FEINBERG/WHITMAN 
Box  19     Folder  23 

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE 

Wroth, John W.   June 1889-Jan. 1891 

Albuquerque NM 
6/2/89 

Mr Walt Whitman
Camden N.J. 

My Dear Mr Whitman
It seems to be
but yesterday that I saw
you riding on the cars
talking to the driver on
Stevens street. & it has
really been nearly three years
three years, this coming August
since I left Camden
Time has flown so rapidly
that it seems but a year 
& yet, again, it seems ten
years. since I left the
old home 

Your photograph greets
me every time I go into
my brother's office  I have
it hung there so we can
both see it, & you do not
know how many people
know you way out, in this
western country. 
One of my friends came in
the other day & said,
"You have still got his picture
hung up." & I said "yes, 
it will hang there until I go
away & then it will go with
me".  it reminds me of so
many pleasant chats with
the original 
New Mexico, has changed me
so My Dear Mr. Whitman
that you would not 

recognize me,  I am
only one inch short of
six feet & am heavily
built in proportion, weighing
150 lbs. 
The first year I came
out I was a cowboy, & 
altho' it is a very prosaic
life, still I have some
very pleasant reminiscences 
of that time.  I have been
out on the prairie with no
house or food in sight when
night came & had nothing
to do but to roll up in my
blankets & make the best
of it, then again, horse
breaking is one of the
hardest times of the
cowboys life,  Many a
tumble I have had off 

of a broncho but you
have to get up & conquer
the horse before you stop 
in spite of all the hard
knocks you get. 
For a man with money
there is wealth in the cattle
business, but for a
cowboy -- only a small rancher
with a smaller number 
of cattle, to look forward
to -- after years of hard
& unceasing labor still
a cowboy is always happy, 
contented & what is the  best
of all -- ---  the firmest & 
constant friend, when you
call upon him, that a
man can have,
I have been to Calafornia 

I went about the first
of April & was gone
two weeks.  the
scenery I think was the
grandest that I ever
saw.  It was just
magnificent.   I thought
how Mr Whitman would
like to see it,   At times
we would be going
through some deep, dark
canon & then we would
burst forth into the full 
glory of sun as we hastened
over a level stretch of
prairie.  then we 
would slowly - slowly, 
be going up a steep part
of the Rockies, only to
come dashing down the 

other side with all 
the brakes set hard
& objects flying by you
like magic.  I remember
one morning we reached
the top of the San Francisco
Mts. just as the sun
was rising & it was
grand to feel the sun
& look down the valley
& when all was as yet
in complete darkness
with the sun slowly
ascending & giving
its light to earth
below  One place I 
remember well & that
was Cañon Diablo
a great rent in the 
earth 300 ft. deep
and 100 ft wide 

looking down that fearful
hole  your imagination
will conjure up ideas
that you would not
think of elsewhere & 
you can realize the
freaks of nature to
their fullest extent 
But I have not described
the town of Albuquerque 
& I will not attempt
to do so, as I can never
describe anything correctly,
but will send you a
magazine that I have
sent for which describes
it fully  The inhabitants
are in expectations of
a boom, which they say
will take place in
about three months, butas I am not a sanguine
person  I do not say
so.  I must close
now as it is bed time
Mother & Harry say
"Remember us to Mr Whitman
& tell him that we often
remember him & wish we
could see him " 
If you ever feel like it 
Mr Whitman  a small
letter from you would be very much
appreciated & promptly
answered 
Sincerely Your Friend
J. W. Wroth

address
J. W. Wroth
Albuquerque
New Mexico 

[*from Johnny Wroth
New Mexico 
(ans'd)*]

Mr. Walt Whitman
Camden
New Jersey.Hda de Ed Rosario
Jesus Maria
Chihuahua
Mex 
October 27 de/89 

My Dear Mr Whitman
Your kind package of photos
just received they were quite a long time on
road  I was delighted I assure you to get
them and they occupy the foremost place in my
picture gallery ---
I send you by this same mail a few photographs
that I had obtained.  They are not very good
but I thought that they might give you an
idea of the country --
I have been hoping to go East the end of the years
so that I could see once more - some of the old
familiar faces -  but I seem to be hoping against
fate -  as the manager here will not accept my
resignation, but wants me to agree to stay another
year instead --  I am afraid that I will have to do
so -  While I appreciate his valuation of my
services I would prefer to go  East -  but have
been treated too kindly here to go  against
the wishes of the Company--
Everything here is till green -  & oranges, lemons
& bananas - are very plentiful  I wish that I could
only send you some -  as I know that you
would enjoy them so much --- & we have 

so many --  I have just came from a trip
to one of the mining properties belonging
to this Company- situated some forty miles
off.  through a most picturesquely wild
country that I ever saw --  the mine is
[as] situated at the bottom of a canon
running from fifty to two hundred feet [long] 
deep by forty-five to fifty feet wide,  & the
only access to it is down a notched slick
for fifty feet till you strike a narrow ledge
of rock hung over an immense waterfall
& along that slender ledge you have to lower
yourself by aid of ropes -  I have been through
it once but not for all the mines in
Mexico would I go down it again --- 
Life is too short & sweet to attempt it a
second time.  Mexico is improving greatly
foreign capital is coming in daily - mines 
are being opened - the value of Mexican dollars
is higher than it has been for a long time & a 
general feeling of better times prevails -- 
As the mail is going out & as our mails here are
so uncertain,  I will have to send this off- 
hoping you will pardon the short letter but I
did not want anytime to pass before I acknowledged
yr photographs so kindly sent -  so acknowledge
them by this same mail that they came
in on 
Hoping that every day will bring you 

improved health & strength--  is the sincere
wish of
Your Young Friend
J. W. Wroth 

JW Wroth 

[stamp] 
EL REFUGIO MINING CO.
DIC  18  1889
JESUS MARIA. 

My Dear Mr Whitman
While knowing that you
are kept too busy by your numerous
friends to read many letters, I could
not let the month pass by, without wishing
you  A Merry Christmas & A Happy New
Year with better health for 1890. 
I sent to the City of Mexico for some feather cards
for you but they have not answered, but as soon
as they do will send them to you as I think
you would like to see them  they being very
curios works of art 
We will have a very warm Christmas [this year] 
the weather being really to[o] hot in the 
middle of the day
I will not make this letter any longer  my
Dear Mr Whitman, as I know y'r time is
taken up with more pleasant things
but I want you to know that A Merry Christmas
& A Happy New Year with many more years of
better health for  you is the wish of
Your Affectionate Young Friend 
J.W. WrothJW Wroth[*B H Wilson*]

SYRACUSE
MAY
4
N.Y. 

Walt. Whitman
Atty. Gen. Office
Washington
D.C.New Year's Day 1891 

My Dear Mr Whitman
I can not let the
New Year go by without
wishing you "A
Happy Happy New Year
and a lot of them
I feel sure that if you
could enjoy all the
New Years that your
friends, would like
to see you enjoy ---
that you would have
eternal life -----I expect to make a visit to Camden
in a few months, and look forward
with a good deal of pleasure to
calling on you ----- 
Affectionately Yours,
Jno. W Wroth
4 W 90 St
New York 

FIVE  5  CENTS
U.S. POSTAGE 

John W Wroth
El Refugio Mining Co: 
Jesus Maria
Chihuahua
Mexico 

WALT WHITMAN,
CAMDEN,
NEW JERSEY,
U. S. AMERICA