Letter from James Lyman on the weather, slavery, and an upcoming election.

The days glide like the meteors that fall “The star is shut, the bubble dries and man is not.

October is on the wane. It seems likely that it will [?]. Storm here are shows of half there grandeur. There are no mountains to disappear in clouds, to bread snows the snows here are bread in others and to reap fear after the storms in there new rules. The [?] here is about as near 0 as it ever gets to be.

I did not write a mid week letter. I felt a little mean about it. If you care as much about getting my letters as I do your you would have replied it. But I assure you that It would have been a poor one if I had written. Your last letter father, was a peculiarity satisfactory one. It is your meet and drink to be busy. Keep your self well.

There was a lecture by “George Harris” the other night. In it he gave some descriptions of his life in the south as a slave. “Emily” was his sister. Another sister of his who has gone to New Orleans, and had some how got hold of money – I forgot how, whether by marriage or not – came back to Kentucky in order to see her old friends, and brother and sister. She went back to New Orleans, planning to come back again and buy and feed them all. On the way back it was discovered that she had a taint of negro in her veins, she had come in style from N. O as a southern lady – and so she was denied the privilege of a sublime [?]. She was first on deck. An [?] she took cold and died. She willed all her property to her slave friends, so that they might be free but such a will was illegal, and al her money went to the state of LA. The ghost stories of “uncle tom’s”, cabin no men are so superstitious, be said as those drunken slave holder. “Eliza” was a real person and [?] the Ohio River on the ice, but she was not “Georges” wife, or another, not Clarks.

He said that for many years he went with his hand on his dagger, so to speak, ready at any time to kill or be killed, rather than be sent back to slavery, while he was traveling through the north in the abolition work.

Once his brother Milton was captured by some fugitives slaves from here. They had got a warrant him in one county, but by going through a certain town, the line of another county must be crossed. The county line ran in the middle of the road. The absolutist blocked in the side of the road belonging to the county in which the slave hunters had got their warrant. The moment they turned out of there side of the road, into the other county, a right of habeas corpse for Milton Clarke was presented by proper officials, and Milton had to be given up. He was spirited away in mercilessly and never got again.

The slavery [?] is an extinct volcano but there are a good may but socks darn in the crator yet.

The election will be over before this reads you. I think the signs point unmistakably toward a large republican. One of its main indications is that its democratic leaders are pitching at each other so heavily Sanders and English are accusing each other of losing IN. Hampton and Hill and Bryant being are being called to account by there democrats for there speeches being replied for his, no tariff platform. Hancock has made rather a bad out of it on the tariff question “I think the question was brought up in my native town in PN showing a certain familiar ignorance of the matter, if he really said it, that is quite refreshing”. He has in fact shown himself ignoramuses so for as affairs of the state.
I am glad you are having a beautiful autom. We have had rather a beaifutful one. You mentions the grapes incidentally. Was there a big crop? I feel a degree of interet in the grapes. What disposition are you going to make of the pltae of ground where the old barn stood? If you can afford it, put some bulps of flowers there. They would do finly in such a place. Next spring you might dig it up and plant some perennials. It is moist and rich and not exposed to the sun, and such things zinnias, asters, phloxes, snap dragons, hostas, [cononlarnlis] and other bright and gay flowers would run mad with splendor. There is not much in sight, but you would have a place to go and enjoy yourself, and take your frinds for an afternoon, and vast resources for bouquets. This work I commend paratlly to you S. It is just the kind of outdoor work you are planning for, and it is the kind of work that will pay vast interests. Do not forgot gladioli. The early bulbs, such as crocuses and hyacinth will be better in front, as of you. Snow dwarfs are excellent early bubls. The tulips and lilies would do better in the old barn yard.