To Benjamin Franklin from Smith, Wright, & Gray, [13?] July 1769
From Smith, Wright, & Gray
ALS: American Philosophical Society
[Thursday, xiii of2] July, 1769
Esteemed F[riend:]
Pursuant to thy favour received yesterday afternoon we herewith send thee Forty Guineas to thy Debit in account. Shall pay our friends Freeths for the Corn Mill and forward it as directed for thy Son.3 Shall also buy 2 Lottery Tickets and advise the Numbers to Jonathan Williams at Boston as order’d.4 As thou art well known at Paris a Letter of Credit may be needless But thy drafts on us which thou’ll please advise in Course shall be honoured with the Utmost punctuallity. We wish thee an agreable Tour and Shall be glad to see thee returnd well home being with great regard and Esteem Thy Respectful Friends
Smith Wright & Gray
To Benjamin Franklin Esqr
Addressed: To / Dr. Benjn. Franklin Esqre / Present
2. The date to this point is almost illegible, and our guess at it is influenced by outside evidence. The forty guineas in cash that the letter mentions were entered by BF under July 13 in his Journal. The corn mill and lottery tickets, on the other hand, were entered under July 11; but what remains legible of the date cannot be reconciled with “xi”.
3. See WF to BF above, March 2.
4. For Jonathan Williams see above, XIV, 288 n, and BF to Williams below, Oct. 4. The tickets cost £29 5s. (Jour., p. 21), but they apparently did not arrive in Boston, because BF inquired about them ten months later; see his note to Smith, Wright & Gray below, May 10, 1770.