From the best information I can get I am convinced that cutters will be very high next year & I guess you had better go to Raleigh & buy out Reed & McGees stock which they had before the Lone Jack engaged them to buy for them. Buy them on the best terms you can get under 20 cts or if you think them worth more perhaps you had better go even higher. I learn that Kinney is scared to death & is now on the market sweeping every thing before him at 30 to 40 cts & even higher if the goods suit him. You can no doubt buy from Reed & McGee to be paid for when shipped say 30 to 60 days hence. The goods all to be well assorted & prized according to your directions. You can in the mean time strike down & prize some of yours & ship to Richmond & store them & I can arrange to borrow money on them to pay for the Reed & McGee lot. Be quick or you may loose (Correction: lose) the chance to get them for if they hear of the boom you of course can not get them at all so you can make any thing on them. I would advise you not to offer your cutters at all now. Or at any rate hold them at 35 cts & no less. If you on examination find the R & McG cutters to be worth 25 cts or if you can pick out enough to make them pay you a profit & sell what is left at what you pay why go in. I have your letter of 6th & in reply would say that if I do not beat old Taborne there is no use for courts & juries. The case has not been decided as Hargrove knows there is no hope for him except to worry me out. I go to Richmond to night & will be there all tomorrow (10th) & if there is any thing special you can telegraph me there care P. Whitlock. I will look around & see while there what I can do about money in case you buy the Reed & McGee tobacco. Write me how much money you have on hand? Write by return mail care Atlantic Hotel Norfolk Va & it will meet me there. We are all well & little May is I think improving. Hoping you are all well I am