Richards discusses his building trade in Montgomery County, especially a house for a Mr. Hayward, and the necessity of completing this job before visiting Boston. There is also a good deal on local and Presidential politics, with particular reference to the upcoming 1840 elections: ". . .[William Henry] Harrison is just humping it in this state all the Western states will go for Harrison with a whoop, this state always was Van Buren, & when the news of the Harrisburg Convention came on the Whigs were all taken aback, they expected Clay & the way the Locos hurrahed was a sin, but after a while the whigs hit on the right plan, they hurrahed for Jackson, & the Suckers [i. e., Illinoisans] all cried out well done then they hurrahed for Jackson & Harrison the hero of N O & the hero of Tippacanoe, the bait took & the suckers all turned over. . . ."