MANUSCRIPT LETTER ADDRESSED TO JAMES HOLFORD, ESQ., NEW YORK, DATED JAN. 29TH, 1847, STEAMER FEB. 4TH, FROM N. BERRY OF PARIS: YOUR FAVOR OF THE 5TH ULTO. REACHED ME EARLY THIS MONTH. I SHOULD HAVE REPLIED TO IT SOONER BUT THERE WAS LITTLE CHANCE OF ANY SAILING PACKET ARRIVING OUT AS SOON AS THIS STEAMER. I AM EXCEEDINGLY SORRY TO INFORM YOU THAT THE INFERENCE YOU DREW FROM MY HAVING TWO ESTABLISHMENTS & C. "THAT I MUST HAVE CONSIDERABLE FUNDS" IS UNFORTUNATELY NOT CORRECT. WAS IT SO YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD FROM ME LONG SINCE. IT IS A VERY NATURAL INFERENCE FOR YOU TO MAKE ACCUSTOMED TO DO BUSINESS WITH LARGE MEANS. AFTER MY TOTAL RUIN FROM THE EFFECTS OF 1837 AND 1839, I ENDEAVORED TO MAKE SOME BUSINESS ARRANGEMENTS IN N. YORK BUT IT REQUIRED CAPITAL TO GIVE THE NECESSARY SECURITY TO PARTIES IN EUROPE WHO MIGHT GIVE ME THEIR BUSINESS & AS I COULD NOT OBTAIN THAT, I WAS FORCED TO RELINQUISH IT. CONSEQUENTLY THERE REMAINED NOTHING ELSE FOR ME TO UNDERTAKE BUT TO RETURN TO PARIS & ENDEAVOR TO RE-ESTABLISH A COMY. BUSINESS WHICH I DID WITHOUT A PENNY, IN FACT BORROWED MONEY TO PAY MY EXPENSES. I HAD BUT LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT BUT IT WAS MY ONLY RESOURCE TO GET A LIVING.| I AM HAPPY TO SAY I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PAY MY EXPENSES DURING THE EIGHTEEN MONTHS I HAVE BEEN HERE... YOUR OBEDIENT SERVANT, N. BERRY.
Paris: 1847. 8" x 10.5", manuscript. [4] pp, [2 leaves glued together at left margin apparently by author]. Second leaf is short letter addressed to Messrs. Holford C. of London, dated Paris, Jan. 30, 1847, which appears to ask that the attached letter be forwarded to James Holford. Some age toning along edges. Pages are splitting along folds and edges are chipped [some text affected with loss of a few letters here and there]. Good.
Berry was indebted to Holford; his letter explains his shaky state of affairs.
James Holford's death was announced in the The Chicago Democratic Press in May 1854. A native of London, he had been a large holder of Illinois, Indiana and Arkansas State bonds when the public credit of those States became impaired. Holford claimed that the citizens of those States were obligated to make restitution to him. He wrote and published several letters upon this subject, one of which was addressed to the Illinois Legislature at its 1850 session in which he urged them to apply the lands donated for the Central Railroad to the liquidation of the debt of Holford. He was said to have left behind an immense fortune. Item #27803
Price: $75.00