Letter 3-a
Date: 21 October 1867
Sender: Harmen Jan te Selle
Addressee: Mrs. Dela ten Damme-te Selle
Brothers
Town Holland (Wisconsin) 21 October 1867
Farm Holland
Very beloved Mother, and Brothers, with your wives and children. We inform
you that we are still well and in good health. And we have learned from your
last letter that you are also well, for which we are very happy.
We have also heard Jan A. Sikkink tell quite a bit about what has happened in
Holland since we left. Thank you mother and brother for the trouble you have
taken to send us what we asked you for. It is very fine material, too. We
certainly do like it.
It will soon be New Year or Christmas. Why don't you come and visit us and we
shall have a cup of hot chocolate again. J.A. Sikkink and Dulmer have also
arrived safe and sound at J. Sikkink's place. He lives two miles from here. When
I heard that they were there, I went to see how they were. "Well", said J.A.
Sikkink, "I'm eager to talk to J. H. te Selle some time, but it is so far from
here I've been told, and I don't know the way, and it is such a busy time that I
can't even borrow a horse to get there". I said: "Well, it's indeed a busy
time, but I can't work anyway. I will hitch the horses to the wagon and take you
there". "Well", he said, "that would please me very much". And so, the next
morning, I hitched the horses to the wagon and took them to Jan Hendrik, because
he lives 9 miles from our place, which is a 3 hour distance.
But it has not been so good here anymore for the newcomers, because the land
is getting mighty expensive. The prices range from 40 to 50 dollars per acre and
I think it is bound to get far more expensive still, because it is amazing how
many people keep arriving.
Well, I will tell you a little about the work we have done during the year.
In the beginning of the year, in the month of March, we began to build a barn.
During the previous year we had already had boards sawed for it, and had cut
wood during the winter, so we could start working on it right away and could
finish it soon. For we had 2 carpenters all the time and often even 3, but that
cost a great deal of money. Just the carpenters cost us $ 72,- plus board, and
they slept here during the night. We had German carpenters who were too far from
home to go back once in a while.
For the roof we do not have tiles as you have, but what are called shingles
here, which are sawed from cedar or pine, about 6 inches wide and 17 inches
long. The roofs here are much like those of your windmills. But they are very
expensive, too and we fetched them from a place 24 miles from here. We needed
17,000 of those for our barn. We had most of our own boards and wood, and the
work we did ourselves should not even be counted as part of the cost. Still it
cost us about $ 400. But then again: it is quite large, 45 feet long, 35
feet wide, and 17 feet high, that is, up to the roof.
In the beginning of the letter I wrote that I had told Sikkink I could not
work. You will probably wonder why I could not work. I will explain briefly: I
and our farm-hand were mowing the grass. You will probably say: "Do you mow the
grass yourself? Don't you take care of yourself? But it is an easy job here.
Even boys aged 14 and 15 can do it here. But as I was saying, we were working
together, and here one doesn't strickle with a strickle as you do, but with a
whetstone almost one foot long. However, I had broken one stone and had only one
left at the time. So first I whetted my scythe or "Swaa". With my left
hand I had held the scythe upright in order to whet its lower part and our hired
man was standing a few steps away from me. So I wanted to throw this whetstone
to him and in doing so, I hit the point of the scythe with my arm right in the
wrist, so that the blood squirted all over my arm. But the farm-hand hurried up
to me right away and tied his handkerchief round my arm so tightly that the
bleeding stopped. The doctor was sent for immediately to bandage me and it
healed excellently. At first I feared that my hand or fingers would stay stiff,
but they are alright again. But the thumb and forefinger are so numb that I can
hardly hold a pen to write. Do not blame me for the poor writing. So four weeks
went by while I could not do anything. I could hardly even dress or undress
myself. That was really a nuisance and unprofitable right in the middle of a
season of haying and threshing, and me being unable to do anything.
But now I will in a few words write about how the crops were this year. First
of all, the hay yield was quite good. We have brought in 22 loads of hay for the
horses, and because I could not help, we had to have a few acres mowed for half
of it and for that the people had to do the haying together with us and bring
the hay into the barn. The wheat has also been pretty good. We have had most of
it mown by machine. Then about 6 acres can be taken care of per day, the work
being done with two horses and two men. And we have had it threshed already.
That is done here by machine, too. It took a day and a half with 12 men and 4
horses. And now we have 270 bushels of wheat and 43 bushels of buckwheat. I do
not know about the oats, because I am going to cut it for the horses. We had 3
acres of oats and 3 of peas. We have not yet dug up all of the potatoes. So far
we have already dug up 60 bushels. The corn is very poor. I am not sure if you
know what corn is, but you call it Turkish white wheat. The wheat is very
high-priced. It costs $1.80 or $1.90 per bushel. So we have already sold 100
bushels and delivered to the city. I think we will make 350 dollars on the
wheat.
Yes dear folks, I could write much more, but the paper turns out to be too
small. As far as I know, Jan Hendrik and his wife are still in good health.
Greet all of the friends and acquaintances. And greetings to you too from me and
my wife.
Harmen Jan te Selle
P.S.
Tell Mrs. Toebes that Janna te Brummes sends her her regards and wishes her good
health. Derk Willem, when you write me let me know if your leg has healed well.
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