Mr. F.C. Merkel, Weavermaster, Brauerstraße No. 44 in Hamburg.

W.B. Jan [18]52.

Dear friend! If you and Mr. Kierulff have received my letters from Jan. 1851, you will know that at that time we all were well with the exception of Wilhelmine (who is better right now, too), so that we all started the new year in good health, what we wish all of you, too.

We are about to leave for the South and think of traveling in a few days. We have never heard again of brother Wilhelm, who wrote to us 1-1/2 year ago that he had safely arrived in N.Y. Please give my regards to sister Karoline and write and tell them to know Wilhelm’s address in case they have it. Please, give my regards to your wife and children and to all friends, Doris, Mine, Lore, & Henry. William is at sea since nine months, according to the last news from him fine and well. If you write to me (please do!), please write to:

F.A.M., care of F. B, Consul of H., N.Y. City.

Mr. Ferdinand Karck, Consul of Hamburg, N.Y.

Enterprise, Orange Co. [Florida], February 16, 1852.

You will have saw from the few lines, which I wrote to you in a hurry about 10 days ago from Jacksonville, that we safely arrived here, and that we had received no news yet about the arrival of our things. We expect the steamboat with the mail of this week for tomorrow, and in case our things or some news from you should arrive I will put it at the end of the letter.

Here very good land for $1.25 per acre can still be bought, but the region is nearly not cultivated at all. The few farmers living here get their income by raising fruits and cattle. An ox costs $10, a cow with calf $8, but everything else is sinfully expensive, is brought here from N.Y. over Savannah. Therefore I would like to ask you to send me the goods listed below with the next sailing ship, and to address them to me, care of Mr. Finnigan in Jacksonville. For that reason I include a money order to H. for $35. If you write to me I would like to know how much live oak moss is worth in N.Y. as well as Florida Tutoaks [?]. I can send some of both things to the market in autumn. I hope we will enjoy your sympathy in the future, too …

Mr. Charles J. Schönheit, Jacksonville, Florida.

Enterprise, March 2, 1852.

Dear Fellow-countryman! I have received your friendly letter and my belongings, and I would have answered right away by the returning steamboat, if I would not have been absent at that time. I thank you best for transport of my luggage, and include $1 for the expenses you had.

I send to you at the same time by steamboat some trees, shrubs, and plants (my Georginen [?], and potatoes got frozen) as well as a package with 100 grains of vegetable seeds in 10 different kinds and 110 grains of flower seeds in 12 kinds. The trees and shrubs are for you as well as much of the seeds as you can use. The remaining seeds I would like you to sell, I take back what is left, and 1/3 of the money I give to you for the sale. If you could send me two water pails and 12 lb. Of green coffee by writing on the bill for the seeds with the next boat, I would be very pleased. I leave it up to you to make a price for the seeds. The seeds are fresh and raised by myself. — .

I could not so far find a place to buy that I liked, and therefore rented something for the time being. When I will be living …

… on my own land and be lived in a little more, it would be my greatest joy if you would visit us.

For the continuance of your friendship asks your …

Mr. F. Karck, C. of H., N.Y.

Enterprise, March 23, 1852.

I mailed you a letter containing a money-order for $40.00 and the request to send me provisions for it on Feb. 16. As I have received no answer yet I take the liberty to ask whether you received my letter and cheque. My luggage arrived safely and well.

Respectfully …

Mr. Charles J. Schönheit, Jacksonville.

Enterprise, March 23, 1852.

Dear friend! I would like you very much to send me by the next boat two perfect mosquito nets, not too short and narrow for twin beds for $1.00 per piece, and I will send you the money right away. I can buy them here for the same price but we believe you to have better ones. We would prefer green.

To Mr. Winterhoff Piper & Karck, N.Y.

Enterprise, April 27, 1852.

I received your letter of March 12 on March 30, and the goods arrived April 6, however all my writing seemed to have missed its purpose — to buy things cheaper — because the flour — to be sure — seems to be very good so far we checked it, but the coffee for 12-1/2 cents per lb. is very bad, not only the look of it, but also the taste. In the meantime, I bought coffee as good as from N.Y. for eight cents per lb. …

… here in Jacksonville. N… [?] are listed for six cts. Per lb., while I bought these for 4-1/2 cts. per lb. in Barnstable. I did not order scythe at all, and the grindstone, listed with 100 lb. and 2-1/2 cts. each weighs only 86 lbs. It probably lost six lb. by drying out. I think of sending to you a load of corn [grain—LPM] during the summer. Till then, as I don’t like to include money in a letter, I remain your debtor.

Respectfully …

Mr. Morris Keil, Jacksonville.

May 4, 1852.

I am sorry that I bothered you with the berries, but I still have to learn first what people eat here and what not. In the New England states, where we lived so far, they sold very well. I wrote to Mr. Schönheit to make up a price, 6-1/4 cts. is the usual price, but if you think it to be good you can sell them for 5.

From: Wilhelm Meissner.

Mr. Fried. Adolph Meissner, West Barnstable, Mass., America. New York. .

Missent and For[warded]. from W. Barnstable. Enterprise, Orange County, Florida.

Altona, May 11 1852.

Dear Uncle, You will be happy to hear some news from Holstein and also from Altona. First I have to tell you the sad news of our dear mother’s death. She died after spitting blood for several weeks on Jan. 15. Father, Marie, and the old aunt are quite well. Only I alone have to stay 14 days in bed on account of my knee, which I hurt badly, but now I nearly recovered entirely with the aid of a doctor. We heard from Kummerfeld that Lina is quite sick since her last childbirth, but is feeling better now. Uncle Ullrich and his family are all healthy and well. Eloise and Lene are both engaged. The first wants to get married this summer, the other wants to wait still a few years.

Now I want to tell you, how I came all along — because Father writes always only so little. — In the autumn of 1847, Hans and I left the aunt. Hans went to work on a farm and I went to my mother, therefore I worked till spring in Dresden as a china-painter, because my desire to go to sea was destroyed by the fact that I first was to learn a profession. Then I became Mr. Petersen’s apprentice as a gardener and worked in the Consul Mr. Lrand’s garden. I stayed there for three years. Now I work with the gardener Wolbe in Altona and with impatience I await the time when I will cross the ocean.

Dear Uncle, I would like you to tell me, how things look where you are, as I intend to go to America still this summer. If you have a job for me, please write what the most necessary tools are there and what grows there. Maybe I can bring a few seeds along. Please write me about your cattle and how is it with hunting? Best Uncle, I look forward to your answer with great desire. We hope you and your family are well.

Best regards from all families Holstein, especially from Father, Marie and me.

Your impatient nephew, Wilhelm.

Mr. Morris Keil, Jacksonville.

May 18, 1852.

I want to thank you very much for your information about the place of Col Hollow. I cannot say yet anything in detail about it but maybe later I would ask you for your kind negotiation.

Mr. F.W. Runtzler, Care of Mr. C. Bartels, No. 42 Spruce St., N.Y.

June 15, 1852.

Dear Brother-in-Law! As we did not hear anything from you again after your first letter, which we received in Barnstable, we believed that our answer did not reach you any more, and suspected you went to the West. Now we heard from Hamburg, to where we wrote for that reason, that you are still in N.Y. and doing well. We heard also that Mr. Merkel included a letter for us in your letter. We traveled in Jan. through N.Y., and I and Doris and the children would have all been happy to see you.

We left Barnstable, and went to Florida. The climate on this peninsula is warm but moderated by ocean winds. We have here since middle of May ripe watermelons, one can sow and reap through the whole year, my pears planted in March are ripe, as well as the potatoes which I think of sowing for the 2nd time and then once again in October. The most profitable product here seems to be oranges. My neighbor who lives here since six years has planted during this time about 40 trees, from which he sold fruits last summer for $400. It is easy to find wild orange trees in the woods. Good land can be bought for $1.25 per acre.

We all would be very happy to hear from you again. Best wishes to you, your wife, and children. .

Your …

In case the "Homestead Bill" which is right now in the Senate should become a law, every family can from now on get 160 acres of Government land free.

Mr. J.H. Runtzler in Drönnewitz in Mecklenburg.

June 15, 1852, Enterprise, Florida.

[from Doris to J.H. Runtzler:]

Dear Brother! Your letter which we received by last mail made us all very happy, and I could nearly be mad with Jette that she kept it away from us for so long. It is nearly a year since you wrote that letter, and you surely waited in vain for our answer for a long time. We read with much regret about your eye diseases. I have been quite well during all that time. However, Lore and Mina have the cold fever ["chills and fever" = malaria? — LPM] since eight days. William is at sea since more than a year, and at the same time as your letter arrived did we receive the first letters from. He is well, and doing fine.

Meissner will inform you about the wanted subjects as land etc. We would all be very happy if you would decide to come over here, and still more if you would settle in our neighborhood. At any rate we hope that you won’t behave as unbrotherly as Wilhelm who lets us know nothing about him. We traveled through N.Y. in January. How much would we have liked to visit him if we would have only known where he was.

Now my dear brother — farewell, and write please soon to us.

Best regards to you, your wife, and children from.

Your sister Doris.

[from F.A.M. to J.H. Runtzler: ]

To my unknown friend! I try to answer your questions as well as I can.

All uncultivated land is divided into "townships," six miles long and six miles wide; every township is again divided into 36 sections, one mile long and one mile wide; every section into four quarter-sections, 1/2 mile long and 1/2 mile wide or 160 acres. Every quarter section is again divided into quarters each of which contains 40 acres. These 40 acre lots are the smallest quantity of land which can be bought from the Government, and cost $50 or $1.25 per acre. ($1 is three fr. eight sl. In Hamburg currency.) Much land is bought by speculators which resell it for $5 to $10 per acre. They made now a law in Congress which passed the House, and now goes to the Senate, and it is called the "Homestead Bill." According to it, every family father receives 160 acres land free from now on.

The prices of cultivated land are not easy to define: $20, $50, and $100 per acre, but generally cultivated land should be called exhausted land. The American sows and plants as long as the land will produce something, and then …

…  he tries to sell his farm to a stupid guy, and looks around for a fresh piece of land, which is still full of strength. It is not very often used to lease land, but often it is cultivated only by half [Reference to share-cropping? — LPM].

In Barnstable where we lived so far I bought 25 acres of bad and exhausted land (very sandy!), a good horse, and a good barn for $2000; I paid no interest the first three years. During this time I improved the soil so much that I could not only pay $120 interest but also could make a living. I raised vegetables, and had a very good market. I sold a cabbage which can be bought for two cents in N.Y. for eight cents there, and everything else in about the same proportion.

But the longer I lived there and the more the German stupidity passed, the more I realized that I had to work only for the rich man, who had loaned me the money to buy the farm, and then I thought how to become independent. One cannot receive any more Government land for $1.25 per acre in the Northern coastal regions, and in order to get it I either had to go to the South or to the West. The true immigrants go to the West (there is the best land!), but the products are very cheap, and cannot be brought to the market on same places. Besides these regions are very unhealthy. I therefore decided to go South, and that is to Florida, and I believe that my expectations were not deceived here. We made the trip from Barnstable to Enterprise (a distance of more than 1000 Engl. Miles) in the middle of winter in the month of January by train and steamboat in 14 days, some days of which we even stopped on the route.

If you take the map of America into your hand, at the place where Florida connects to the continent you will find Jacksonville, which is Florida’s main sea harbor. It is on the mouth of the St. Johns River, and consisted a couple years ago in only some huts, and was entirely unknown. Now every week "packet ships" go between Jacksonville and N.Y., and steamboats between J., Savannah, and Charleston, so that it is connected to all the big coast cities by steam shipping.

The St. Johns River is a beautiful big river, bigger than the Elbe, on which every week a steamboat drives 150 miles up to Lake Monroe. But in less than two years there will be a steamboat going daily this way. Lake Monroe is a beautiful lake, four to six miles long and wide. Here is Enterprise, where we are living now. I have selected a wonderful piece of land, close to the river, and six miles below the lake. The steamboat stops always here (where we want to settle down) in order to load wood.

One can still find here very good land for $1.25 per acre, but the best places are in big demand. The climate here is one of the best of the world; it is warm but moderated by sea winds. In the forests grow oaks, maples, cypresses, palm trees, magnolias, oranges, and many other evergreen bushes and trees. Oranges, figs, rice, corn [grain? — LPM], cotton-wool, pineapples, and all possible kinds of vegetables are raised here.

The corn I planted beginning of May is now ripe as well as the potatoes, which I will plant again now and a 3rd time in October. Since middle of May we have ripe watermelons. My neighbor told me that he took off 40 melons from one plant during the year. Another neighbor, who lives here now six years, has planted about 40 orange trees, and sold last summer fruits for $400, and believes to make this year as much, too.

Wine will be one of the main products in a few years — it thrives excellently here. If you want to come over with your family, and want to settle down here, you must take off from Hamburg in autumn, but not later than the beginning of September in order to arrive here during the winter time. If you will write to me in advance you will find a letter waiting in N.Y. from me. If not all of you just come here to us. All of you are very welcome. We are going to build a log house with palm leaves as roof in eight days, and then you live as a free man among free people.

Please, give my regards to your family, and I hope to meet you soon in person. I remain your …

To:Mr. P.H. Kierulff, Carpenter, Bükenbreitengang, Platz No. 22, Hut No. 3, Hamburg.

Dear sister and brother-in-law! We have received your letter, and learned from it that all of you are well and healthy. We went 1000 miles to the South, and live now in Florida. Oranges, figs, cane sugar, rice, cotton, and many other fruits are raised here, and there is nearly no winter at all; one can sow and reap the whole year through. The summer heat is not higher than where we lived before but longer. Already in the middle of May we had ripe watermelons. They have besides much deer here, that we several times overate of it.

Henry, Lore, and Mina have since eight days the cold fever but are better now. We have also received letters from William. He is well, and thinks of coming home in October. We did not hear anything yet from brother Wilhelm. I ask you to mail right away the enclosed letter to brother Heinrich but you first have to put down the full address.

We give our best regards to all of you, and to sister Karoline and Merkels.

Your sister…

To Mr. Leonhardt, Judge and Advocate in Pinneberg.

Enterprise, Fla. June 22, 1852.

Your Honor! In case that you are still alive and feeling well, I take the liberty to ask you whether you would not like to buy my property in Kummerfeld, which belonged first to me and now to my daughter — in which case I ask you to let me know how much you are willing to pay. If you don’t feel like accepting the offer, I would like to know whether you would take over the notice and collection of it. In one or the other case please include in your answer a scheme (sample) of the papers I have to fill out for this purpose.

You saw from the address above that I live now in Florida, the most southern state of the U.S. of N.A. We raise here wine, oranges, figs, cane sugar, corn [grain? — LPM], rice, cotton, arrowroot [?], yams, and all kinds of vegetables. The climate is one of the nicest of the world, although warm, it is moderated by sea winds. The region is visited a lot in winter by people with chest diseases from the northern states. Deer is so numerous here that some people who don’t like to work live nearly exclusively from deer meat.

Expecting your kind answer, I sign …

Mr. Winterhoff Piper & Karck, N.Y.

The extraordinarily wet, unhealthy summer did not only throw me and my family down for the whole summer — the more as we still had to fight with the unaccustomed warm climate, — but also the youth of every house and every family is sick. This kept me from my plan,—the business with the moss —. I therefore include your assets of $10 in cash. I ask you to inform me about the receipt of the money and to let me know whether I still have to pay some postage charge.

Would it not be possible to sell sour oranges instead of lemons? They are big and beautiful and full of juice.

Jacksonville, Jan. 14, 1853 (Florida).

Dear William! We received your letter of Nov. 1, 1852 some days before the 20th, at what time you intended to go again to sea. A letter from us would not have reached you any more in time, therefore we did not answer you. We wrote, however, at once to Mrs. Fuller, as you had sent us her address, that you would hear it from her in case you should be still there, whether some letter arrived for you or not. We received your letter to Leonore and your questions to the Postmaster of Enterprise, today.

We left Enterprise, which is 250 miles upward the St. Johns River close to the five to six miles long and wide Lake Monroe, and where the oranges grow wild in the forests, again, as the region is still too uncultivated and therefore not healthy. The children had all the cold fever since the beginning of June and only a short time ago it left and I and Father had to lie in bed all summer, but are better now.

We live now close to Jacksonville, at the mouth of the St. Johns River. Jacksonville is the main harbor of Florida, where nearly daily ships from N.Y. and sometimes from Boston arrive, which pick up wood for building ships. Cabbage costs here 12-1/2 to 37 cts. per piece and a bundle onions $2. We own 100 acres of land, 3/4 of which has pine wood and 1/4 has oaks. We live in a log house and don’t have to labor any more for Capt. Percival. The pines grow very high here and wood for ships is sent from here to N.Y. — 60 feet long —. We felled a pine tree cut into pieces, which was 57 feet long and had a diameter of 3-1/4 feet at the lower end and one of 2-1/2 feet at the upper end.

We accept with great joy the proposal you wrote about in Leonore’s …

… letter, to leave Father and to come to you. But as we spent all of our money for the trip, the long sickness, and to buy the land, we ask you to send us as soon as possible traveling money. The passage from here to N.Y. costs only $12 per person on a sailing ship. This would be $48 for four persons as we cannot leave Henry behind. It will cost at least the same from N.Y. to Barnstable or Boston, where we want to go, so that we are unable to take the trip with less than $125.00. You will take care for a nice apartment for us and will pay 1/2 year’s rent in advance, that the landlord cannot throw us out into the street while you are still away. You must not forget the firewood either. We try to make our bread and salt by sewing.

We wish you good health and hope you will write soon again and send the money for the trip.

Your loving mother, D.M.

Mr. Ferdinand Karck in N.Y.

Jacksonville, Jan. 14, 1853.

I include a certificate in your name with the request to give it to a member of your house in Hamburg in order to give notice and collect a little sum in the Pinneberg Territory. There are two paying terms in Pinneberg if I am right. One lasts 14 days during Whitsuntide and the other is called the Martini Money Day. Money which was given notice first on the 1st money day is due on the 2nd. On the second money day — so I believe — nobody can be forced to pay money. All what it be necessary for your representative in Hamburg to do would be — after having received your certificate — to go to Pinneberg (one can travel the distance Altona — Pinneberg in 15 minutes) and to give notice there in the administration office and to write some lines about it to Karoline Gerstenberg in Kummerfeld. She will surely make a date with your representative and will make up a day during the Martini money days, on which he still has to go another time to Pinneberg’s office in order to receive the money and to erase the debt. In case no payment is made, the money has to be got by court. I would recommend for that Mr. Burmester, Advocate in Pinneberg.

I hope that you will fulfill my request and that you will accept the certificate I made for you.

I would be very pleased if you would get through with this business in a hurry, so that my daughter has ample time to get the money or has things arranged with me.

To Mr. Winterhoff Piper & Karck, N.Y.

Jacksonville, Jan 14, 1853.

On Nov. 9, I wrote a letter to the gentlemen A.B. Allen & Co., 189 — 191 Water Street in N.Y., in which I included $18 and I asked them to send me by the next ship to Jacksonville guano, seeds etc. A friend of mine who went to Charleston mailed it personally there. As proof that the gentlemen A.B. Allen & Co. have received this letter, I have a newspaper which they sent me since that time. As I received no goods nor an answer to my letter till Dec. 14, I wrote in the last few days a letter to these gentlemen and mailed it in Jacksonville, where I am living now. Four weeks have passed already again and I have received no guano nor seeds nor an answer. This puts me in a big scrape as winter here in Florida is the time to sow and plant and half of it passed already without purpose for me. .

I have left Enterprise again, which region is believed to be very unhealthy, and bought 100 acres land near J., a small part of which is good soil, which is very rare here. I thought of raising vegetables and am waiting now already four weeks for the guano so that I can sow and plant. Now you can imagine my impatience. I ask you therefore urgently to ask at once after my letter’s arrival at A.B. Allen & Co. whether they received my money and letter and if so, to insist on a mailing of the goods at once. I am sure you are so kind as to let me know by return mail about the state of things and to free me from my uncertainty.

Respectfully ….

Mr. Merkel, Weavermaster, Brauerstraße No. 44 in Hamburg.

Jacksonville, Jan. 14, 1853.

Dear Friend! I told you in my last letter that we wanted to go to the South. (We received your reply last summer.) We did this, too, and left Barnstable in the beginning of Jan. 1852, where at that time was the hardest winter, and arrived about 14 days later in Florida, the most southern state of the U.S. We went then 250 miles up the St. Johns River until we came to a beautiful lake. Few people are living there and we thought of settling here. In the forests the orange trees were full of ripe fruits; palm trees put their heads 70 or 80 feet into the sky. The rivers are full of turtles and crocodiles. The winter is as mild as May in Hamburg, and the summer not hotter than Barnstable, 1500 miles farther to the north. We stayed for nearly a year, but accidentally they had a very wet summer, so the cold fever broke out and we and all people living here suffered a lot; …

… Partly, too, because the region is believed to be very unhealthy, and partly in order to be closer to the market, we decided to go downstream again and we live now in J., that is, very close to it, where we bought 100 acres of land.

J. is at the mouth of the St. Johns river and is the main harbor of Florida. It is a fast growing town. Steam and sailing ships come and go, to and from the big cities along the Atlantic coast. If you could come here and open up a cotton spinning mill and weaving mill, as similar as those wool spinning and weaving mills in Üterfen, you would become rich. Cane sugar, rice, and cotton are raised here in Florida; the farmers bring excellent cotton to J. to market. From here it is shipped to the bigger cities like Savannah and Charlotte, or to N.Y., and from there it goes to England or Germany and comes back as cotton [cloth]. —.

Meat, wheat, and wood is cheap; vegetables are very expensive. A piece [head? — LPM] of cabbage costs here six to 18,3 in Hamburg currency. A bundle of onions costs seven [S?], potatoes cost three [F?] and 8./3 to seven [?] and so on.

We received last summer a letter from Kierulff and J.H. Runtzler from Mecklenburg and we answered at once. I wrote especially a long letter to Mr. Runtzler, who seems interested in coming over here and wanted so much information. We received, however, no answer yet. We also wrote at once to Wilhelm Runtzler in N.Y. as soon as we received his address, but he did not answer either.

We ask you to greet Kierulff & family, sister Karoline, and all the other friends, especially your wife and children, and hope that this letter may reach you in good health. Your friend ….

You would gratify us very much if you would send this letter to Mr. J.H. Runtzler in Mecklenburg (whose exact address you can learn through Mr. Kierulff) to have him read it and to ask him, whether he received my letter or not. Our address is now J.F. as you can see above.

Mr. C.M. Jackson, M.D., German Medicine Store, No. 120 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pa.

Jacksonville, June 9, 53.

As we have to pay here for everything two and three times the amount, I request you to send me, for the enclosed $, Quinine by mail and please, mark how many grains. I use now your bitter thing and hope it might do me good.

Respectfully,.

Mr. F.W. Thomas, Philadelphia.

Jacksonville, Florida, Sept. 25, 1853.

I have read in the N.Y. City newspaper, that [you] are going to publish all of Zrchakker’s short stories and works. I would like you to send me a test sample.

Respectfully ….

To the Publisher of the N.Y. German Democrat.

Sept. 25.

Dear Sir! About two months ago I lost my wife [d. 17 Aug 1853], who died of dysentery. I am therefore in need of a housemaid. Should I find a fitting one by your negotiation, I am willing to pay you $5.

I am near to 50 years old and live with my son, a good boy of 16 years [almost! (George Henry, b. Feb 1838)], near Jacksonville (Florida) on a farm of 100 acres, which is my property. I raise vegetables, which we bring to the market in Jacksonville. I have two grown-up daughters, but they are too much of a lady to live in the country. A decent woman or girl, preferably one from Germany, who is not to thin and weakly, who knows how to knit, sew, and cook, would find a nice place here. I cannot give too big a salary, but I might promise a comfortable marriage.

We live here in an eternal spring; while you in the North have the winter before your door, we sow and plant here, now for winter and in January for the spring. In the middle of summer we rest.

I would like it if you would send me some issues of your paper as well as some lines as answer.

I shall have to mention that weekly packet boats and other ships go from N.Y. to Jacksonville. The passage is $8 to $10 and the trip lasts only often four to five days, sometimes longer.

Mr. Isaac Swart, Jacksonville.

Long Branch, Florida, Oct 12, 1853:

[A plea for Mr. Swart to urge Wilhelmina to come back to F.A.M., and going into great detail about her health and her "Christian duty" to her parents, and how good a life she would have if she came back.].

Mr. W. Schlüter, Office of the N.Y. Democrat.

Oct 17, 53.

I received your two letters from the first and third as well as two samples of your weekly paper. I enclose a letter from J.G. Myers (signed by him), who lives in J. very close to the Stone shipyard and is known to most ship captains which pass by and to whom the person you send can go. My wagon is usually every day in town, too. I don’t doubt that the girl will have difficulty finding a passage without this security. Daily ships from N.Y. arrive as you can see from the enclosed slip.

I must ask you that you take as much care as possible not to send down here an immoral person. I promise to treat her well and pay her a good salary.

I will order your weekly paper starting on New Year, and will take care to send you the money for it in time. A friend of mine gets the N.Y. States Paper, but I don’t like it very much as it is much for the slavery.

Mr. K.F. Meissner, Ütersen near Altona.

Oct 17, 1853.

Dear Brother! What are you doing? Are you still alive? I was during the last two years nearly always sick and often nearly dying. Only since about two to three weeks my strength returned, so that I can attend to my business. This puts me far behind, but I did not suffer want of anything yet.

Mrs. Sennewald is dead today nearly two months. After a short, eight days long sickness, she passed away — seemingly without pain — in the arms of her children. She was a true friend and nurse to me and until her sickness was well and healthy. Henry is with me and the two girls work in households.

I am living since two years in Florida, where there is eternal spring. There is a winter here — some trees and bushes lose their leaves, but many others start blooming at the same time. The orange, the palm tree, the magnolia, the laurel (grows wild here!), yellow blossoming and sweet smelling jasmine, and so many evergreen, beautiful blossoming bushes are here in such a beauty, as I never saw before and not to be forgotten — evergreen oak trees and pine trees with one foot long needles. The grass is hard and bad, but beautiful flowers grow in the meadows.

I own 100 acres of land — all in one piece, four miles away from J., the main harbor of Florida, situated at the mouth of the St. Johns River. I started raising vegetables, which bring an unheard of price, for instance a piece [head of cabbage?] costs 12 to 25 cts., a sack of potatoes $2 and so on.

I have enough land but I need more hands to work. I have heard through Wilhelm who wrote me once, that your wife died. Please, answer me as soon as my letter arrives and let me know not only what you are doing but also how everything is in Kummerfeld. You could do me a favor and go there and greet Lina for me and tell her to send me one of her boys or rather come herself with husband and children, if they don’t come along too well at home. Wishing that my letter will reach you in good health, I remain ….

Mr. J.C. Merkel, Weaver Master, Brauerstraße No. 44, Hamburg.

Jacksonville, Fla., Oct 24, 1853.

Dear friend! It is my sad duty to inform you of the death of our dear mother. She died of dysentery after being only eight days sick, seemingly without any pain, on August 17 of this year. I have never seen so far a human being going so tenderly to sleep, not even the slightest move betrayed her death. She was a faithful friend and nurse to me and a loving and caring mother to her children. She was during the last time unusually well and healthy, so that we were very surprised …

… by her sudden death. After we buried our mother, Henry, Wilhelmine, and I got the same disease and had to lie in bed for four weeks, but now we are again well.

William is at sea. He had visited us shortly before his mother’s death. We received news that he was shipwrecked but he and the other crew members saved themselves to a small island. However, he is weakened so much by a long sickness that he believes he won’t be able to return to sea.

Please, be so kind and send this letter to Kierulff and to the other relatives. I have been put so far behind in my business by my sickness and the hard loss of our mother which I miss everywhere, that I have little spare time to write a letter to everyone. Best greetings to you from your friend ….

Mr. W. Schlüter, Office of the N.Y. Democrat.

Jacksonville, Nov. 20, 1853.

Last week I was again surprised by one of your weekly papers. I was very glad about as I was very interested in the story which it contained. Since I sent you a money order for the passage of a house-keeper I did not hear anything more from her.

Florida is a wonderful country — the soil — to be sure — is not as good as in the West, but in return we don’t know cholera and the yellow fever. They Germans now begin immigrating here, too. Nature puts on her winter decorations. While some trees lose their leaves, the magnolia, the orange, and many other evergreen trees and bushes and plants are displaying their beautiful green leaves.

Hoping soon to hear from you, I remain ….

After having written these lines to you, the following plan came to me: I namely have so much beautiful land, only not enough hands to do all the work. I therefore would like to get a participant. There are many German gardeners near N.Y., the rent of land is high and the price of vegetables low, but here it is just the other way around, a bundle of onions costs $2, one bundle potatoes $2, one head of cabbage 18 cts., and so on.

Would you please, therefore, be so kind as to put the following ad in one of your papers which is suited best for this purpose and to send me a bill for it.

"A German gardener and owner of a farm close to J. in Fl. Looks for a companion for raising vegetables (what is extraordinarily advantageous here, for instance one head of cabbage for 18 cts.). A man with family with about 100 Taler is preferred. Please write to F.A.M., Jacksonville, Fl.

"My farm is situated four miles distant of J. at the St. Johns River and has a healthy, comfortable situation. My partner must be able and like to work, which obliges himself to the wanted management …

… of the farm. From the profit the interests of the value of the farm, which I will put down as only $800 are put away as well as all expenses necessary for the management of the business, as food, buy of fertilizer, seeds, and increase of property. The leftover money will be divided equally.

"The inventory, wagons, plough, and other working tools as well as oxen, cows, and pigs, will be taxed [evaluated? — LPM] before the start of my companion, and by paying half of their value he will be accepted as co-owner. After the contract is put out of date these things will be taxed [evaluated?] again, given back to me and I will pay half of their value to the leaving partner, or we might decide on another way to settle this business.".

To Mrs. Emma Thompson, Philadelphia.

Nov 1853 [Asking her to come as housekeeper.].

To Karoline Meissner, married Gerstenberg, in Kummerfeld near Hamburg.

Jan. 1854.

Dear Lina! It is already a long time since I heard from you and your desire to know how your father is doing does not seem to be very big. I often thought of you and would have written already earlier if my pride would not have detained me from it. I believed it to be the duty of a good child to take care for his father, but we don’t want to talk about it any more.

Two years ago, we left Barnstable for Florida, where I hoped to find cheap land and a comfortable climate. I did not find my expectations deceived, but I made the mistake and went too far inland into a nearly entirely uncultivated and repulsive region. Here (soon after my arrival) I got sick and after having had all different kinds of fevers for a full year and stumbled around looking like a ghost, I decided to leave this place again and go back to Jacksonville (250 miles). Here it took me still another half year to get rid of the cold fever (which I got last), and finally my strength returned. Once I suffered under an infection of my bowels and I owe it to be still alive to Henry, who was not as sick as the rest of us. He pulled me out of bed, put me into a sort of basin, and poured continually cold water over me, day and night. At least all hours I had to go into the water and this for many days, and he was sick himself.

In the middle of last summer when we all got a little better, Mrs. Sennewald got dysentery and died within eight days and we could hardly bury her, when I, Henry, and Minna got the same disease, only Leonore stayed well. Since about two months we are all well enough to look after our business.

Mine and Lore serve in households in Jacksonville, and Henry is with me. William went to sea, was shipwrecked, and saved himself to a small island, where he was brought in a bad state to a inhabited island and probably died there, …

… as we have not heard from him since.

My house is in the middle of the farm, partly planted with beautiful pine and oak trees. I have here 100 acres of land. The region is generally considered to be very healthy, and the climate is very comfortable. In winter we have only slight night frost and in summer the heat is scarcely as high as in N.Y. or Boston.

I have written to Karl in autumn, but did not receive any answer yet. A letter from you where you honestly tell about your situation and conditions will please me very much (but no lies, please!). Once I heard the news that you are not happy with your husband and that he treats you badly and so on. I will hope that your conditions improved. If you answer, please include a "Daguerreotype" picture; without glass and frame it sure will be easy to put it into a letter. Take your youngest child in your arms when you have your picture taken.

Write also in which year and on which date you were born. Did you give my name to any of your children? Do the apple trees bear fruit which I planted?

In a sowing mill, 1/4 hour from my house away, a German works among others. He is the son of a cow and pig herder in the region of Brunswick. His father gave him — when he was already 25 years old — a beating which he did not deserve. He ran off, worked a couple of years near Bremen for 25 Taler per year. He receives now 20 dollars and food per month and he has saved already $300 in a few years. Nobody will easily recognize a pig herder in him.

Henry usually drives a load of wood to town daily. This takes half a day and he receives a dollar for it. (All the money we had was used up by our sickness and even put us into debt.) The remaining time we use to improve our place and take care for a vegetable garden. Raising vegetables is here very profitable. One acre planted with cabbage and priced with only 12-1/2 cts (often it costs 18 and 25 cents) would product cabbage in the value $1000. It is easy to write it down on paper, but first fertilizer has to be made and the land has to be fenced in and the cabbage takes time to grow, too. If we only stay healthy we will make up for the lost time, but I must confess I nearly lost all my lust for life. My courage is broken. I don’t see for what purpose I am living and laboring, only in order to die? — .