1861-10-19 Letter: Smith to Coolidge, 2021.021.005

[Pg. 4 Left of fold] As yet this has not been accomplished and until this amount is wiped off our Energies must necessarily be more or less cramped from want of means, but I trust we are gradually working our way out of the difficulty -

I have mentioned these particulars thinking they might not prove uninteresting -

Believe me Yours very truly G Sidney Smith

A J Coolidge Esq

[Pg. 1 right of fold:]

G. Sidney Smith Saint John N. B. Oct 19/61

Saint John NB 19 October 1861

Dear Sir

I feel much indebted to you for the trouble you have taken in Answering my Enquiries respecting the management of Mount Auburn Cemetery as well as for the Catalogue which contains much useful information. There are many hints contained in your letter which will prove extremely valuable to us. We happened to have a meeting of our Board of Directors on the very day on which I received your letter - and I took

[pg. 3; left of fold] the liberty of reading it to them. They expressed themselves much pleased and join with me in thanking you for your attention.

Our Cemetery is not quite a new one, having been established in 1848, but I have held office only during the present year and found many matters requiring systemetizing and amendment to prevent confusion in future years. The grounds are very prettily situated about 2 1/2 miles from the City and are nearly equal in extend to those Mount Auburn, but as yet a large portion of them remains unimproved though capable of being made [pg 3; right of fold] extremely beautiful; but in a place such as this, with a comparatively small and ^not very wealthy population it takes a considerable time to effect any costly improvements. In the mean time we must trust a great deal to what Nature has done for us and endeavor to conine such decorations as are or ^maybe made, within the limits of "good taste."

Our Corporation is a [?] Stock Company. The subscribed Capital being devoted to the purchase of the ground, and repaid to the Stockholders from Sales of Lots