Nicholas
Harris Councellor-at-Law etc. Belvidere N.J. Sept. 8th 1896
Henry
J. Aten Esq. Hiawatha Kansas
My
Dear Cousin:---
Your kind letter of Aug. 18th was duly
received and read with pleasure, also the old papers were duly rec’d with
letter of Aug. 14th; and the pamphlet about the Gettysburg Battle
field Commission was also duly rec’d.
The book—the report of the proceedings of the last annual meeting of the
Society of the Army of the Cumberland, was also duly received and read with
much pleasure.
Please
accept my sincere thanks for the book. I shall prize the book all the more from
the fact that it is the gift of a friend whom I have never seen.
I
was over to Mount Bethel a few days ago and saw Mrs. Mary (Aten) Hageman, a
widow lady, daughter of Derrick Aten, Jr., who was a son of John Aten. She many years ago made two visits to the
friends out near Wilkes-Barre. She
remembered of seeing, on her first visit, Thomas Aten who was then very
old. She says he Thomas was married
twice, but she is unable to give any names or dates of birth or marriages or
deaths. She says that descendants
of the
families of Aten and Bowman and McMurtry live out there yet, or at least did a
few years ago. I saw a little local
mention on “The Milford Leader” a newspaper printed and published at Milford in
Hunterdon County N.J. of a Rev. Wm. Aten, which I send to you herewith. I do
not know the person, nor to what family he belongs.— Skillman is a small post village in Somerset County N.J. You ask about the sale of land out
here—Land does not sell
very
high out here now, and there is not much being sold. There does not seem to be any demand for real estate this year,
and nearly all that is sold is by forced sale, i.e., by foreclosure or
sheriff’s sale or to close up estates.
Land sells with us from $1.00 per acre mountain lands, up to $80, or
$90, per acre, the major part from $20 to about $35 per acre.
We are hearing a good deal these days out here about “free
silver”. The “gifted” Mrs. Mary
Ellen Lease of Kansas spoke here in Belvidere on the 20th of August,
to about 8000, people. While Mary Ellen
is a “glib talker” her doctrine is not [§page] all swallowed by the people of the east. Old New Jersey with her great industries
will not be in the list of states for Free Silver, as demanded by the Chicago
Platform. This State will go—well at
least 30,000, for McKinley and Hobart.
While writing this letter your kind favor of the 5th
inst. containing printed slips inclosed has been received. It seems from them that Kansas is receeding
in population and in wealth.—I am sorry to learn that of your State. I imagine that Populism [§page]
is the cause of the great decline in affairs out there. Mrs. Hay and
husband are usually well at this time.
I show her your letters and she reads them with pleasure. A great grand son of John Aten is now lying
dead at his home up in Knowlton township.
His name is Eugene McMiller, and he died on Monday morning quite
suddenly from appolexy [apoplexy]. His
funeral will be held on Thursday afternoon at his late home.
James R. Aten of Penna., was over here today and
stopped in my office a few moments, also a Mr. S. Transue, who married a grand
daughter of John Aten
and
who lives up in Knowlton township was here in town today also. I saw him for a few moments.
Cousin,
Caroline Adarancha Prentiss writes us that she may not be able to come out here
for a visit this autumn. I am sorry,
she is good company.—
It appears that the ancestors of Mrs. Wm. Jennings
Bryan lived in early times over in Northampton County Penna., and are buried
down at the Lower Mount Bethel Churches about five miles below
Belvidere. Mrs. Bryan is no doubt a fine lady and a person of intelligence, but the people of the east will not help make her husband the President of these United States—not this time sure.
I suppose you will soon go to attend the , “The Sovereign G.L. of I.O. of O.F. at Dallas Texas. I wish you a pleasant time at the said meeting. I send you a paper containing an address on the Battle of Monmouth in the Revolutionary War. We are all well at my home at this time and I hope that you and yours are well. We all send love and kind regards to you all. I will be pleased to hear from you again-- In conclusion I am very truly
Your Cousin
Nicholas Harris