Numbered pages 383, 384, 365, 366, 367. No signature page.

 

Warren House                                             Belvidere  N.J.                  Sept. 9th  1899

Dear Cousin Henry J.:

Your kind letter of the 6th inst., is at hand, and read with pleasure.

I knew you would be disappointed in the report of our family reunion.  For as I said in my previous letter I too was greatly disappointed in more things than one, connected with the gathering.  I am not going to let the reunion die if I can prevent it, as I will take the matter in charge next year in more earnest than ever.  I send to you two slips from

newspapers , to show you how the descendants of two other old families, all seem to work together to have a family reunion.  I desire to say to you, and I know you will not think I am bragging; that if I had three or four earnest workers in the cause to help me (those who live about here) we could have just as pleasant and entertaining reunion gatherings as the papers speak of.—

Mrs. Hay is quite well now.—she brought her little Grand-daughter Beattrice down to our house the other day and spent part of the afternoon.  The little girl grows quite fast.

I am glad to inform you that Henry Aten of Hope is recovering from his attack

[Charles Harris   Clerk of Warren County]                          

I will see Miss E.M. Cummins, of Delaware and see what she can give about our ancestor Nicholas Albertson, and we will try and get up something to comply with your request for a short sketch of him.  The ferry property at Delaware was sold to Mrs. Meyers the widow for $5.00 above the mortgage on the property.  Mrs. Susan Hauser holds the mortgage. Mrs. Hauser is a grand daughter of John Aten and a Great Grand daughter of Derick Aten—Her husband was the administrator and her second cousin H.M. Hageman,

a Great Grandson of John Aten was the atty.  You met lawyer Hageman at the Station in Belvidere, and you met Mrs. Hauser at the reunion—you see the Aten’s and their descendants are clanish people   I send to you a slip containing the notice of sale and notice to bring in claims.  Mrs. Hauser was down here the other day and she called in a few moments—she is a lady of some means and she said she expected she would have to take the property for her claim—and still thinks it will be only a year or two when she will be compelled to take the property—she also said she thinks very strongly of buying the old Derick Aten property and ferry—where her Grandfather John Aten lived and

where Derick Aten owned, and lived and died; and put the two properties together again.

Wouldn’t it be quite romantic if a Great Grand daughter of Derick Aten should own the property where he lived and died.  You will remember that Mrs. Hauser’s father and mother are buried in the old Aten GraveYard.   “Morris Mann and Mary (Aten) Mann his wife.”  Mrs. Hauser was their only child.  ~~~~

I send to you along with this a little newspaper article about the corn grown in Kansas