[Letter] July 15,1888,Ludlow, VT. [to F.H. Giddings]

July 15, 1888, Ludlow, VT.

Dear Mr. Giddings.
    I write to tell
you, as Lowell, in the
Bigelow Papers, remarks,
"I've nothin partickler
to say." I wish you were
taking your vacation
just here and now, and
had a 'Blondin donkey'
bicycle like mine. We
would have some fine
rides among these mountains.
I came here easily
and quickly on the little
wheel, and hope to go a part
or all of the way from here
to the White Mts. in the
same fashion. Certain
reasons have impelled me
lately to make my day's
rides shorter than it
would be easy to make them.
I think, on a good road,
I could make 40 miles
per day; but I do not
propose to exceed 20 -
so that I entertain hopes
of gaining in (avoirdupois?)
as well as in muscle.
I don't study any
yet. Perhaps I may
a little later. I am
reading novels and stuff.
I get papers and magazines
and don't do very much
even with them. Speaking
of such things a few
pamphlets and letters
have come to me by way
of exchange for similar
compliments 窶� doubtless
the same have come to
you. Among the rest a
letter from Prof. Bastable
of Dublin says he has
been reading 'Modern
Distrib. Process', and
that, as he has been
specially studying the
interactions of competition
and custom in distribution,
he "can imagine with
what interest he read the
book, and what suggestions
he derived from it." I
think we shall find a
few friends when we
take our trip to Europe,
per bicycle or otherwise.
When can you go? This
isn't mockery, for I
want to go, and don't
know when I can. By
the way our law suit is
compromised 'on cotton'. We
get 1/4 of the property
and the claimants 3/4.
Other larger owners have
settled on the same basis.
We give up, on a technicality,
about $30,000, and save $10,000.
The sharks will make about
300,000, if they settle all
around on the same basis.
On the basis of cost to
ourselves the land still
is a good investment. I
gave, about 12 years ago,
something like $2500 for
the tract. Allowing for taxes
we must get compound
interest at 8% or thereabouts.
Excuse this garrulousness
about my affairs. I feel like
a free chat with you, and am
doing what I can to have one.
We go to Littleton about Aug. 1.

            Yours Very Truly,
                  J. B. Clark