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Siegelau, Feb. 21, 1914
Dear Hermann!
After I had the old clock repaired, which took a long period of time, it has
worked well for some time now and has been accurate too, in keeping time.
Yesterday your brother took it along to Waldkirch from where the clock will
be mailed by a merchant, Wintermantel, a stone mason. The clock needs
weights for its running, about 3 pounds and rather more than less than that,
and for the striking works of the clock, 2 1/2 pounds. Please be careful
when you open the wooden box. The lid is screwed on and thus can be screwed
off again. I tied the pendulum firmly to the face of the clock.
The youngest daughter of your late sister Rosa at the "Trenkler" farm (her
name is Bertha, your Godchild, who is now 24 years old) has been married for
about three weeks now.* She lives on a smaller estate in the fore part of
the valley, formerly used by the owner as a shop to make farm carts and
wagons. It is, as mentioned before, not a big estate, but the people there
manage quite well. There would be meadow fodder for two cows and the
corresponding amount of farming acreage to grow crops for bread for the
owners. I pushed a photograph showing her and her wedding dress, into the
clock. I hope everything will arrive there well. The bridegroom comes from
the same place; his name is Josef Kaltenbach, the son of Wilhelm Kaltenbach
and Bertha, nee Walter. The parents are still alive.
Besides this photograph, two other pictures are included as well. There is
one view of our place and another one taken of the lot not far from the
house. Some of the girls, the oldest boy Joseph, and I had just come running
from the mill to the picture, with me holding the smallest girl and standing
there. The picture is quite good. I shoved the photograph into the clock and
if you open the small door on the left side, they will fall out.
Even though I have not written you for quite some time, I am with you and
family a lot in my thoughts. Mother and I are, thank God, really well so
that we can take care of our tasks daily. However, age can be felt all
right, since I will be 73 by next July. Under these circumstances one must
be glad if he can still get up every morning. From the picture you will be
able to see that I am an old man.
The past year, 1913, cannot be counted among the good ones. Fodder and fruit
did grow in abundance to be sure but due to the terrible amount of rain, it
was impossible to bring it in safely. During the month of April we had frost
every night from the 10th until the 16th. On the 12th the cold went down to
7 degrees Reaumur.** As a consequence we had no fruit at all last year; all
of it was killed by frost. Correspondingly there was no wine in the vineyard
areas either. A lot of Spanish wine is consumed in our inns now. A liter of
it costs as much as 1.20 marks. Apart from that I do not have any news to
tell you.
With the best parental greetings to the family, your Father,
F. A. Fahrlander
Please write us as to how you receive the clock.
* This daughter would be the baby born in 1890 when Dad was visiting in
Siegelau. He evidently served as Godfather at its Baptism. Rosa died soon
after, from influenza.
** Reaumur, was a French physicist (1683-1757), who designated a temperature
scale which registers the boiling point of water at 80 degrees and freezing
point at 0 degrees.
Note: The "smallest girl" that the father mentions he is holding, must be
Frida (b. May 19, 1911), youngest child of Dad's brother. I saw her in 1965
and again in 1974. Her husband (Noper) was killed in WWII.
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