LIVING HISTORY
11
taken with hook & line by moonlight in the inlet. ... Mrs.
Paine has been sick but is better. She is frail and looks feeble.
Jim and Tom are just the same. Argyle has been helping about
the house. Dick bought five acres from Tom and is building a
big frame roomy home upon it. It has eight large rooms 15 by
20 an attic a two-story verandah on three sides and fronts on
the river. There are to be a dock where the steamer can land a
boat house a naptha launch... sailboats too so you can make
yourself comfortable when you next come here. The frame is
up and the house will soon be under roof.” It was signed by
his usual “Your aft Father.”
In a letter dated March 10, 1891, the senator apprised
Agnes of St. Lucie affairs: The launch is here with ‘Coralie’ in
large letters on each side of the prow and is a beauty (named
for daughter Coral). Dick’s house is getting along nicely and
is going to look well from the outside. We were apprehensive
it would not. When it is completed the lot will have to be
fenced and beautified and I guess Annie will have to come
down with servants next summer and get in the furniture
and start the machine running. It is an exceedingly good
house for this country. Mrs. Paine has been very sick ever
since we came & I am fearful will not get well. Of course matters
are out of gear and Jim has to get along as best he can.
The table is not as good as usual. If she is taken away I don’t
know what they will do. Some days I am much better others
in the dumps ... I wish Annie would get me a hundred good
cigars and send them here by registered mail am about out.”
LIFE ON THE INDIAN RIVER
He reported in September 1892: “The weather is warm ...
at 8 or 9 A M a cool sea breeze springs up and blows steadily >> LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
This letter is a
sample from
the collection
in the Library
of Congress of
the many letters
Quay wrote from
St. Lucie to his
family in Pennsylvania
and
Washington.
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