Oakland Feb 20th 1880 Two twelfths of 1880 are nearly gone. Your letter containing the circular that darkly hinted that there might be a [?][?] piece in the great Hyde Estate (it is not the Hyde Park property, is it?) arrived. You do not state very definitely how our prospects are. I suppose that you heard of it in connection with the [?] relatives. Are they sanguine? Whom have you provided as your proxy? I suppose that you are the member of the association you gave the $10 in your own name. I have not [?] very many [?], yet [?] of the money. If any of it does come I will give you 3/4 of my share, which, if it should amount to $30 (a large estimate, I presume) would be $22 ½ for you. Though I do not expect much from it, yet I think it was [?] for you to pay the $10. There may be something in it. I suppose that it would be well to put your [?] in the hands of some wide-awake [?] man, like William [?], for instance, so that there would be no danger of losing anything that we really do have a chance of getting. I [?] in getting the school at home, Mr. [Hoopingarner?] being preferred before me. W. is going to see if he can get the school at Dilly. I have written to one or two places in [Col(orado)?], to see if I could do anything. Though unless I could get something pretty good, my [?] hill, and running around over the country, would use up so much as to make it more beneficial to teach near home. This letter, I suppose, will be about the last that you will receive. Your loving son, Horace I’m well; quite a rain, clearing off. The [fire?] is down, [?], come as comfortably as possible.

Oakland Feb 20th 1880

Two twelfths of 1880 are nearly gone. Your letter containing the circular that darkly hinted that there might be a [?][?] piece in the great Hyde Estate (it is not the Hyde Park property, is it?) arrived. You do not state very definitely how our prospects are. I suppose that you heard of it in connection with the [?] relatives. Are they sanguine? Whom have you provided as your proxy? I suppose that you are the member of the association you gave the $10 in your own name. I have not [?] very many [?], yet [?] of the money. If any of it does come I will give you 3/4 of my share, which, if it should amount to $30 (a large estimate, I presume) would be $22 ½ for you. Though I do not expect much from it, yet I think it was [?] for you to pay the $10. There may be something in it. I suppose that it would be well to put your [?] in the hands of some wide-awake [?] man, like William [?], for instance, so that there would be no danger of losing anything that we really do have a chance of getting.

I [?] in getting the school at home, Mr. [Hoopingarner?] being preferred before me. W. is going to see if he can get the school at Dilly. I have written to one or two places in [Col(orado)?], to see if I could do anything. Though unless I could get something pretty good, my [?] hill, and running around over the country, would use up so much as to make it more beneficial to teach near home.

This letter, I suppose, will be about the last that you will receive.

Your loving son,

Horace

I’m well; quite a rain, clearing off. The [fire?] is down, [?], come as comfortably as possible.

Part of Letter from Horace Sumner Lyman on finances and seeking employment