Title: Letter from Atlas Jones to Calvin Jones, [April 1803]: Electronic Edition.
Author: Jones, Atlas, d. 1841
Editor: Erika Lindemann
Funding from the State Library of North Carolina supported the electronic publication of this title.
Text transcribed by Erika Lindemann and Douglas Mitchell
Images scanned by Mara E. Dabrishus
Text encoded by Natalia Smith
First Edition, 2005
Size of electronic edition: ca. 22K
Publisher: The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2005

No Copyright in US

The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American South.
Languages used in the text: English
Revision history:
2005-03-15, Natalia Smith, project manager, finished TEI/XML encoding.
Part of a series:
This transcribed document is part of a digital collection, titled True and Candid Compositions: The Lives and Writings of Antebellum Students in North Carolina
written by Lindemann, Erika
Source(s):
Title of collection: Calvin Jones Papers (#921), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Title of document: Letter from Atlas Jones to Calvin Jones, [April 1803]
Author: Atlas Jones
Description: 3 pages, 4 page images
Note: Call number 921 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Topics covered:
Education/UNC Curriculum
Education/UNC Enrollments and Finances
Examples of Student Writing/Letters and Letter Writing
Editorial practices
The text has been encoded using the recommendations for Level 5 of the TEI in Libraries Guidelines.
Transcript of the personal correspondence. Originals are in the Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Original grammar, punctuation, and spelling have been preserved.
DocSouth staff created a 600 dpi uncompressed TIFF file for each image. The TIFF images were then saved as JPEG images at 100 dpi for web access.
Page images can be viewed and compared in parallel with the text.
Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.
Letters, words and passages marked as deleted or added in originals have been encoded accordingly.
All quotation marks, em dashes and ampersand have been transcribed as entity references.
All double right and left quotation marks are encoded as ".
All single right and left quotation marks are encoded as '.
All em dashes are encoded as —.
Indentation in lines has not been preserved.

For more information about transcription and other editorial decisions, see Dr. Erika Lindemann's explanation under the section Editorial Practices.

Document Summary

Jones informs his brother about his finances and what he is studying.
Letter from Atlas Joneslink opens in a new window to Calvin Joneslink opens in a new window , [April 1803]1
Jones, Atlas, d. 1841



Page 1

Dear Brother,

I have recd yours of 6th inst.2 I cannot recollect any particular circumstances attending the purchase of Simsons Algebra 3 (you said Euclid, but I apprehend you were mistook, for I never owned an Euclid) only you were with me at Gales' Store4 in the time of the sitting of the Assembly before the last I believe you paid for it, but am not positive. I also remember that Miss Gales deducted [unrecovered] 25¢ from the price (which was 25/)5 on account of some injury which it had sustained. I dont remember of your purchasing any other books at that time. I dont recollect of purchasing any other books of Galeslink opens in a new window myself except a few days ago I sent to Raleigh to Galeslink opens in a new window for an Helsham's Philosophy 6 (the price of which was 27/6.) and requested him to present the acct to you. My principal Studies this session have been Euclid, Algebra & Virgil. I am now studying Horace, Algebra, and

Page 2
Geography, privately, & Mair's Introduction,7 We have nearly finished Algebra. After which we have finished it my Class will begin Ewin's Synopsis,8 but as I have been examined upon it once, I shall not study it again, And shall have more time to devote to those studies in which I am behind my Class. If I continue here I can graduate with ease with my Class. The April Examination was finished about a week ago. I am among the number of those appointed to speak next July from my class9
My Acct This Session is as Follows10
D C
Recd In Smithfield 53 50
of Saunders 9 50
In Letters 30 00
$93 00
Paid Mairs 1 75
Pd Taylor 40/ respecting that suspected
mony refreshment for myself Horses & Vol 15/
5 5011
Do Vol 10/ Pd the [t]aylor 40/ 5 50
Pd Steward 34$ Bingham for tuition & Room 13$ 47 0012
2 Ld wood 2$ 2tl Candles 5/ 2 50
Can 25 Cents Servant Hire 10/ 1 25
Cd over $63 00

Page 3
Amt Brot over 63 00
Pd Kirkland 20$ 22 00
Letters from Allen Davielink opens in a new window (N.York) A. Foster, Dancy, Burges, & Smithfield 1 0013
Bt of pedlar to line Vests 3 1/2 yd Hum 4/6 1 60
Pd Daniel for making fires 8/ paper 3/6 1 1514
Chair 5/ Shoes 20/ 2 50
Pd for mending shoes & boots 1 00
$90 25
Trifles not acct for 75
you see by this statement that I have 2 Dolls on hand, & have pd Hendersonlink opens in a new window nothing. I was [unrecovered] to pay down for those things which I bot. [unrecovered] as the goods are not to be had in the vi[llage.] I am indebted to Hendersonlink opens in a new window nearly 15$. I have spent more money than I expected to spend when I left Smithfield, but have endeavourd to be as frugal as possible, & you can judge from the Statement whether I have been too prodigal. It is rumoured here that you are going to St. Mary's.15 And that you are to be the Author of the Literary History. The Caucus & the Races, Are often the topicks of conversation at this place, And my vanity has often been nigh overruling my prudence

Your Affectionately

A. Joneslink opens in a new window

M[r] C. Joneslink opens in a new window


Envelope page

Endnotes:

1. Calvin Jones Papers, SHC. The letter is addressed to "Doct. Calvin Joneslink opens in a new window / Smithfield"; though the letter is undated, a postage endorsement reads "Chapel Hill/17th Apl 1803} 10."

2. "inst.": instant; the present month.

3. Thomas Simpson, A Treatise of Algebra (London: J. Nourse, 1745).

4. A bookstore in Raleigh, NC, belonging to Joseph Galeslink opens in a new window (1761-1841), editor of the Raleigh Register. Gales'link opens in a new window son, Joseph Gales, Jr., had been expelled from the University in 1801; Gales'link opens in a new window oldest daughter Sarah probably helped run the bookstore (Dictionary of North Carolina Biography 2:265-67).

5. "/": throughout the letter the slash indicates shillings, each worth one-tenth of a dollar. The price of the book, then, was $2.50.

6. Richard Helsham, A Course of Lectures in Natural Philosophy (Dublin: Bryan Robinson, 1739).

7. John Mair, An Introduction to Latin Syntax (Edinburgh, 1767).

8. Alexander Ewing, A Synopsis of Practical Mathematics (Edinburgh: W. Smellie, 1771).

9. All classes participated in commencement, but being chosen as one of the junior speakers was indicative of Jones'link opens in a new window excellent academic record. The following year, Joneslink opens in a new window finished second in his class and delivered the commencement oration in history on the morning of July 12, 1804 (Battle 1:172).

10. Abbreviations appearing in the account are as follows: Recd (received), Pd (paid), Do (ditto, meaning "the same"), Ld (load), tl (tallow), Can (candles), Cd (carried), Amt (amount), Bt (bought), yd (yard), Acct (account, accounted).

11. The money probably was paid to John "Buck" Taylorlink opens in a new window , who owned an inn and tavern in Chapel Hill, presumably with a stable. Vol is doubtless a slave who accompanied Joneslink opens in a new window to Chapel Hill and returned to Smithfield with the horse(s) and buggy

12. The University steward from 1801 until 1805 was Maj. Samuel Lovelink opens in a new window (Battle 1:193). William Binghamlink opens in a new window (1754-1826) was professor of languages from 1801 to 1805. Binghamlink opens in a new window , together with one tutor and President Caldwelllink opens in a new window , who taught mathematics, made up the entire University faculty.

13. Typically, the recipient, not the sender, of a letter paid the postage. Smithfield, NC, is where Atlaslink opens in a new window and Calvin Joneslink opens in a new window lived.

14. Students paid servants to bring water and light fires in the fireplaces before daylight; Daniel was probably a slave.

15. A township in east central Wake County, NC. Calvin Joneslink opens in a new window did move to Wake County in about 1803 and for several years edited and published the Raleigh Star. He also served as mayor of Raleigh.