490 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



talents & good qualities I possess, instead of hating, 

 despising & cursing me because nature has endowed 

 me superior to themselves. I do not think I could endure 

 the envy, jealousness & hatred of some of the malicious 

 dispositions of Lake county, after breathing a different 

 atmosphere so long as I have. So I cannot talk of remain- 

 ing at home until that home is in some other location. 

 And I do not yet see the way quite clear to change it, 

 though perhaps I shall in a very short time. 



It certainly is not because I do not love my home that I 

 remain away. But I cannot sit down & suck my claws like 

 a bear, & I am not quite ready to die yet — I can earn more 

 money away in one year than at home in five, but I am 

 heartily tired of travelling. I feel as though I was doomed 

 never to find a resting place. I am a sort of wandering 

 Jew. I expect to die on a rail road or steam boat some 

 day. Better there than in half the taverns I have to stop 

 at. Bah ! what places. 



We have had during the past week very cold weather 

 for this latitude, though the frost was not hard enough 

 to kill peaches & other fruit which promises very abun- 

 dant. 



In answer to an inquiry upon a slip of paper in your 

 letter about Mr. Dinwiddle^ wanting to pay his debt to 

 the county, I wish to say to Janna," I want him to do with 

 all my business exactly as though it was his own but I am 

 of opinion that if any transfer of that kind was made it 

 had better be of that Mills debt, though I cannot pretend 



'John W. Dinwiddle, born October 1, 1813; died April 12, 1861. 

 Came to Lake County in 1835 or 1836 and commenced farming. 

 Finding this unprofitable, sold his farm and went to Illinois to 

 work on the canal. In 1844, married and returned to Lake County, 

 where he purchased two hundred acres of land. Between 1844 and 

 1847 worked intermittently on his land and on the canal in Illi- 

 nois. Entered business in Crown Point in 1847. In 1852 began 

 farming on a large scale. Served as township trustee and county 

 commissioner. Ball, Lake County, from 183 A to 1872, 294-95. 



" Janna S. Holton, son of Dr. Ira Holton. Came to Lake County 

 in December, 1844. Married Josephine, oldest daughter of Solon 

 Robinson. Prominent as merchant, county officer, and businessman. 



