John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

4. V Tuesday

Grateful for a Night of sound refreshing repose—on my return from the morning’s walk, I found a Letter from Mr John Bailey, with a request that I would answer by return of Mail addressed to B. F Hallett or Henry Gassett— I did accordingly write to Mr Hallett Immediately after Breakfast W. C. Greenleaf came, and went with me to the Columbian Mills— I found the small mill in a ruinous condition with one side of the wall of the house broken down—at the large Mill nothing was doing— The Miller Speakman was there; without wheat or flour— I read to him the minute in writing but unsigned left by my Son, and by which Speakman had rented the Mills for one year from the first of August last— My Son had read it to me before I left this City on the 5th. of July and I had assented to it— Speakman admitted that it was correct, and professed to be willing to carry it into effect on his part; but it stipulated the quarterly payment of rent, at least at the rate of 500 dollars a year, and Speakman said my Son had told him he should not press hard upon him for quarterly payments— He talked also of repairs which he had made and which he said must of course come out of the rent. It is apparent that the man has nothing to pay, and nothing to do— He said he could get no wheat— That he had never known such a time— That the Mills of Lyons and Nourse are in no better condition— That they purchase wheat at 1 dollar 4 or 5 cents a bushel and must sell their flour at 4 dollars 87 cents a barrel— A clear loss of 33 cents upon every barrel of flour they make— I asked him what was the cause of this failure in the supply of wheat— He said it was the multiplication of Mills, and the readier Markets at Baltimore and Richmond. W. C. Greenleaf left me and returned to Georgetown. I went to the City Hall to apply to the Judge of the Orphan’s Court, for Letters of Administration upon the Estate of my Son John, and of Guardianship of his two children; but the judge was not at the Office, and his residence is at Georgetown— I called at Gadsby’s to visit F. C Gray and W. B. Lawrence, but they had both 435left the city— I returned the visit of Sir Charles R. Vaughan, with whom I had some conversation— His health is precarious and he has been dangerously ill— I received visits before dinner from Mr Cazneau Palfrey, the Minister of the Unitarian Church, and in the Evening from Mr John Connell— A man named Miller came here, and almost ruffled my temper. He has taken possession of the vacant part of my lots upon which are built the two Houses in F. Street, and of the Stable— He says it was by a verbal agreement with my Son John last March— That he was to hold them for a year in consideration of his putting a fence there which he has done— And he has turned the ground into a vegetable garden— A man applied to Mr Frye yesterday to rent the Stable for a year at 3 dollars a Month— Mr Frye authorized him to deposit a load of hay in the stable, but Miller claimed the right of possession, and had a lock upon the door. The man last Night took a staple out of the door, and put in his load of hay— Miller said he considered it as burglary— I called upon him for evidence of my Sons verbal agreement with him alledged by him— He said his brother Doctor Miller would testify to it, and I assured him I would fulfil any agreement made by my Son— In the mean time he is not to dispute my right of possession of the Stable— My time thus engrossed reduced my writing concerning La Fayette to half a page.