Duelm, Benton Co., MN, January 2, 1892
Dear brother, sister-in-law and Wilhelm,
I was just in South (Sauk) Rapids on my way to start my new office when there, I received your letter and the pictures. We get mail delivery three times a week, but in S. Rapids several times a day. And when I go there, I can pick up my mail there. When I left there on the tram to St. Cloud, I opened the letter, but before I read it, I thought to open the package with the pictures first to see if I would recognize anyone without reading the letter. Oh, yes! Too well did I know the house.
But the other dwelling, I would not have known
is nice, and how much does such a grave cost over there?
The house is clear to me, but there seems to be a
hedge in front of it that I didn't know. And I also don't know that thing that covers half
of the barn view. The hedge takes away from the real look of the house to someone who
doesn't know it, for they would believe the house to be so low, as they would take the
hedge for the ground.
The pictures were well wrapped, but, I still
carried them a week long in my pocket, and the black of one transferred itself onto the
picture with the house which became a little spotty. And if you could still spare another
one, I would like that a lot, and I apologize for my carelessness.
The picture was well taken, and the artist
H.K. should have made a little more effort to avoid the white spots at the gable and roof
and elsewhere of the house because in reality, they are not there. Who was that standing
by the window in the lower bedroom, and why didn't you plant yourself somewhere in front of
the house? I thank you herewith so much for it, and also Bertha, she, too, was so happy with
the pictures.
Our little daughter is named Augusta Clara,
and Bernard Voerding (my brother in law) and Dina Esselmann, a daugher of
Clemens Esselmann, who lives with us, were Godparents. Clemens Esselmann's son
Hermann Esselmann is also with us, working in the store, and Bernard Ruhoff's son
Heinrich (Ruhoff) works our fields. Heinrich Potthoff (Placke) is still here. He is
still alive, but he is lame and shaky. He can't leave the house, it is a pity.
August Bontrup is still with Schultebein. I'll tell him about your hunting luck.
Our Wilhelm loves to shoot, too. He would like to
write you a letter, but his German isn't too good, and he doesn't feel much like it, either. And besides, he doesn't learn the best in school. This
winter, he is staying home. Learning takes so much out of him, he is sort of weak, more
tall than strong. He goes to school here, where it is easier than in St. Cloud.
Bertha is with friends of us in St. Cloud and goes to school there. She learns easier
than Wilhelm.
So, it was Monday, January 2nd, when I
journied to start my new office. I had to be in St. Paul on the 3rd, where the legislature
opened at noon, and after all were sworn in, we went to lunch. After that, the
representatives were chosen and installed and, at 4PM the meeting was adjourned to resume
at 10AM the next morning, when preparations were made to receive the governors of Minnesota
by noon, so the old one could retire and the new one was instated. Both held speeches, and
by 1PM, they were done, and so was our day's work.
Thursday, we convened again at 10AM, so everyone
would get a certain seat assigned for the duraton of the session. Everyone has a soft easy
chair and a desk. Now, some bills were presented, debated and tabled and at noon, the
meeting was adjourned to reassemble Monday, the 9th, at 4PM, but then, it probably will get
serious. To me, it is all still very new.
I took this opportunity to go home which I plan to
do every Sunday, for, as I hear, there won't be any meetings on Satudays or Monday mornings.
It's about 75 miles to St. Cloud. This session may not take longer than 90 days,
Sundays included, and the office pays $5.00 a day, Sundays included. Here, it is not like
with you, where such people get paid wih just the honor. Here, every office from the lowest
to the highest gets paid for. Also, I have now free traveling on the Railroad in the whole
state of Minnesota, not elsewhere, though. In our chamber, we have 114 men or representatives.
The hotel costs $2.00 a day, but there, we also get our meals. As far as the heart .........
(illegible) is concerned, there is a steam elevator to the upper
floors to the bedrooms.
Whoever thinks that this office is not too
meaningful is mighty mistaken. When I wired representatives (congressmen), I thought that
there was a lot about it, because of two kinds of representatives or confidants in Germany,
I wouldn't know what a trustee would be.
Regarding the German hater Davis, he is probably
going to be reelected, since he doesn't have a republican opponent, and we democrats don't
have sufficient voters to nominate one. But, whatever, he is not getting my vote. He is
trying to get a senate seat in the USA, the legislature in Washington, DC, where every state
sends its senators and congressmen. We, too, have a great number of senators in our state in
the legislature who negotiate individually and at times vote with us, also for the above
mentioned senator.
I also sent two Calenders. One has a picture of
the largest building of the world's fair. Schould I find time, I will write you in a few
days from St. Paul.
With greetings to you all and all who ask for me,
Clemens and wife and children
Translated by Lucia Nezelek
