Office of H. L. HART's

Orange Grove and Ocklawaha River Steamers,

Palatka, Fla., Decr. 20th [?] /85

Capt J.H. [?] Smith

Sanford-- My Dr Sir--Yrs 19th at hand & Note Contents-- Think if you can sell for the 20,000$-- better do it-- fear you can't get 15,000 after the R-R- gets to running-- still think-- a Boat will pay then in winter-- there will be a big travel then this winter I think-- particularly if Ler [?] gets his Hotel to running right soon-- I have many en- -quiries-- about it-- & have agts- working for it &c-- I have a party feeling of me hear-- or wanting price - on 3 or 4 Boats for Ockla- -ha route-- that I think if they buy will pay cash-- (talking about 3/4 Int. [?] -I haven't given them price yet-- perhaps had better put in up-north too)- -Who Have you for engineer--chief for Astatula-- Will want Hunter [?] here about 1st Jany-- want to start str Okee-

-humkee on Monday 4th (Please tell him)-- I think I have a good man Engineer here-- that would go 2d-- for $40 pr. mo-- (he has Chiefs Papers name Kenlin Martin-)-- Dunham told me-- the man who was with Hunler [?] last winter wanted to go with him a gain-- if so could send Martin up-- if you want him--

Am off for St Augustine this morn--Fisher & tower want to sell Tickets for us--will see them-- Ballard-- cooks Tourist & World Travel Co-- are selling them-- or supposed to be now-- my idea is to let them all sell - & not hold tickets long after we receive them--

in haste

Yrs Truly

H.L. Hart