HENRY T.  HACKETT
               ATTORNEY & COUNSELLOR AT LAW 
                      226 UNION STREET
                  POUGHKEEPSIE,   NEW YORK
 
                                        April 14th, 1938.
 
Hon. Franklin D. Roosevelt
The White House
Washington, D.C.
 
Dear Franklin:
 
                                This morning I went over the
land which you bought from Wright with William Plog and
showed him the stakes driven in the ground marking the
lines and corners and we also walked over and examined the
land and buildings on the Wyatt Jones and Schaffer
properties north of the Dumphy farm.
 
                               Within the last few days I
have talked with Jones and Schaffer. In December 1935
Schaffer wanted $1000. for his wood lot and the fee of the
road out to Cream Street and also wanted to reserve the
wood on the wood lot. He now wants $800. for the wood lot
and wants to reserve the wood. Since December 1935 most of
the wood has been cut off and there are not now more than
25 trees of any size on the lot, the rest is bushes.
 
                               As the Jones place has a
right of way out to Cream Street reserved in the deeds, I
do not think that the purchase of the fee to the road is
important as you probably would not use it if you bought
it.
 
     Schaffer's property is now encumbered by a $2500. first
mortgage held by the Federal Land Bank of Springfield and a
$l200. second mortgage held by Mrs. Balga.
 
                               In view of the fact that you
are about to build on the hill south of the Jones place, I
would suggest that you offer Schaffer $800.for the wood
lot, including all wood, and that he is to give Jones a
quit-claim deed of parcel No.
3 in order to correct the title.
 
                               Jones wants $2500. for his
land on which there is now a $600. mortgage and this year's
taxes unpaid. He wants to reserve the dance hall on the
edge of the hill, Plog and I looked it over and found the
roof is leaking and the hard wood floor is about to warp
out of shape. Jones also wants to reserve two pig pens
about l0 by 15 feet each and a shack near the dance hall 15
by 25 feet. I think if these buildings were torn down and
removed it would be a benefit to the rest of the property.
 
                                I would suggest that you
offer Jones the $2500. for the three parcels without the
dance hall, two pig pens and shack on condition that you
are able to buy Schaffer's wood