Tuesday, Sept 17, 1889 There was a very heavy thunder shower towards morning and it has been foggy and rainy all forenoon. I was lucky to have had the sale yesterday instead of today. I went down town and found a letter from Geo. H. Story resigning his membership in the Artists Mutual Aid Society. So one by one they are dropping away since the last sale. Mankind is generally selfish and does not care to do much for others. I went to see John. He said that Capt. Van Kewen had made him the same offer he made me $2800 for four lots and told him to take a week to think of it but John told him there was no use making this offer, however he said he would [commit?] letting them have the 4 lots for $3200 but he was only one of the executors. I reluctantly consented and have written Calvert to see what he says. Cantine said in an exalting way to Girard "you missed it not to accept the offer of $27,000[",] that we never would realize $25,000 for our property. I am disappointed in Cantine and am inclined to think he is not a sincere friend and that he would favor an outside person at our expense. He does not talk and bear himself as expected he would. He talks two ways. He told me not long ago that we would never sell our place as a whole and advised cutting it up into lots. That there were many people in Rondout who he was sure would buy smaller lots and that he thought he could sell several. Mainly from his suggestions I was first reluctantly induced to do that very thing and when we did deliberately adopt this plan and saw that it would bring more money in this way and it had been surveyed and advertised, at the last day he comes with an offer from some unknown party, whom he professes himself not to know, and a good deal below what he himself a short time ago considered it worth and criticizes us for not accepting it. Mr. Gillris wants to know what we will take for lot No. 1 and I told Girard to tell him $1200 as Girard says he knew another party who would like that. I think time will prove we have not been unwise. Sara went to Kingston after dinner. It continued to rain all afternoon at intervals. Mrs. Waters drove up in her carriage with Mrs. Tolles and they made a call. Mrs. Tolles was on her way to N. Y. from her sister Mrs. Dodges cottage at [?] and the mountains. It is still raining as I go to bed although the wind has changed about noon to the N. or rather N. E. It was a good piece of luck that I fixed our sale for yesterday as today it would have been impossible.
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