Isaac Russell letter to Thomas Rotch, Lexington Ky 1 Mo 11th 1817

               
  B-169-2
                          Lexington Ky 1 mo 11th 1817
       Respected Friend
           Thomas Rotch
                           I received thy communication
  of 15th Ultimo, previous to which I had a Letter from
  my wife which developed the cause of her not arriving
  here last summer - They stop'd paying her Annuity till
  she had to commence a law suit & ca [illegible] them - I have just
  send her a power of Atty to appoint an Agent to remit the
  proceeds annually in Goods to this country. 
     My engagement with this Company will expire latter and
  of this Month and I don't feel any satisfaction at the thoughts
  of renewing my engagement for another year - I do not feel happy
  at Louisa commencing her establishment at Lexington, besides it is
  one mile from the Factory, which is too far from my business. 
    I have thought of writing to a new Company at Cincinnati whose
  buildings are close to the Town.
    I would have been glad to have learn'd parts of your establishment
  number of rooms, Billy, Jenny, Carding Machines, Dyeing Vessels & whether
  you have got a Blue Vat ~ the number of Houses & Familys at Kendal
  with the number of Friends belonging to your Meeting - also the
  
  price of town lots.
          I have been latterly much engaged in the Wool Departmt
  being an experienced Wool Porter - we make our sorts into 8 num-
  bers, which is applied to the finished cloth to designate its
  quality - viz
                No 1 Caddow or list
                   2  Negro Cloth
                   3  Second best common
                   4  say best common
                   5  best quarter Merino }  good refine
                   6  do half       Do
                   7  do 3/4        Do }  best super fine
                   8  do full       Do
  in sorting very often in half blood, we get little better than
  3 and 4, sometimes full Mero runs little better than No 6
  it is a nice lot of full blood runs to No 8  We care not about
  the title the Wool bears - the 8 numbers ae made correct.
  picking 2 cents a ct - Jas Presntiss has a great many thousand
  Sheep; besides we buy many thousand weight from Farmers & Mercht.