ADDRESSED TO:
Mr Bert STAGE
Albert Jackson "Bert" STAGE, my great-grandfather.
, Mount Sterling, Madison Co., Ohio
FROM:
A & L RENTSCHLER
Andrew and Elizabeth RENTSCHLER.
Dayton Ia. Dec. 6th 1889
Friend Bert
I will try to answer your welcome letter we received the last of
August. We misplaced your letter and didnot find it untill a few days ago
so we could not write(,) not knowing your address. You told us you was
married two years ago but we dont think it is to late to wish you joy and hope
you have a plesant and happy home.
We live in the same place. have a claim of 80 acers a small
though comfortable house have three sons fatening four
Hogs and hae thre to keep over winter. Crops were very good this year.
I will send you the Dayton Market.
| Hogs per cwt. |
$3.25 |
@ |
2.30 |
| Cattle " |
2.00 |
" |
3.50 |
| Oat bu. |
12 |
" |
13 |
| Corn " |
18 |
" |
20 |
| Butter |
10 |
" |
22 |
| Eggs |
|
|
16 |
| Cream per inch |
|
|
14 |
| Milk per cwt. |
|
|
80 |
I supose you know I have to do Andy's writeing so if your wife wants to be
even with me she will have to return the compliment You did not tell
us
her name
Helen Augusta (WOOD) STAGE, my great-grandmother.
Do you live in town I
cannot write very well now for i have a sore hand and arm, has been sore for six
weeks. Andy has been tile ditching
Elmers
Working theory: Elmer is a relative (Elmer STAGE?), friend, or neighbor who recently moved to Iowa. Unclear if he would have been moving from Ohio or Pennsylvania. (Another?) Elmer comes up again in this letter from Ida STAGE. In that letter it's 2 years later; maybe he gave up and moved back to Ohio.
came out here again to live but I supose you knew that before this letter
reaches you. He dose not own any land.
I hope this will find you all well and enjoying yourselves I will
bring this scribbling to a close by wishing you and your friends A merry
Christmas and Happy New Year.
from A & L RENTSCHLER
to Bert STAGE & Wife
We send our best regards and hope to hear from you soon
Comment from Dorothy Thurston: The letter from Geo. N. Hecathorn (following)
was written on the back of the above letter.
FROM:
Geo. N. HECATHORN
George N. HECATHORN is Elizabeth RENTSCHLER's brother.
, Dayton, S. Iowa, December 6th 1889
Mr.
STAGE
Dear Sir
I will drip you a few lines and wishing you much joy. if not to late
and in one year a Bouncing Boy
We are haveing Beautiful weather at Preasant
Do you remember the onions at
Grandfathers
Have not come across anything that links George HECATHORN
and Bert STAGE in a familial way. Seems Bert was expected to know who "Grandfather" was, though.
yet and
little Black Bettie
"Black betty" has had a lot of meanings through the years: gun, whip, whiskey, or wagon.
and thats the way I Serve the MarShels I guess I will
Close
Soup Soup
Write Soon
Good By From
Geo. N. HECATHORN
Dayton, S. Iowa