Letter written by S. R. Carpenter to P.T. Barnum regarding the furnishing and establishment of the Villa Park House

              P.T. Barnum Esq. [Esquire]
	Dear Sir
		Col. [Colonel] Powers informed me of the
Contents of your letter and will communicate
with you concerning the necessary but lay [?]
to make the property in question of any value
to any one out side the house proper, as regards
the furniture & would not desire to purchase
the pecular shaped rooms would call for carpent-
er presily made for them and more then would be
necessary in any ordinary sized house.  I have
already a furnished house which in the event
of my coming here from Ohio I should rent
probably furnished as I propose to rent this I do
not desire to permit my leave upon property to
stand in the way sale and should not
change anything for the surrender of the property in the
event of a sale more than the actual damage
for instance it would be my desire to the the
water to irrgate land for the growing of hay
or making meadow.  I am told that the 
first year produces but little only preparing
				         allow
the ground for future years, if I had ^ to
relinquish … at the end of the first year the
cast of small ditches and actual out …
refunded me paying for use of house as
for Stipu.. finer, I should in event
of conditional lease … the eight to
vacate premises at the close of any year by
surrendering my improvements in looking over
the place.  I find much of the fencing has been 
carried off or burned up the roof leaks in places
damaging carpets … fence in front ready
to fall unless proped in fact a general look
of desolution pervades everything, that … fence
in front is not in keeping with the surroundings