Thomas Roe March 11, 1872

Walpack Centre
		March 11th 1872

          Dear Brother           I received your letter on Saturday last stating that you and your family where all well when you wrote -
We are enjoying reasonable good health at present but I find Old age is approaching and I may be obliged to relinquish all business we live at Walpack Centre at present I assist Jacob in the store and practice some I was obliged to relinquish the practice of Medicine in a measure in consequence of the exposure to all kinds of weather. You stated that you thought some of selling your farm and wished my opinion on the subject. Of course I can give no reliable opinion without knowing all the particulars of the case but I should think it unwise for a man to sell a good farm if he has a family that can do a good portion of the labor necessary to drive it unless there is no other way to pay his debts except to Mortgage it and pay 20 per cent Interest which is certainly ruinous. no man ought to contract debts in a Country where Money Commands such an Interest I think it would be better to sell all the loose property you can posably spare and pay it than to Mortgage your land you wished me to come out and see you but I dont think I will be likely to ever get out there I am geting too old and feeble to travel much I have had to help my children as they married and settled so that my [money] is in use at the present time I prefer keeping Money in New Jersey to sending it West unless for young men that go there to settle -
I was very glad to hear from you as it had been a long time since I had heard from you I hope you will write to me frequently and tell me know how you are geting along and whether you sell your farm or not. property in this state has fallen about 20 per cent in the last year or two. We had a letter from Benjn folks a month or so since stating that they were all well and doing well +c
Jacob drives on his farm and has been the last season building and repaired his house which keeps him busy most of the time so that I am needed nearly all the time in the store Elias lives on My farm and works it Wm Clark lives where he did and has bought another farm where I. Sharp lived formerly it Joined him and Hyram lives in Newton and follows the Auction and Insurance business he has been there 2 years this Spring and says he likes the business and the place very well and expects to continue on he lives in the Howell House Just as you enter Newton in going from Branchville do not neglect to write soon as I am always glad to hear from you

Your Affectionate Brother
                    Thomas Roe
Jonas H. Roe

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