Numbered
pages 370, 371, 372, 401, 385, 386, 387, 388.
Snowden
Slate Company Belvidere N.J. Feby 20th 1899
Dear
Cousin Henry J.:
Your kind letter of Feby 4th, with
inclosure relating to the ancestor Adriaen Hendrickse Aten selling a piece of
land in Midwout (Flatbush) L.I. was duly received and both were read with
pleasure. The agreement is quite different from those of the same kind that we
write nowadays. The pamphlet relating to Colorado lands was also duly received
and was very interesting. Your kind invitation to attend a banquet to be given
at White’s Restaurant in Hiawatha Kansas on the evening of Feby 22nd
inst. was also duly received.—I accept the invitation, but as so many long
miles lay between this place and Hiawatha it will be impossible for me to
attend, however much I may wish to so do.
I thank you for the kind remembrance and hope you will all have a very
pleasant meeting. You can tell the friends who may be there that you have seen
and looked upon the place where Genl Washington
and
his brave soldiers crossed the Delaware on that cold December night,—Dec., 25th 1776.
I remember that as we went past you caught a glimpse of the Granite
Monument that marks the landing place—Some time ago I sent to you a poem
entitled—Washington Crossing the Delaware.
Read it to the friends who may be assembled together on the evening of
the 22nd inst.
Tell them that you have stood right [on] the ground
where the brave Washington and his brave Continental soldiers attacked the
Brittish and Hessians at Trenton and won that glorious victory.—that you have
looked upon the imposing monument at Trenton right where the battle commenced,
and have seen the Statue of Washington in Military Costume towering at the top
of the monument—I think you should as toastmaster yourself respond to the
toast—Washington Crossing the Delaware and winning the battle at Trenton. If I
could be present I would like nothing better than to speak on that especial
subject. You will remember that you and I were in the old Graveyard adjoining
the old First Pres. Church on State Street in Trenton right opposite the
Windsor Hotel when you spent the night in
[on
New Jersey Grand Lodge of IOOF stationery, office of Grand Master]
Trenton—in
that old Graveyard Revolutionary soldiers are buried.—I was always sorry that
we did not have time enough while in Trenton to show you all the many old
relics and things I would have liked to have done.—
I have also received your kind letter giving me the
information of the death of your very distant kinsman John A. McMurtrie of
Denver. I am convinced that it is the John A. McMurtrie who was a cousin of
Mary of Conyngham Pa. I have written to
her telling her about the matter, and copying the dispatch as you gave it in
your letter. If I hear from her I will inform you what she says
Oh!
What a blizzard we did have last Sunday and Monday, and oh! How bitter cold it
was— 10 —12 and even 14 degrees below zero.
About 2 feet of snow fell about here. I sent you some papers giving you
some account of the same—I tell you cousin if you had been out here than you
would have forgotten the warm weather last summer that you experienced—The
railroads were completely blocked for several days—some of the public roads are
not opened yet. We have had a great
deal of sickness about here this winter and a good many deaths. The only one so far in the freundschaft
as they say was Isaac Brands whose wife was a Grand daughter of John Aten. I sent you a paper containing his obituary
notice.
Mrs. Hay and her husband are usually well at this
time. You wrote in your letter about
not finding any record of the children of Cathalynte daughter of Adrian
and Jacobje Aten. You will find by
referencing to your copy of the last will of Nicholas Albertson and the will of
Jacobje Aten her mother, that she was to be provided for etc. We never understood that she had any
children. There was something about her case whether she was of feeble mind or
afflicted or what
Warren
House stationery – page 385
Brewin & Wilson, Merchant Tailors – page 387
the reasons were.
But I thought you understood when out here, that she was not very
bright. She lived with her niece Jeppa
(Aten) Albertson, and died on the old premises where we held the reunion, and
lies buried in the old GraveYard along the road just above Ramseysburg N.J.
that you passed but did not get into.
Someway we did not get into that old place. I am sorry. I wanted to
show you where some of my ancestors are buried. You will no doubt readily recall in your mind this old
GraveYard. You wrote that you may go to
New York and to Boston on business etc.—
Well
then if such takes place Stop off and see us and we will continue the sight
seeing and history hunting case, that will like some newspaper stories be
continued.
We
are all well at my home at this time, and I sincerely hope that you are all
well at your home—I was saddened to hear of the death of the aged mother of
Mrs. A.. Give her our sincere sympathy.
My dear mother died in 1859 when I was only a boy, and a very small boy
at that.
I have not seen Henry Aten of Hope very often this
winter, he had a little suit before a Justice up in Knowlton in Dec. 1898 that
I
appeared for him as his attorney. We
won the case, but as I said I have not seen him since—You must not, I know you
will not soon forget the very pleasant visit we had at his home, and the
beautiful evening ride to Belvidere that we all enjoyed so much.
Old “Jenny Jump Mountain” still rears her head high up
among the clouds, and Scotts
Mountain looks very blue these days. You thought our mountains were so grand,
and yet we see them so often we pass them by without a thought as to their
beauty
and
grandness. I hope you will excuse my
fast writing. It looks almost like
crows tracks.
We all send love and kind regards to you all at your
home. I will be pleased to hear from
you at any time. Yours very fraternally Nicholas Harris
P.S. I wish to call to your mind, that the China
bowl 157 years old, shown at our reunion was once the property of Cathalynta
(Catharine) Aten that you wrote about.
N.H.~~~~~~