Numbered
pages 142-145.
I.O.of
O.F.etc “Office of the P.
D.D. Grand Master” Belvidere N.J. Jan 1st 1900
Cousin
Henry J.:
It
is New Year’s day 1900, and I will write a few lines to you, and give you such
information as to events about here, as I am able to do at this time.
We
are all well at my home and also Mrs. Hay and her family are well. All the
other kinsfolk of yours about here are usually well, so far as I have heard
from. Your kind letter of Dec 4th ult. was duly received and read
with pleasure. I thank you for sending to me the cutting from the paper
in
reference to John I. Blair. About the same more or less appeared in the
different New York and Philadelphia papers I forwarded to you a few days ago,
The Blairstown Press the newspaper published in the town where Mr. Blair lived.
John I. Blair was in more respects than one, a very remarkable man. His estate
is said to be more than $50,000,000.
What a vast sum of money for one to accumulate. You will no doubt
remember that you met Dr. Wm. H. Vail his nephew and private secretary when you
was out here and that he invited you up to see Mr. Blair and the school he
founded etc. etc. I had intended
to
have you go up to Blairstown but, you could not tarry out East longer than you
did.
I
send to you a slip containing the name of Ella R. Aten She is a distant relative of yours being
descended from Derick (Dirck) Aten your ancestor.
I
send to you a copy of my report as D.D.G.M., for the year that I held such
office; keep it-------
I also hand to you a program of the annual Masonic
Reception of Belvidere, which I attended on Dec. 27th ult.------
I
do not have any item of Aten history to give you at this time. I see Henry of
Hope once in awhile, he has got well
again. He is a juror at the coming term of our courts which will open tomorrow,
and I suppose he will be in town then.
I see by a Law directory sent me that there is a law firm by the name of Posten & Aten at Humestown Wayne Co., Iowa.—It does not give Aten’s first name. He must be a member of the families of Aten that you are in correspondence with out there. We have been having very pleasant winter weather so far—no snow of any amount yet—We send love and kind regards to you all and hope you all are enjoying good health
Yours very respectfully Nicholas
Harris