Architectural Rooms of S. V. Shipman
230 to 236 LaSalle Street

Chicago, Sept 16th, 1888

My dear Draper:

Your letter of May 25th came in due course of mail, and should have been acknowledged long ago, but as a matter of fact, my time, and energies, have been taxed to the utmost, in the prosecution of the works on my hands; and I have been obliged to forego personal correspondence, to an extent which is distressing to me. I have not had a "day off" for nearly two years; and there is still but little hope of leisure for the remainder of the present year.

I have been promising myself the pleasure of going to Madison, to spend at least one day with you, ever since the death of Mrs. Draper; but the convenient time has never presented itself.

It is with peculiar pleasure, I have received, through your kindness, the Foreman Narrative of a "Journey down the Ohio and Mississippi in 1789-1790", for which please accept my thanks. I have been greatly interested in the "Narrative"; and greatly rejoiced to know that you had commenced to give it to the public, some of the results of your life work, of collecting and arranging most interesting and valuable historical treasures, for which we have been hungering and thirsting these many years. I hope your life may be spared to complete and publish Clarke, Boone, Kenton and other works on which you have labored long and faithfully so many years. Don't give the Historical Society any more of your valuable time, to the neglect of your personal literary and historical work. You have already gone far enough in that direction.

The "Roster of Wis. Volunteers" was received last winter, and I thank you for your kind offices in securing the work for me. I am ashamed to say, that I have not thanked Gen'l Chapman for the favor, and partly for the reason that the package appeared to have been directed by Mr. Durrie, leaving me in some uncertainty as to whom I was indebted for the work, aside from yourself.

Let me here speak of a matter of small importance to you, but personal to myself: -- Mr. Jas. R. Stewart, the artist writes me - "I have never been satisfied with my portrait of you in the Historical Socy Gallery here and I hear you are not either" -- and proposing to paint a new one, for the additional sum of $30.

Do you think I had better let him copy the Portrait we have here which was satisfactory to my friends, and substitute same for that in the Historical Society?

How are you in health at this time? Come down here for a short visit.

A. D. Hager's end was a sad one. He was unfortunate in his money matters, and judging from his frequent interviews in my office on business matters, I thought him of unsound mind. I was not surprised by his tragic end.

Kindly to all friends,

Your friend,

S. V. Shipman