Letter 29
Date: March
11, 1888
Sender: Harmen
Jan te Selle
Addressee: Derk Willem
te Selle
March 11, 1888
Firth, Lancaster Co Nebr
Dear
Respected Brothers with your family
We let you know that we
all are healthy and well. From your letter, sent to us by G.W.
Bloemers, we understood your welfare.
We had to give up on your
request to come to the wedding as it was a prolonged period of cold
here and therefore the wrong time to travel. If you would have
waited a little for a later moment, there would have been a chance.
But I will offer you a better opportunity. My oldest daughter,
Dillie or Dela will get married later this month with a son of G.
Abbink, a Dutchman. So we invite you to the wedding. We will
set the day if you let us know when you can make it here. lt is
already spring‑like although the roads are bad and muddy.
Nevertheless, we had a pretty severe winter. February was beautiful
however. In March the weather set in a bit more inclement.
Just a week ago already.
Here cattle is very cheap
too, certainly about one third of other years. Horses are still on
the old price. Last week we sold another one for $115 (12 years
old). We still have 4 horses to work and a two year old foal. We
have 12 cows to milk this summer. Butter is only 18 cents now. Eggs
one cent a piece. Live hogs 4.50‑4.75 per 100 pounds. Hay 2 dollars
per 1000 pounds. Straw about 75 cents to one dollar per car load,
etc. So you can see that everything here is a little cheaper than in
Holland. But it all grows here with less work, so you don't need as
much money for your products. And if you have money you can get 7‑8%
interest a little more than in Holland, sometimes even 9 to 10%. If
we would not do everything with machinery equipment, it would also
here be more expensive.
How is Hendrik Jan doing?
We don't hear too much from him any more. And Jan in Bredevoort,
just write it once! We brothers are all very healthy and also Mother
Miena helps Gerrit Jan's wife a lot. But our days fly away, but let
us fight more and more under the banner of King Jesus, that's my
wish!
Regards to the other
brother1).
H.J. Te Selle
1)
This
must have been Jan Albert (born 1835, deceased 1905). Brother Tobias
(born 1830) died in 1887.
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