September 1, 1895

Siegelau, 1 Sept. 1895

Dear Brother! 

I received your letter and discovered that Christian Rieder has written too. Well, dear Brother, we will settle our things this fall. You can well imagine that the matter still costs a good deal until everything will be arranged in the granary to be able to live and cook there properly.* We now really have Ulrich. He still has to make tables and chairs and some other things as well. Then we will still need masons. A wooden remise** is supposed to be put somewhere too, and thus much will be missing.
Well, everything will go all right if only all stay healthy. Otherwise things are pretty good. We are involved in harvest now. We are finished with about half of it, for the weather is very good. We have not had any rain for two weeks now. The harvest is mediocre. The grain harvest was not as good as it had been the last two years. However, the wheat is good; oats very beautiful in parts but poor in others. The smallest harvest is in orchard fruit; no cherries, no peaches, no plums. There have been a few apples and pears. That yield was of poor quality too. The trees are not healthy at all. Best of all was the feed. There was a lot of hay and good ____________.*** As far as potatoes are concerned it would appear that things are not very good either.
Well, dear Brother, as far as the matter is concerned, things will change for this year if all remains right and we stay healthy, for you know if one has quite a good portion of children and nothing of one's own, it is not easy to get by and times are not exactly brilliant either, to be sure, in regard to farming, for expenses are too high, but it will have to do. You will probably know that wood is not very profitable for us here. It is true that our father planted a lot, but it is still too young. Well, if only all stay moderately healthy.
I also have to inform you that we have had a little prince since the 6th of July. His name is Franz Joseph and he is healthy. Now it could stop, do you not think?
I do not have any further news for you and therefore want to conclude. Best regards to all of you from your brother and your brother-in-law. Best regards also from Theresia to your wife.
Farewell,

Fr. Anton

* The granary (which Dad said that when he was a boy, had been used for grain storage on first floor, and sleeping rooms on the second) is now being made into living quarters presumably for the retiring father and mother. When I was there in 1965 it appeared to still be used as living quarters, and the windows were sparkling, backed by dazzling white curtains, as I was to see nearly all houses I passed in Germany and Switzerland, no matter how old or humble.
**The German word "remise" means "couch house", according to my German-English Dictionary.
***The word in Latin or English letters, is "ohmt", but meaning unknown. I could not find it in my German-English Dictionary.

Brief note in envelop postmarked Medford, Oklahoma, September 10, 1895.
Envelop is imprinted: Return in 10 days to: McChristy & Trease, Dealers in Flour, Feed, Grain and Coal, Medford, Oklahoma. The underlined words have been crossed out and "N. D. Koch" written above. The note states:
Brother Johann is still in Denver. Regards to Uncle Christian* and family from me. I have not heard anything from Germany for some time.
My address
Nick Koch
Lamar
Prowers Co.
Colo.

Envelop is addressed to Mr. H. Fahrlander, Council Bluffs, Iowa, care B. Brandt, Box 574.

* At this time I do not know who 'Uncle Christian" might be.
 

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