Jervis McEntee Diaries

Friday June 27, 1890

Jervis McEntee Diary Entry, June 27, 1890, from the Jervis McEntee papers, 1850-1905, in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Friday, June 27, 1890 I walked to Kingston and was at Dr. Rooras at 8.30 when he put a filling in my wisdom tooth. It was a splendid morning with a rich, clean air and a strong N. wind. From Rooras I went to Kenyons. He had prepared a paper to which we must get the signatures of all the heirs of John Van Gaasbeck as well as all the brothers. I called on my way down to see Peter. He told me two lived over near the Devils Lake, one a mile below Capt Andersons in Esopus and one was away from home. I simply cant undertake the fatigue of getting all these names. The case is this. The brothers have all sold out to Peter, Abraham H. and John and given deeds and I will be satisfied with their release. I called to see John's widow but there was no one at home, and so it goes with these people scattered all over the country. When I got home tired and discouraged the men were at work blasting. They had made two blasts but seemed to think they had not done much. I am perplexed and discouraged and am far from well. Each afternoon I feel exhausted and hardly able to stand. Sara is driven with work. Attempting to care for this big house with no servant is simply slavery. As Sara and I were sitting in the hall just before retiring and talking about Major Cornell in connection with the Patchins we thought we heard footsteps on the road outside and on Saras going to the door she found it was Sam Coykendall and Mary. They had been to Georges and came this way evidently to call on us. I said to Sam I heard he was having a disagreeable time which seemed to give him a chance to talk with me about his troubles with Young and Joe Cornell and he talked very freely and not unreasonably. It seems to me he has been very judicious in not talking about his affairs and when I apologised about attending to them he said they had ceased to be private. I told him I thought public sympathy was almost entirely with him and that certainly he had my friendship and sympathy. Mary feels bitterly the injustice of not having their place left to them and says they will not even sell to them at a reasonable price. According to Sam Young is very grasping and will be likely to get into trouble. He says he sold a block of stock of the N & D. R. R. for $3 a share for which he offered $20 and he thinks it will eventually turn up in Youngs possession. They talked very freely with us knowing we are their friends and he was not as hard on the Major as I should think he has reason to be. Altogether he seems to me to have the advantage at least of judicious conduct and bearing on his side and I certainly hope they will not be able to [?] him as he says Joe has declared he will. They staid until 10 oclock and I think it was a relief to them to be able to talk frankly to us.

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