Letter from J. F. to Jn Mᵉ Frachon... (1838)

NRA-L-000496 / 1838

Letter from J. F. to Jn Mᵉ Frachon, 20 November 1838

A brother of the addressee discusses family accounts, the wine harvest, the addressee's son Vincent, and technical plans for a mill and cylinder. He also requests candles, coffee and tea and gives health advice.

Neruda Archives
NRA-L-000496

NRA-L-000496 image 1 showing a folded address panel to a Frachon correspondent with postal marks, routing notations and paper folds. — **Image 1**Address panel and postal evidence.

NRA-L-000496 image 2 showing a handwritten French letter page with manuscript text and visible fold lines. — **Image 2**Letter text — Page 1.

NRA-L-000496 image 3 showing a handwritten French letter continuation with its closing, signature, folds and paper edges. — **Image 3**Letter text and closing.

Archive Record

Identifier: NRA-L-000496
Date: 1838-11-20
Original date: Voiron le 20 9bre 1838
Type: Family correspondence
Language: French / fr
Sender: J. F.
Recipient: Jn Mᵉ Frachon
Places: Voiron / Annonay
Extent: 3 documentary sides: Documentary page 1; Documentary page 2; Documentary page 3; 3 digital images.
Citation: Neruda Archives, NRA-L-000496.

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Transcript and English translation

working scholarly aid

Address panel

Original transcript

A Monsieur
Jn Mᵉ Frachon
à Annonay

Address panel

English translation

To Monsieur
Jn Mᵉ Frachon
at Annonay

Documentary page 2

Original transcript

Voiron le 20 9bre 1838

Mon cher frere

Je recois ta lettre du 18 9bre c.t et d'apres ton
bordereau je credite eugene de 801 f 90 ton net debit
de Duret & Chomel 401 f 90 - ton debit

Il ne faut pas regretter de n'avoir pas vendu ton
vin. generalement la recolte est mauvaise & il a
beaucoup augmenté, on vendra ici 20 f l'hectolitre
de mauvais vin du pays, sur sa recolte de charge.

[hi]er soir j'ai recu une lettre de ton f[i]ls vincent
je suis tres content de la maniere dont il s'exprime. bien
il te fera honneur & fera son chemin. Il m'a remis
[les] 2 soldes l'on[ce] que je vais lui adresser, il m'a remis aussi
une not[t]e d'une demande a[ss]ez forte mais le prix ne
me perm[et]tant pas de lui expedier. je vais lui faire une
reduction sur le prix que je lui avais fixé & lui faciliter
autant que je pourrai de traiter quelques affaires.

tu me fais bien plaisir de me donner des nouvelle[s]
de ma petite niece. embrass. la pour moi ainsi que sa mere.

J'ai pris possession du moulin depuis le 1.r 9.bre mais il
y a un fermier qui ne doit quitter qu'a la S.t Jean.

J'ignore si j'y laisserai des meules ou si j'y ferai
[é]tablir un cilindre. Je veux avant tenter une separation
qui si elle me reussit m'eviterait cette depense.

La roue de mon cylindre
passe sous l'eau, pas dessus, l'achat du moulin me
facilite pour la faire prendre pas dessus, je suprimerai la pompe
qui monte l'eau dans la sille & qui emploi[e] beaucoup de
force & j'espere pouvoir faire tourner mes 4 silles du
cilindre. Si je l'obtiens j'économiserai 25 m f. pour construire
un cilindre dans le moulin, je ferai reparer les meules que
je trouverai, mais quoique je sois certain que ce que je
vais tenter perfectionnera mes moyens de trituration, je n'ose me
flatter d'obtenir un resultat qui me dispense de construire un
cilindre dans le moulin. je veux voir l'effet de ma 1re reparation.

Documentary page 2

English translation

Voiron, November 20, 1838

My dear brother,

I am receiving your letter of the 18th of this current November, and according to your statement, I am crediting Eugene with 801.90 francs, your net debit from Duret & Chomel 401.90 francs - your debit.

You must not regret not having sold your wine. Generally, the harvest is bad and it has increased a lot; we will sell here 20 francs a hectoliter of bad local wine, on its harvest load.

Yesterday evening I received a letter from your son Vincent. I am very happy with the way he expresses himself; surely he will do you honor and make his way. He sent me [the] 2 ounce balances that I am going to address to him, he also sent me a note of quite a large request but the price not permitting me to ship to him, I am going to give him a reduction on the price that I had fixed for him and facilitate him as much as I can to do some business.

You give me much pleasure in giving me news of my little niece. Kiss her for me as well as her mother.

I have taken possession of the mill since the 1st of November but there is a farmer who is not to leave until St. John's Day.

I don't know if I will leave millstones there or if I will have a cylinder established there. I want first to try a separation which, if it succeeds for me, would spare me this expense.

The wheel of my cylinder
passes under the water, not over it; the purchase of the mill facilitates my making it take it from above; I will eliminate the pump which raises the water in the sieve and which uses a lot of power, and I hope to be able to turn my 4 sieves of the cylinder. If I achieve this, I shall save 25,000 francs on building a cylinder in the mill, I will have the millstones that I will find repaired, but although I am certain that what I am going to try will perfect my means of trituration, I dare not flatter myself with obtaining a result that would dispense with my building a cylinder in the mill. I want to see the effect of my 1st repair.

Documentary page 3

Original transcript

Je t'ai demandé par ma dre
des chandelles 1re Moi
id        1re Marie

Du Caffé martinique ou S Domingue (pour meler avec du moka que j'ai)
Du thé dont nous n'avons plus.

Je [p...ise] que tu t'occuperas aux [hates] de me en envoyer

adieu bon & cher frere, je me rejouis de l'état
de ta santé sois bien raisonnable. ne te fatigue pas
trop. Mange raisonnablement & prends garde au froid
je te conseill d'avoir toujours un Plastron S/ la poitrine

adieu je t'embrasse.
[Signature]

as tu des nouvelles de françois ? fais moi
le plaisir de me dire a quelle epoque il est parti
fais mes amitiés a Charles quand tu lui ecriras

Documentary page 3

English translation

I asked you by my last
some candles 1st Moi
ditto 1st Marie

Some Martinique or San Domingo coffee (to mix with some mocha that I have)
Some tea of which we have no more.

I [suppose] that you will busy yourself in haste to send me some.

Farewell good and dear brother, I rejoice in the state of your health, be very reasonable, do not tire yourself too much. Eat reasonably and watch out for the cold. I advise you to always have a plastron on your chest.

Farewell, I embrace you.
[Signature]

Do you have news of François? Do me the pleasure of telling me at what time he left. Give my regards to Charles when you write to him.

Discovery Terms

Family correspondence
Agriculture
Industry
Commerce
Frachon Family Correspondence

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