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Freiburg, 6 March, 1889
(Stationery has picture of
Freiburg Catherdral in upper
left corner with the words:
"Greetings from the Garrison")
Dear Brother
It has been two months already since I received your letter. You may well
have expected an answer earlier. Well, you know I am no great friend of
writing. Thus I keep putting it off, but it has gone a little too long. I do
not want to write you much about my life as a soldier. Things stay pretty
much the same. The main thing is that half it will be over soon, even if I
can not get away next fall. So far I still have hope but it does not matter
what happens and all others can not get out either. It would be all the same
for personally but our father would be happy if he would not have to keep a
strange farm hand, and "Black Christen" would not have to pack his traveling
bag every Saturday. That is the best if I should not get anything, then I
would probably not have participated for even six weeks. It is due to this
that one can stand it better.*
From the 24th of February to the 2nd of March I was on special commission to
Offenburg where our district command is, to work there. I would have liked
it there fairly well for a soldier is regarded more highly there than in
Freiburg and there are only 20 men there, too.**
I do not have much to write you about hoime. I was home at Christmas for 12
days and since that time no one has been to see me. I had wanted to be at
the burial of Fidel but received the letter too late. They were unable to
notify me before they were given permission to convey the body home. Father
wrote that he had planned to come but that the winter had been too cold, for
the winter has been rather long, with always a lot of snow and it has been
cold. Things will not be much different with us either, probably.
The son of Oberaucher opened the inn next to the Hirsh Inn.
Now I wnt to conclude my letter. Kind regards from your brother,
Fr. Ant. Fahrlander
*This is puzzling as translated. "Black Christen" must have been a dark
complexioned farm hand who went home on Saturday nights, but the following
sentences are not clear.
**Offenburg is about 12 miles north of Freiburg, according to the map, and
Freiburg about 12 miles southwest of Siegelau.
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