Briefe aus Amerika (1865 - 1906) - Amerikanetz

and run the farm, The bad luck though was lwd on me and my enjoyment of work is gone which you
can imagine I would have written you sooner but I thcht have the heart to do it, my heart was too
heavy. I hope things are getting better and we have new enjoyment of life, I cannot write to you more
but we and the children are healthy. Now I will close my letter and give my letter to ny brother Bernand
and fhnly
Your brother Anton and sister-in-law Elisabeth
Dear brother, dear sister-in-law
Ossian the 7th ofMarch 1897
Your letter from the 1 Sth of January 1897 we received with thanks. We saw in this letter that you are
all well and happy. We are very happy that things are going well for you. We also are happy that you
frnaily wroto, you should have done this a long time ago. It is brotherly love that we tell each other
how we go through life and what progress there is in fhiniiy and job, and how one feels about God and
heaven. Here we are, thank God, well and everything goes well. We got enough to eat and in my last
letter I wrote you that we got a great harvest. Wh the cbeap price it a took a little longer to earn
enough money but we hope things are getting better. I had a lot of work last winter to look after all the
livestock, we also bought a great amount of canle. to what we had already. This winter we founded a
farmer life insurance, and I am the cashier and bookkeeper. I have to go around and sign up new
members and also take their money. I take care of my job with the best success, now we farmers want
to~buy a cramery, we want to collect 01317 rniik and make butter ourselves and sell it ourselves. We
farmers have to do this because otherwise we would be too dependent on the butter makers and then
the expense would be greater than the income. I have to pay $ 190.00 to the state because I'm the second
highest taxpayer in tbe town of Ossian and vicinity. This year we built a schoolhouse for $ 10000.
Also we had to pay taxes for our catholic school, that was extra. This year we also finished 01317
Catholic Church. I gave them $ 400.00 to help with the cost. If we did not have this kind of money, we
could not pay all this. Corn we saved for a few yoars because the price was low, so we wait until the
price gets higher and then sell it. You wrho that we will not see each other in nIls life, this I do not
want to say. It could be that I come to see you in the year 1900. I would inco to see the big exhibition
in Paris, then we can cheer each other up. A father from 10 living children should live to be a hundred
if God wants its so. Our children are well and the littlest one is 15 months old. Little Lena can talk
already quite well. That would be the latest news what I can tell you. I want to close and hope for an
answer soon.
Your brother Anton and sister-in-law Elisabeth
Dearest brother and sister-in-law
Ossian the l0th of February 1903
Many years and months went by and you did not answer my last letter, so I want to encourage you to
write to us. I heard from my niece Katrina slie is the daughter from my sister Elisabeth from Coesfeld,
and I hern. that you are well and healthy, that made me very happy that you &e doing well in your old
age. I celebrated last montli ir' the best of health my 6lst birthday. All business is going very well,
ofcourse I got a lot ofwork to look after a11 the business. Since Chirstmas I lud to spend $ 5000.00
because the money came in with great force. On my big farm I have to do quite a bit ofwork everyday,
feed 75 hogs, milk 15 cows and look after the horses but everything goes well. wilen we sold the fatted
cattle we got a good price, the fruit of fields were in great amount and good. My family got bigger
in the meantime too I'm now the father of eleven children. Four are already married, one daughter is a
sister in the convent. The oldest boys Herman and Henry, tose I bought a good nur'. We got three little
boys and two bigger girls at home. The youngest son Joseph was born on the second of August 1901.
He is so nice and quick that I got my greatest enjoyment wh Im. The little one cannot help very
much because they are too swail. The oldest from tne three one will make his First Holy Communion
in spring. Wages are high in the montli ofswnmer one has to pay $ 25,00 to $ 30.00 to a hired man. a
month. Good lijred men are liard to find and one has to look a long time. The land went up so high that
it is worth twice as much Eis it used to be. 0w' niece Katarina from Coesfeld said that your son Ber-