D Sir. You must excuse me for again troubling you on the
subject of the land I wish to purchase of you. I would thank you to
send by My Brother your obligation to convey to me so much land
when such a price per Acre is paid. If you have any difficulty about
the quantity to be expressed in the obligation, say 100 Acres, if you
think this too much say enough to cover the emprovements I have
already made which would not exceed 10 or 15 Acres. I cannot
conceive that you would hazard any thing by doing this, and I
should in the event of a transfer or of death be and feel much more
secure. Some future owner of the land unaware of what has passed
between us or disregardful of it, might take advantage of the
improvements I have made on the land in question and incommode
me materially by refusing to sell altogether or by asking ten prices.
You doubtless recollect that a short time previous to your departure
for Saltillo you told me to go on with my building that I should
have the small amount I wanted. I should therefore think that I
ought to get the lands at the price you would have put upon it
last autumn, without regard to its subsequent enhancement. This
would seem to me to be right, should you think differently however
I must acquiesce, not hereby insinuating that I believe you capable
of taking advantage of my situation, Defer not this on account
of haste or occupation or amusement for the penning of the
obligation will not take up 2 minutes of your time. Were you here
I would show you conclusively that the quantity of land I want
ought properly to belong to mine and would not diminish the
value of yours, your league from the Brazos runs across the prairie
and takes in about 30 or 40 Acres of the Oyster Bayou timber not
enough timbered land for a settlement on the Oyster Bayou side
of the prairie, it is out of the question to cart that timber across
the prairie. But of this when you come down. I am anxious to
see you at my house not more on account of the land than for other
reasons. Our personal intercourse has always been of an undefined
negative and unconfidential character, which I am sick of and
wish to put an end to for the future. However indifferent I may
feel toward the million in my likes and dislikes of gentlemen with
whom I am brought in contact I have no middle ground. I go in
this case for open war or confiding friendship. If nothing has
occurred on the part of either [of] us to prevent mutual friendship
and esteem, let an ecclairissement place us in that delightful
relation to each other, if on the contrary there should be found to be
cause for hostitity and enimity let it be avowed and aboveboard.
At all events let us understand each other.
Be so good as to present my regrets to Mr Wm T Austin on
account of not being able to comply with his polite invitation, With
the hope of soon seeing you I remain yours Respectfully