what older than the other members
of the company, careful and shrewd, possessed of some money and little
learning. He had been associated with William Hazen in contracts for
supplying the troops on Lake Champlain in the recent French war; there
seems to have been also a remote family connection between Samuel
Blodget and James Simonds. Mr. Blodget's connection with the company
lasted a little more than two years. During this time a considerable
part of the furs, fish, lime and lumber obtained by Simonds and White
at the River St. John were consigned to him at Boston. In return
Blodget supplied goods for the Indian trade and other articles needed,
but his caution proved a source of dissatisfaction to the other
partners and Hazen & Jarvis at the end of the first year's business
wrote to Simonds & White, "Mr. Blodget tells us that he never expected
to advance more than a quarter of the outsets. We think in this he
does not serve us very well, as we can't see into the reason of our
advancing near three-quarters and doing more than ten times the
business and his having an equal share of the profits. Pray give us
your opinion on that head. You may rest assured that we will not leave
one stone unturned to keep you constantly supply'd and believe, even
if we should not have the requisite assistance from Mr. Blodget, we
shall be able to effect it." To this James Simonds replies, "With
respect to Mr. Blodget's not advancing more than precisely 1/4 part of
the outsets is what I never before understood; I am sure by his
situation that he can do but a little part of the Business and
therefore think he ought to excell in his proportion of Supplys rather
than to fall short."

A second year of the partnership passed and Samuel Blodget became
exceedingly serious about the ultimate outcome of the venture. He
wrote a letter on the 18th March, 1766, to Simonds & White of which
the extract that follows is a part:

"I have been Largely concerned in partnerships before Now but
Never so Ignorant of any as of the present, which I am willing to
Impute it to your hurry of Business, But Let me Tell you that
partners are in a high degree guilty of Imprudence to Continue a
Large Trade for Two years without Settling or knowing whether they
have Lost a hundred pounds or not--although they may be ever so
Imersed in Business, for the Sooner they Stop the better, provided
they are Losing money--as it seames in Mr. Hazen's oppinion we