Lancing
Tuesday 20 October 1891
My dear Chris,
I pen you a few lines at home as I mean to go to town tomorrow if the weather is
more settled than it has been last few days. A succession of storms and hurricanes
???? ???? have passed over the country doing incredible damage to houses,
trees and crops. High tides and floods have told their tales everywhere and ships
have suffered less than the violence of the storms would indicate. The sea has
encroached here much.
I managed to sell five plots of my land before the storms at a good price. Now they
look as if they will .???? ????
Balchins has shipped a lot of goods for you and so has Ross Bros by the ????
which left the docks on the 14th. Did not send all the papers in time for last Friday’s
mail and I am afraid this week’s mail will not catch the ???? ???? where the
north ???? ???? ???? ????
This morning where it was delivered yesterday it had Thursday ??th post mark ????
22″“ August on it. You will see it has been two months on its way ………. .. letter to
Mater same date came by same mail . This is not as it should be and judging by my
experience on the ???? the mails should come in much less time.
We were 24 days from ???? to Aden where the mails were landed and came on
by the Parramatta the next day. Twelve days from Aden to London is about the time
occupied. I think this matter is worth your notice to look into. I have Sydney
newspapers of 10 September.
I have sent Ross Bros a cheque and will pay Balchines, but I must find out what
discount they are allowed for cash. They have not allowed you any in the accounts I
have paid the high rate of freight and 10% ???? ???? is rather a handicap. I am glad
to find that your business is brisk and hope it will continue to improve. If you find this
liquor importing worth while carrying on the buying ???? ???? ???? ????
the class of goods that ????
Should you want an assistant with a view to partnership, a young man named
Humphries who ???? at the house of a Mr Howell who has a house by the sea here, a wealthy man and I think a relative of Humphreys would probably suit you. He will tell you his own tale as I asked him to write to you but did not give him encouragement further than saying it was possible you might like to get hold of a reliable help with a good knowledge of general business. He seems a promising fellow and I would judge him to be keen and capable of adapting himself
to any circumstances of business quickly.
If money was wanted Mr Howell would find it readily of course.
I don’t know what your intentions are with regard to Alec, but if your business
expands and more help is wanted the member of the family should be provided for
first.
I am inclined to think that if Archie gets you well on his ship he will want to stay and
follow up his professionuntil he gets a command, and after all when one hears of the
poor pay and scant chance of promotion. You will have in all lines of life on shore.
Sailor’s are not the worst off. The chief ???? of the life in ???? is the little men
see of home life, a few days in dock. Very short leave and away again. I daresay he
has written you from Sydney if he was inclined to join you and you could find
employment for him with an equal income to what he is now or may get in the course
of a year or two. I encourage him to come but he must judge and decide for himself if
he keeps at sea he cant do better than where he is. The mail companies are to fall
for rapid promotion and the pay won’t pay for clothes and washing.
Noel is going to be a sharp keen fellow. He is quick at picking up knowledge. In
another year he will be advanced enough to go out in some capacity. He will need a
restraining hand. He is impulsive and would be easily led to good or evil. I am
keeping him at home instead of putting him to a public school until he gets older,
possibly won’t put him at all.
In the meantime he and the others are improving in health and strength here and are
kept at lessons daily so they do not lose time.
Now as to business. I have kept money enough at Command to meet your
necessities until I hear from you and know what you intend to do either in continuing
similar shipments or extending in other ways. Of course good agency business is the
most secure only your field is limited in cor???? and people.
If I had some occupation in London, which may come soon, I would join you and
carry on your buying and shipping business and find agencies worth having. A little
waiting won’t do harm while trade is depressed. You are well enough known and I
think trusted by your community to be independent of opposition that may come.
IN the meantime as you know my family expenses have always been pretty heavy.
My aim has been to live in such a way as my income justified and to be somewhat
above the common run of men. In my position this has proved satisfactory, only I
have not been able to put aside money enough to produce a good income now that
my ship is gone. With care I may realise 5 400 a year. This will somewhat depend on
the interest I may obtain for my floating capital investments are either insecure or
else yield so little interest. I prefer keeping a considerable sum in hand — on deposit
at my bank or at Devitt & Moore who give me 4% to use in any way readily when
opportunity offers. At present I have £4000 at command. I make this statement to
you in confidence so that you may understand my position and that we may find it to
our mutual benefit to assist each other to the advantage and gain of both.
With regard to your shipments there is so much in sent out by even reputable houses
I should say your only ???? of doing a good business in the liquor way is to keep
???? ????. I notice Ross Bros is 72/6 and some Balchins has sent you – no name
given is charged 20/ ????. I mentioned before they appear to be allowed a ???? so
far. I mean to look into this ????.
The weather still keeps stormy and wet. When I write (21s‘) the ???? is at 29-25 I am not much disposed to go to town to be caught in each deluge of rain as we had lately but there is a sale of wine tomorrow by auction al Old Regent Street wine business stock 4000 dozens of various ???? wines, some may go cheap and if a ???? might find some suitable for you it would be especially good.
Mater will write you soon. She is at present very busy and ???? ????
were busy when you got ???? only one better way on your outward route.
I am glad you have written to Capt Eldred ???? P & O for the French papers.
Alec might not go away from ???? this year. A nice home by and by will be more to
his advantage.
I have one or two Croydon papers from Tasman. Am glad and hope your ???? are
getting good gold. Hope you make a ???? of the new ???? floating.
You will see that Parkes resigned the Partnership and will not care to take it up
again.???? is getting more feeble his heart is weak and he told me he expected
daily to ???? off in a moment.
The Sobraon was sold in the nick of time. It could not be done now, and in London
she would not bring £1000 at the present moment. My people here see the wisdom
of the business now although they so strongly objected to it at the time. It put £1000
In my pocket that otherwise would have been lost.
Tell me if all the letters and papers I have sent you have been received.
Love from all at home and from your loving Father
Jas A Elmslie