February 2 1855, Letter from Abraham Frautschi to his brother Jakob Frautschi

University of Wisconsin-Madison. Max Kade Institute. Frautschi Letters (MKI/Frautschi3/A1855E)

Electronic version: http://frautschi-letters.mki.wisc.edu/let/A1855/Abraham1855.html

Saanen, February 2, 1855

Beloved Brother!

Why, by not writing, do you cause us to fear that either you have not reached (the place) where (from which) we long ago expected a letter, or the address is not right. Already two years ago we wrote that you should describe the nature and condition of your home region (Heimat), but we have received no letter about it.

Write to us whether your locality is settled, or whether we still could buy land that has a sunny situation and that lends itself for building and that is fertile and good for cultivation. You should describe for us the direct way from port to port, from place to place, from state to state, and how much the journey as a whole requires. What is wood worth there, whether (there is) also Kries (?), needle pine, and red fir, or only broad leaf trees. Whether you now have a suitable house and barn with many cattle and also are in a good situation, or whether there are rapacious animals and wild men. Also if there is a need there for a school teacher; write to me, and next spring I will surely send it on to my Johannes (who is) with my brothers in Geneva.

Concerning all of this I beg you not to be angry with me for asking these questions and how it is going, so that we will be relieved of anxiety that something bad has happened,
and whether you are all alive and well. Write to me whether implements are expensive there, and what one can take along on the journey for food preparation, a hatchet, linen; and tell us what things cost, for example provisions of all kinds and household goods.

Poverty and all sorts of land problems are increasing, and accordingly I am thinking of joining you; therefore I hope you are willing to describe the journey clearly, what we should take along on the journey, where we should land and stay; write which way we should take from New York; whether you traveled only by steamship that went so fast it took 350 hours from New York (then you were on the way much longer than if you had gone on foot), and what the trip cost per person. Whether you made your house of wall wood (Wandholz) only, or of framework (Laden).

Two years ago we sent you a letter which cost us three francs. So now write and tell us what 8 Pochel (?) and a shilling in our currency come to in your money there; whether stony hills are fertile and sunny there, how long the winters are and how much snow there is, and whether there are mills and sawmills. I beg you not to resent the trouble and postage expense in answering these questions. We are waiting a long time already for a letter, so write to me in any case as quickly as you can.

We hope that this letter finds you all in good health, as we are well and greet you a thousand
times, your friend
Abraham Frautschi.

Brother I hope you are not angry with me that I have asked you such questions. So now, please I ask you in any case to answer me, so that I may rejoice. Amen.

Should this letter not arrive at the right place, write so that the letter reaches either this right man, Joh. Jakob Frautschi, (who) departed to this (your) country from Saanen; I desire these greetings to provide information from America whether the address is not correct where the letter arrived.

Write whether a school teacher is needed there; we have waited daily for a letter.

The right address: An (to) Abraham Frautschi in der Bissen zu Saanen, Kanton Bern, Schweiz, Welttheil Europa.