From Thomas Jefferson to the Mayor of Philadelphia, 15 May 1791
To the Mayor of Philadelphia
May 15. 1791.
Th: Jefferson presents his compliments to the Mayor of the city. He had understood there was a subscription paper for the relief of the sufferers by the late fire, which was handing about town, and expected he should have met it in turn. Not having as yet seen it and being about to leave town he asks permission to put into the hands of the Mayor the inclosed note for 25. dollars to be disposed of with the other donations for the same purpose.
RC (Dr. John A. Munroe, Santa Monica, Calif., 1951). Not recorded in SJL. The address cover is missing, but the note was sent to John Barclay, who was mayor of Philadelphia at the time.
On the evening of May 11th fire broke out in a livery stable on Dock Street near Third and spread rapidly. By midnight a score of wooden houses in the vicinity were in flames, and many people had been rendered homeless. Committees were appointed to collect subscriptions for the distressed, and a benefit performance was given in the South Street Theater (Scharf and Westcott, History of Philadelphia, i 467).