1818 November 20, Stoddartsville, to Thomas P. Cope Esq., Philadelphia

              Thomas P. Cope
Stoddartsville November 20th
1818.
Respected Uncle,
From Father from Wm Drinker &
from B.[T]. Case I have understood that Susquehanna County
Has recd from thee a recent visit & also that our
Philadelphia & Great Bend Turnpike was not without interest
in thy sight–
That this Road Should be deemed of
importance By thee & yet not through my representations of
its incalculable Value affords me much pleasure–  Directly
Interested in it myself & anxious by every Honest means to
ensure its success  Still there were insurmountable
objections to my endeavoring to influence Thee in its
promotion–  I hope I need not explain from whence these
objections proceeded – they are inseparable from the History
of my life & my powers of Memory–
On the 14th I proceeded
to Wilkes barre in order to See Mr Henry Clymer- Thomas
Meredith & others and to definitively establish the Route of
our Turnpike – also to nominate Commissioners & to Petition
the Legislature–  without Know[ing] who would or would not
Serve in Philada we nominated the following subject to
alterations if necessary–
Thomas Stewardson – Thomas P
Cope – John Reed – Condy Raquet, Benjamin R Morgan & John
Gibson – for Philada–
Henry Clymer – Henry W Drinker & Wm
Clark – for Luzerne–
Isaac Ryneerson – Thomas Meredith –
Wm Ward & B[T] Case – for Susquehan[a]
A New Route Had
been Explored By Mr B[T] Case to the Westward several miles
of the one contemplated & Explored for Thomas Stewardson –
shorter in distance & less Hilly than the [first] & far more
interesting to thy Estate on the Meshoppen–
after
minutely examining the apparent advantages of the two
Routes. I gave my assent to adopting the one last explored &
Our Petition was Drawn in conformity thereto–
For want of
a Better map of Common Reference I must make use of Reading
Howells map of Pennsylvania to carry to thee an Idea of the
Route though from the incorrectness of it our Road will
appear more crooked than it will be eventualy found–
Our
Road begins at One Matts Tavern on the Coskectune and Great
Bend Turnpike Towards the Head of Salt [Lick] Creek – where
the Road from Tyoga Point crosses the said Turnpike – 
Thence across the Milford & Owego Turnpike – & thence
between Martins Creek & the North Branch of the Tunkhannock
Creek–