wing us, asked us if we would
not go back and take a drink. Charley said "no," and we were
passing on when two more met us who, along with the other two,
insisted that they meant no harm and that we should go in and
drink. I told them that I did not drink and that, generally
speaking, I knew what I was about. We attempted to go on, but
they tried to have us go back, so I hauled off and planted
one, two in Paddie's grub grinder, and knocked him off the
sidewalk about eight feet. The remainder pitched in and
Charley got his arm cut open and I got a button hole cut
through my left side right below the ribs. The city police
came to the noise and arrested three of them on the spot and
the other next day and they turned out to be Chicago Star
Cleaners, a name given to midnight ruffians. I was not
compelled to keep my bed, but it was some two months before I
was quite recovered from the effects of the cut.

One day on the levee I was going aboard one of the boats and
slipped on the gang plank and sprained my knee, which laid me
up for about two weeks. About a week ago my pugnacious friend
who gave me his mark escaped from the penitentiary at
Stillwater, along with all the rest of the prisoners confined
at the time. I am sincerely very grateful to you for your
generous offer in your letter and fully appreciate your
kindness. But notwithstanding my bad luck I have still "a shot
in the locker," about $200, which will put me out of any
trouble until spring.

Our winter here has been very mild and open. We have scarcely
had any snow, but what was altogether unprecedented, rain
storms lasting three or four days in succession. Times have
been mighty dull here this winter and money scarce. Write to
me as soon as you receive this and give me a bird's eye view
of Rockwood and its inhabitants. Believe me

Yours sincerely,
J. J. Hill.
Send me some papers.

[15] From "The Life of James J. Hill," by Joseph Gilpin Pyle.
Copyright, 1916, 1917, by Doubleday, Page & Co.

CHAPTER VI

PERSONAL BUSINESS LETTERS

One does not have to be in business in order to write "business
letters." A thousand personal affairs crop up which require letters of a
commercial rather than a social nature. There is only one rule--say what
you