George Chapin - March 17, 1878 - Chicopee, MA

Chicopee Mass. Mar. 17. 1878

Mrs. H. C. Daggett

Dear Cousin You may be surprised to receive a letter from me at this time as we have never writen to each other before if any excuse is needed I must plead necesity I suppose you know that Uncle Bela & Uncle Seth are both dead. Uncle Seth leaves a property of from 5 to 8 thousand dollors to be divided between his nieces and Nephews whitch comprises Your family and Uncle Bela’s and my fathers I think from the way business is being done now it will be nesessary for your Brothers and Sisters and my Brothers and sisters to employ some legal counsel to protect our rights in the Estate of Uncle Seth I suppose you know Uncle Seths property was managed by Uncle Bela as he saw fit without any one to call him to account Edward Chapin U. Bela’s oldest son is Administrator of both his Fathers and Uncle Seths Estates and will favor himself and brother and sisters. He tells me he has writen your family about the matter that you will take what you get and ask no questions. if there is any trouble it will come from my brothers and sisters. What we want is our rights and nothing more and I thought you would like the same. Under those circumstances I thought I would write you, and ask if you would write your brothers and sisters and see if your family would be willing to pay their part of the expence of such legal Counsel as might be necessary in Setling the Estate to protect our interests provided the expense didnot amount to more thant $5.00 (five dollars) apiece whitch I think would be more than we should need and would pay us well in the difference of amount we should get from the estate Please answer this by return mail what you think of it and write your brothers and sisters and see what they think of it and let me know the result Please write me the Address of your family at once for it is time to begin to look after this.

from your cousin

George C. Chapin

Chicopee Mass.