The Murray Warehouse and Coal Yard at the southeast corner of W. High and College St. (01117A#01).
Letter: William B. Murray to his brother Joseph A. Murray in Pittsburgh, 1835
William B. Murray (1808-1890) and Joseph A. Murray (1815-1889) were two of the five children of George Murray and his wife Mary Denny of Carlisle. William B. Murray ran a forwarding warehouse on West High Street and Joseph A. Murray became a Presbyterian minister and a Carlisle historian. This short letter between the brothers, written on a snowy day in Carlisle, is packed with historical tidbits.
Carlisle Nov. 27, 1835
Temperance Store1
Dear Brother,
I received the venison hams today in good order. I expect to sell them directly. I am doing quite well at the grocerie [sic] business. Getting into a good set of country customers. All cash very little trust. I get things from Baltimore nearly every 10 or 13 days.
The letter enclosed was directed to you in Carlisle. I got it out of the office yesterday. We are all well at present (young daughters and all). I am sitting by a warm stove looking at it snowing. They have commenced the railroad.2 It will run up Main Street.3
Respectfully, Wm. B. Murray
P.S. You have a long name.4 I wouldn’t have thought it would be so long before I wrote it. Do not send me such a great quantity of letters for it is a tax on my pocket.5 I hope this may find you in as good spirits as I am when I make a good days sale. I must quit writing for there is a man weighting [sic] for me to give him 3 lbs. coffee, 1 doz. Herring & quart of molasses & a few segars [sic].
Letter: Aunt Nancy Denny to her nephew Joseph A. Murray in Pittsburgh, 1834. “We had a splendid dinner at three o'clock. Rachel Baker was my chief cook and bottle washer and everything was in [style].”
1 Temperance stores sold everyday goods, such as groceries, dry goods, or household items. They did not sell beer, whiskey, wine, etc.
2 The Cumberland Valley Railroad began it’s 99-year-run through Carlisle in 1837.
3 The name Main Street was often used instead of High Street.
4 Rev. Joseph Alexander Murray likely received his middle name after Thomas Alexander who was one of the guardians of his father George Murray who came to Carlisle in 1774 and was apprenticed to Carlisle blacksmith Simon Boyd.
5 A letter writer did not pay for postage, the person who received the letter did. The Post Master published a list of all the letters remaining at the post office. A time limit was set, and if the letters were not paid for, they went to the dead letter box.