[1] November 7, 1923 Mr. H.P. Raban Fontana Farms Company, 406 Pacific Finance Building, Los Angeles, California. Dear Percy: Your two letters received. I have been down to see Mr. Cheeley and he gave me a check for $280.00, which was the balance on hand. I went to see Mr. Church about the copyrights and as soon as I get a list of those not copyrighted, (there are only twenty one of them copyrighted), as you know I have to get copies of the papers with each article in it. I am sending to the Butte Minor hoping they can supply the missing copies. Then I will send in the applications and as soon as I get those we can get a form of release from Washington signed by Cheeley-Raban, for those copyrighted in that name. I haven’t the books. I only have one file with some correspondence about copyrights and backtrailing letters. We may not get anything out of this stuff but I do believe some say it may add to Charlie and you as historians of the Old West, so that is why I think it should all be kept together and in ship-shape so it can be gotten at some time. We sold about fifty books this summer at the lake. Of course, they were at Lewis’ but I was glad to see half of them were “Back Trailing”. From the way Mr. Cheeley talked and from your letter, this has been a very unfortunate venture all the way round. I surely am sorry you lost so much of your own money and time. You will remember Charlie could not do anything else while he was working on Back Trailing stuff. [2] H.P.R. #2 Dr. Longeway told us that you have been in the hospital. We are sorry to hear that and said in your letter you were just out. We do hope you are getting around fine by now. It is the worst thing. When a fellow is sick the bottom seems to drop out of everything. We kinda [sic] know how it goes as Chas. has been down for more than four months. It would just make you hurt to see how he tries to walk on crutches. His back is so bent over and his legs crooked [isn’t?] being able to put any weight on the right one. Dr. R. F. says he thinks a lower altitude will help so just as soon as I can get him in the notion we will hit the trail for Los Angeles and we will be glad to see you when we get there. Charlie joins in hoping you are feeling fine. Sincerely,
[Transcribed by Lauren B. Gerfen, 2012-10-18]