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DAN HARRIS SPEAKS FOR HIMSELF Transcription of the First Letter from Dan Harris to His Nephew, Benjamin Franklin Harris, Jr. Edited for Clarity Fairhaven Jan 23 1885 Nephew B Franklin Harris Sir yours came to hand today and I was glad to hear from you and I think you had better sell you shop and tools and come right straight to me and I have enough to make you and me rich if you will come and look after it for I can’t and you want to know it I have any town lots for sale I have 134 acres to put into town lots yet and when a man gets hard up and wants to sell I give him 50 dollars for a lot I sold for $150 and lots that I sold for $300 I give two for them back and now I want $500 for them and you can see how I can make money and I am lending money for 2½ percent per month and sell your shop and tools and if you can’t sell them mortgage them to get money to come to me and if you can’t do either borrow the money and I will pay it as soon as you can get here for my money is in the bank and what is out is loaned and there’s four or five here every day to borrow money and I can’t leave my hotel alone to go the bank to draw money I must have somebody to look out for my business and I have bought a fifty foot flag and I’m going to hoist it on the 4th of March and give a large ball and my flag staff is100 feet tall and you must come here and buy your ticket in New York for Bellingham Bay you will want from 75 to 100 dollars to come here for I saw a man in my house who came in 12 days from New York it is not a long trip and write as soon as you get this letter D J Harris < Verbatim Transcription - Table of Contents - Second Letter >