Charles Bessey, Letters, 1880

[N.Y.?] [?] 11/80

[I?] [save?] my geographical [?] [/I?] [?] state [that?] Burke's expedition [went?] up the west shores of the Mississippi, + [not?] Missouri [as?] I am under the impression that I wrote [sic.], in a letter just mailed to you!!

[Jr.?] R. [?]

9 Waverly Place, New York [?]. 11/90

My dear Sir

I have been too busy heretofore to acknowledge the receipt of [yr.?] kind favor + [enclosure?]. The figure of [?] (for which, thanks) will appear as soon as I can have a drawing made for photo-engraving. You were right about the volume containing Dr. [?]'s list. I found it in the [Astor?] Library. The plant seems to have been collected mostly in Nebraska, with some from Iowa, Dakota + Montana. For this reason, the title [?] [more?] properly so under the heading of the

"Western States." I find by [?] one of the maps of the Engineers' Department, that several expeditions have passed through your state — Capt. Reno's in 1853, Lt. Allen's in 1863, + Dr. Burke in 1859. The latter seems to have followed the line of the Missouri in the eastern part of the state. I shall have to look through "Pub. Door" to see whether botany is included in their reports. [?] regard common names of plants, I would prefer that you would let me start that "boom" in the Bulletin. If I find that I can't attend to it, I will let you know. My idea was to start contributions sending in lists, + then to 8th

a prominent philologist to edit them, + include [wherever?] possible, the Indian name also. If I could [succeed?] in doing this the work would be of great value.

Sincerely [Yrs.?] [?] R. [?]

Goodale

Botanic Garden of Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 8/12 1880

Dear Professor

I shall be really glad to help in the matter of notes for the Naturalist if I can, but just now I am more than usually busy, + find it hard to catch up with any correspondence.

I shall try to write again soon, + speak about your proposed laboratory, of which I like the plan, much.

Yours Truly, G. [?]