7 September 1842
adams-john10 Neal Millikan
260 Washington. Wednesday 7. September 1842. Philadelphia

7. IV. Wednesday.

Shriver Thomas Shepherd of Norfolk Rundle George Harlan Genl. Stanly Edward and Mrs.

“From short as usual and disturb’d repose[”] I was up this morning at 4. O’Clock, and after the final preparations for departure, My wife, my Son John’s widow Mary Catherine, her daughter Mary-Louisa, Walter Hellen, Mrs John Adams’s half brother, and Miss Mary, Estelle Elizabeth Cutts at precisely six O’Clock took seats in the Rail-road Cars for Baltimore— The weather warm but pleasant— Among our fellow travellers not more than 30. was Robert Tyler the President’s son, who cold spoke to the Ladies with me, but upon enquiry of some one whether he had spoken to me, answered no, because I had abused his father. Captain Tyler’s two sons, are to him, what nephews have usually been to the Pope—and among his minor vices is nepotism— He has quartered both of them upon the public for salaries, and made old Cooper, the broken down stage-player, father of his Son Robert’s wife, a military store keeper—The son John was so distended with his dignity as Secretary that he had engraved on his visiting cards “John Tyler junr. Private and confidential Secretary of his Excellency John Tyler, President of the United States.[”] Robert is as confidential as John, and both of them divulged all his cabinet secrets to a man named Parmelee and John Howard Payne, hired Reporters for Bennett’s Herald Newspaper at New-York, who by their intimacy with these upstart Prince, crept into the familiarity of domestic inmates at the President’s House— In just two hours this morning, we reached Baltimore, and with only the time for transferring our baggage from the crate of the Washington to that of the Philadelphia train, we were in the Cars moving on to Wilmington, Delaware— While I was standing on the Gangway through which the train of Cars pass at Baltimore, Thomas Shriver President of the Good Intent Stage Company, for Wheeling and Pittsburgh, accosted by none and with words of much kindness, put into my hand an advertising card of the Pilot and Good Intent Lines, with the following manuscript endorsement—“Please Hon. J. Q. Adams free over the National Road to Wheeling or Pittsburg on the Ohio River, in either of our lines of Stages, signed Thomas Shriver, Presidt. Good Intent Stage company”— He was a stranger to me, but warmly urged me to visit the western Country where he said I had multitudes of enthusiastic friends. Vanitas vanitatum— At 1. P.M. we landed from the Cars at Wilmington, and proceeded in the Steamer to Philadelphia. Walked from the wharf to Jones’s Union Hotel, Chesnut Street— I strolled for two hours about the City to find Mr George Rundle’s at 101. Rittenhouse place, 101. North side of Locust street between 9 and 10. South— I left my bridge certificates at his house, and he afterwards called on me— Evening with Mr and Mrs Stanly, Mr Shepherd of Norfolk and Genl Harlan.

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