Letter 9
Date:
September 1870
Sender:
Jan Hendrik te Selle
Addressee: Mrs. Dela te
Selle-ten Damme
Brothers te Selle
Place: Firth,
Nebraska (Lancaster Co./Holland, NE)
Worthy friends, Mother,
brothers with your wives and children.
Although we have been far
removed from one another, and at present again migrate further, so that it will
not be possible to speak with each other, but by God's means of grace, we can
write each other about our welfare and health.
We have some days ago
received a letter from you in health and well being, and yet until now, also in
this time from brother H. J. (Herman John) with his wife and children. Then we
also received word that Aunt Bloemers passed away.
You Brothers and Mother are
concerned about us, because you know that we have migrated further to Nebraska,
a new area.
Returning to that which you
mention concerning the disappointment in this or that item in your letter, rest
assured that it is here as pleasant as one could wish, and the land is
exceedingly good. lt is entirely black soil, or black clay, sand or stones are
hardly found here. We have 80 acres of land and I have not yet found one stone,
and not a shovel full of sand, since we have already broken up fourteen acres.
lt is entirely greyblack,
and just as it is with you in the lowland. When one takes it between the fingers
or in the mouth, then it is without the least bit of gravel. lt is entirely
covered with grass, not a spot without grass. The entire prairie, wherever one
goes, all grass.
Trees, bushes, and shrubs
one does not find here either, except along the brooks, there is wood, how small
the brooks may be. Yet wood, as far as it is concerned here, is in short supply.
Other fuel is not here, so one must burn coal. If wood were only planted it
would grow very well. Oh, one might have a sack full of pine seeds or other
seeds! lt is, however, too far away to get.
We are two hundred fifty
hours away. We have traveled south‑west. The summers are longer here, the
winters shorter. There was almost a half year of winter. Of that 5 months
coverage of snow before it left. One is then hardly to gather so much feed for
the cattle, and one has too little time in the summer for the work. Everything
must be done in a hurry on the land. Three or four days difference in sowing
sometimes means a fourth in grain and everything ripens at the same time. That
is also the case with harvesting.
And now at this time when
everything is so cheap, one has to sow rather lavish otherwise one would not
earn anything to pay for the interest or handmoney (pocket money). Otherwise we
should have rented another 40 acres besides that at half crop. He would then
provide half of the sowing seed, and one horse to work along side ours, so much
as I would wish or needed. And when it was in the granary, then he would have to
help with half of the work at his own cost. And three beasts in the pasture to
assure this. (Goed staan ‑ Stand good). This was, however, twenty minutes away
from our land, that was also unlucky. But yet the people said, that we have
fortunately rented it, easily and handily. And yet we often said, "If we could
only sell we could go to Nebraska." Finally a buyer came who asked whether we
wanted to sell the land. We said, "Yes." He asked how much we wanted for it. We
said 950 dollars. This was too much for him. He wanted to give us 900
dollars. If we agreed to that then we should let him know, and we then decided
to let him have it, and so we have sold it.
And up to now we have not
been sorry about it. We have made three‑hundred and 87 dollars and 73 cents
($387.73) on the deal and 200 on the land. That was almost 600 dollars. We can
help ourselves well with that.
We have now little expense,
no pocket‑money, and no other expense do we have to pay here. Five years we are
free from paying land tax. In Wisconsin we had to pay 6 dollars land tax every
year for just 20 acres, now we own 4 times as much and are free. The land here
with the registering and all as it is costs us just 32 dollars.
Those who came here first
got it for 14 dollars. Just enrollment fee. Land was given, for everybody, old
or young. Those over 21 years get 80 acres, married or unmarried. All get the
same, also the girls. But when a boy or a girl, each with 80 acres, should get
married, then 80 acres would be taken away, because it has to be occupied for
five years before one can get it definitely. Then one can do as he pleases
with the land. This is because they want the land to be settled and so that a
poor person may also get a piece of land. Here the poor are always provided for.
J. H. te Selle
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