Numbered
pages 71-80.
Warren
House etc. Belvidere, N.J. Feby. 1st 1899
Cousin
Henry J. and family:
The event is over. You will say at once, What
event? I refer to the big swell affair,
the public installation of of the officers of Acho Lodge No. 124 I.O.of O.F. [International
Order of Odd Fellows] of Phillipsburg N.J.
It came off on Monday evening Jan., 30th ult. It was a big affair. One thousand
invitations had been issued, and about eight hundred persons, members and
visitors were present. I send to you herewith a programe and a slip
cut from a Phillipsburg paper. Phillipsburg you will remember is the town opposite Easton—in N.J. The Grand Marshall was Past.Grand.Master. John H. Griffith who was Grand Master of the I.O.of O.F. When the Sovereign Grand.Lodge. met in Atlantic City you will remember that he gave an address on behalf of the Grand.Lodge.of N.J. which is printed in the Proceedings of the Sovereign.G.L. at that meeting.
I
left the Hall at 1:40A.M. and at that time 20 sets were on the floor dancing
the Lanciers.
Enough
of that.
We are all usually well at my home at this
time
and I sincerely hope that you are all enjoying your usual good health at your
home.
Isaac
Brands who lived at Delaware who
married a grand daughter of John Aten deceased, died at his home at Delaware on
last Thursday and was buried on Saturday last.
You did not meet him while out here—as he has been confined at his home
with the rheumatism for
the
past five or six years. I will send to
you a paper containing his obituary notice.
A great many deaths have taken place in our town and all through our
county recently. At one time the past
month we had five dead persons on one day in our town. We have had a good deal of the LaGrippe out
with us the present winter. I had the
pleasure of having the said disorder for a week or so. I also had a public installation at a place
called Stewartsville in the southern end of our county on the 21st
of January. I send to
you herewith a slip cut from a paper so you can see I
am right in the installation business.
Mr. and Mrs. Hay are usually well at this time. Mrs. Hay often speaks
about you and says , she often thinks of so many things that her Grandfather
Peter Aten used to say and she would like to see you when they come into her
mind so She could tell you. I saw Mrs.
A.M.Houser the other day,
She lives at Portland, Pa., and is a grand daughter of
John Aten. She said why did you not
bring the relative from Kansas up to see us?
He was my kinsman and I should have liked so much to see him.—Mrs. H.
often speaks of you and says—tell Cousin Henry to bring Mrs. A. and come out
again and make us another visit and go and see all the relatives. I saw Isaac Dernberger at a funeral in
Belvidere some time ago—and he also said why didn’t you bring that relative
from the west to
see me. Isaac
lives at Ackermanville over in Penna. I
had to tell him the western relative got disgusted with our warm summer days
and was also compelled by press of business to return home. I will tell you Cousin Henry as I said above
Come out and see us all again, and make us twice glad. Old “Jenny Jump” still rears her lofty head
high up, also Scotts Mountain
still rears her head—high up among the clouds. The Del. Water Gap is still there as bold
and grand as ever. I hear that they are
going to sell the old Albertson premises where we had our reunion. I wish to state to you frankly that if this
old premises is sold a descendant of the house by the name of Nicholas will buy
it. You will no doubt remember that
although it is virtually a “Jumping off” place,
yet
I have always from a boy thought it was a lovely place and if it is sold I mean
to own it. Just think of it, apart of
the house is the same as when my great great grandfather owned it and lived
there. Business of all kinds is quite
slow out here. Real estate is getting so very low.
How I would love to go out to Kansas and see you in
your
western
home. I mean to visit you if life is
spared a few years.
An
old veteran soldier was buried here in Belvidere today Lorenzo Schoch he served in a Pennsylvania regiment, and
was at Gettysburg.
Please
excuse this hastily written letter I
have nothing new at this time regarding the family history. We all send love and kind regards to you all
at your home. I suppose of course you know that Mrs. Prentiss is at Burlington
N.J. for the winter.