Leavenworth, Kansas, Feb 2d. 1860—
Dear Father – I wrote Carpenter about a week ago asking what was the cause of his delay, and shall probably hear in the course of a week—I will advise you of it as soon as I hear I have the patents.
Henry was in yesterday with the team, for a load of goods—He will go down to select his land next week – and I will buy a warrant and give him as soon as he needs it. The one I had for Mrs. Walker I sold on returning from Ohio, to replace the $75 I furnished Walker with when he left for Ohio. I though it better to sell the warrant than pay interest on the money while keeping it. I got $115, and can buy for about that now.

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Henry and Luke would like to go to Pikes Peak together. I can probably get them a situation with Jones Russell & Co which will pay their way out—and it is perhaps as well that they should go – The machinists here do not want Luke as a bound boy, and if he went with them without apprenticing, he would hardly stay long. He would improve with the rough experience of the plains and mines, & when he comes back may bring enough to start himself a farm near Henry. Do you approve of their going?
I have been at Lawrence and Lecompton several times lately – twice looking after our ferry interest here which needed attention, and once on law business. Among the members of the Legislature & the outsiders

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the Senatorships under the hoped-for State Government are a prominent topic for conversation. One Senator is universally conceded to the country north of the Kansas river, and it is about as generally conceded that the man must be Parrott of Leavenworth, or Pomeroy of Atchison. I find the latter is much the stronger of the two, owing to Parrotts bad habits which are bad enough but greatly exaggerated by his enemies—If Parrotts friends become satisfied that he will go overboard, they will want to urge me as a candidate. In such an event as that, I can unite nearly all his friends with many others and can be elected without much doubt. All of Robinsons special friends and supporters are hostile to Parrott & now favoring Pomeroy, but they would support me in preference to either. The importance of

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having a Senator is great to Leavenworth—and it is especially important to beat Pomeroy who has built up Atchison and might do much more for her & against Leavenworth in that position. That is the only consideration that induces me to hesitate about refusing to be a candidate in any case When I accepted the nomination for Chief Justice no one thought that Pomeroy would make much of a race against Parrott—but since then Parrott has been breaking out violently, and has alienated some of his most influential friends by failing to help them as candidates for office under the new Constitution, and in that way has lost his prospect of success.
I have seen a letter form the Secretary of the Senate saying

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that the three classes are now equal in numbers and that the Senators from the next state admitted will draw each a ticket from a lottery of three tickets, each ticket with a separate class designated upon it. So that the Kansas Senators may be for 2 & 4, 2 & 6, or 4 & 6 years. Whoever is elected for the two years term will probably be re-elected if he have a majority in the Senate of the Legislature that elects him first – for the same Senate will re-elect.
I have uniformly said in reply to interrogatories on the subject that I am not a candidate—because I have no idea of seeking the position. But I hardly know whether, to prevent Pomeroys election, I had not better let my name be used whenever it shall appear that Parrott is beaten. I am not under any kind of committals or pledges or obligations that would prevent me acting just as I thought best in the matter.

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All the family are now in good health. Willy looks better than he has for a year, and the swelling in his neck is rapidly disappearing.
Hamp left for Washington this morning to seek the appointment of Register of the Land Office at Lecompton, made vacant by the recent death of Ely Moore. If you can think of any way in which it would be agreeable to you to aid him, please give him some help. The place is worth about $3.000 a year, and he will get it unless his anti Lecomptonism kills him though he has the aid of most of the anti Lecompton Democrats of Kansas.
Give my best love to all at home & believe me, your truly Affectionate Son Tho: Ewing Jr
Hon. T. Ewing Lancaster O.