three pages, and one page is devoted to you and your history. It closes by saying that you sold out your newspaper and printing business in 1870 and retired to private life. Your record is honorable. I should like to have you see the book. I have promised it to John, but it is here yet and I well send it to you for examination. You asked about the Vershire copper mines. The mining company failed, and the business went into the hands of Ely Goddard and a Mr. Cazin. In 1883 all work was suspended and a riot occurred. There was a terrible ferment among the miners. The property for a time was in the hands of a mob. The trouble was finally settled and Mr. Cazin is now conducting the business. So far as I know, our friends here in Vermont are in usual health. Give my love to Liveria. Affectionately, HARRIET N. PORTER. CORINTH, VT., November 4, 1888. My Dear Brother: Your letter and the Orange County Book are received. The book came safely and is not in the least injured. How are you and Liveria? I am some better of my lameness. Lyman is full of business. He has more than two hundred and fifty tuns of hay. At first he thought of pressing it and shipping it to Boston, but now he has bought about two hundred young cattle of a Canadian, at Danville, P. Q., and will feed out his hay here this winter, and then market the cattle. John came home from Boston in September. He is in the National Exchange Bank there and they have increased his salary. He and I went to |