Joseph E. Shaw Collection: Letter #5

Donated By Robert Gritman

Dear Ed, 

I am sorry to hear that things are going so badly with you I thought all along that George was to work and doing well and I am very sorry to hear he is not.  In order to help you as much as I can I enclose eight dollars which is all the money I have left.  I hope you will accept it for it will not do me any good here and if I send it home why it will be spent and so I make a choice of two evils and send it to you with the request that you will let Mother have two dollars of it to buy her medicines or whatever she may want.  If I had more you could have it and welcome, but I hope you will not refuse the Gift even if it is small.  You need not let George or Gus know it nor any of the folks that you can keep it from as they might feel offended at me for not treating all alike which the length of my purse will not allow as it is only one of these common buck skin ones.  Now Ed you must not feel offended with me for sending you this as I would only squander it away here.

            With love to all I remain
            Your Brother
            Joe

P.S. You had better tear this up!