Transcribe Gregory, James R. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1876-03-06)

[page 3] will write to you shortly

     You do know my

weakness in letter writing but you don't know that I have so much to do all day long that although I am looking out labels or minerals tc all day, orders come in every morning faster than I can clear them off & what with the visitors often gossipers, you can imagine the numerous little things that stop me letter writing even when I have begun & yet I get 30 to 40 letters a week off, & I have been without anyone help till a week ago. Thomas Downing has left me again