January 6 1867, Letter from Johann Jacob Frautschi to his parents and brothers in Switzerland

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

Electronic version: http://frautschi-letters.mki.wisc.edu/let/JJ1867/JohannJacob1867.html

Spring Green, January 6, 1867

Dearest Parents and Brothers,

I received your letter on December 28th at my uncle's house, for cousin Jacob had come to take me there from Spring Green. My heartfelt thanks for your encouraging letter at this time.

In short, I will try to describe to you my well being and to the best of my knowledge, the land and customs as truthfully as possible. On October 3rd, I started to work for my English guardian at Spring Green. The pay was thirty dollars plus board and laundry until the start of the New Year.

In the beginning, it was a slittle hard, not understanding (the language) and the work was done differently than in Switzerland. Also, the tools were different. That's the reason why my wages were so small. With God's help and my sweat, I learned some English in three months and was able to write a little.

My employer wanted to hire me for a year. That was too long for me. I decided to remain with him for half a year. The pay will be 18 dollars a month plus board, laundry and one pair of boots.

Now, a little about the higher wages. One to two dollars a day are paid to a day laborer during harvest time when not too many people are available to help out. The same is true for craftsmen during the busy times of the year. There are times when a laborer has little or no work and must spend 3 to 4 1/2 dollars for food each week. Shoemakers do not receive the best pay. A farmhand if he makes 15 dollars a month is well off. Some farmhands get more in summertime, but then are let go during the winter months. But a few are kept on, receiving only room and board.

There is still plenty of land for sale here. The sight of the unbroken land scared me in the beginning until I saw that the bushes were full of hazelnuts.

There is not as much work to be had as you might think. When the land has not been worked, there are days when big plows, pulled by 10 to 12 oxen, are used to break up the land. A lot of hay is made after the harverst in the fall, and the hay is piled up without poles. During the winter months, the cows feed on the hay in the fields and are returned to the stables in the evening. Though some keep their cows outside. The cows do not give much milk in the winter, but in the summer must be milked regularly, whether stabled or outside. The farmers put fences only around their corn and hayfields to keep the animals out, and to save time, the fences are built without horizontal laths. Split wood is used and staked in this fashion XXXXXXXXXX .

Many houses and barns are erected very quickly both in the cities and villages. they are built with boards. Small boards are anchored and placed 1 to 3 feet apart, vertically. Then thinner and smaller boards are placed horizontally and nailed to the uprights, not up and down, but across, and then are sealed. Some of these dwellings have no basements or attics and are cold and deteriorate very quickly. I prefer a log cabin.

The interior layouts are also quite different, for everyone has his own idea as to what is desired and also depending on how much money is to be spent. If you have money, you can buy machines and tools to work the land alone and not be bothered by worldly sorrows and live with your family in relative prosperity.

To be alone and have nothing to start on must be very hard. Some who have come do not like America. Perhaps because they were not born here or because of the cold and warm climate which has ruined their health. We also have good and bad people.

It surprised me that you went out and spent money when we left the country. You should remember you may have to send money, or that some of the animals will come to harm, and then you will face hard times. What will become of me, I do not know. I cannot even tell you if I will stay in America or not.

In October we had a week of snow and cold followed by a late summer weather lasting 2 weeks and then it snowed again, and on warm days it rained. The farmers are still waiting for snow to have sled trails. In the other states they have had plenty of snow.

I am always happy to put on my comfortable warm clothes, the ones I brought from home. They remind me thankfully of our faithful, hardworking mother. Good clothes here cost 25 to 30 dollars. Everything has become expensive since the end of the war here in America. There are many orphans and widows as a result of the war, and an outbreak of sore throats with quite a few people dying from it.

<footnote> Probably from an epidemic of influenza, which often occurs after wars, but more likely an outbreak of diphtheria, a severely contaious disease and, in the past, occurred during autumn and winter. During the late 1800s, diphtheria epidemics swept Western Europe and in the United States</footnote>

I am fairly healthy. I enjoy being a shoemaker here, more than I did in Switzerland. When a shoemaker chews tobacco he is respected like a teacher. The farmers are even allowed to smoke a pipe.

I am wondering if my hastily written letter to Kisslinger was literally put in the paper.

The ticket which we reluctantly bought was a train ticket from New York to Madison, which is near Spring Green, and had value because the price of gold had risen in value. For 20 francs we received 5 1/2 dollars in paper money. The money exchange for the two tickets came to 50 francs if we had purchased them in New York instead of in LeHarve [sic Le Havre]. The tickets were sold in the office where we paid for our cabin fare. We did not change money in LeHarve.

In America paper money is already in use and there is little counterfeiting. The value of gold is not stable, and it is lower now than last fall. There is money to be made with gold, but the money traders operate only when they can make a profit.

Write us what punishment Leopold Hutzlir received. Oswald Roth, my shoemaker employer in Spring Green would like for you to write in your next letter the address of his brother in Lausanne. Christian Reuteler's daughter will give it to you.

Now , I shall end and hope that you have patience with my short and hurried letter. Send us a letter soon with lots of news.

With good and healthy greetings in the name of God and your merciful forgiveness.

J.J.F.

Greetings to all relatives and friends who have sent greetings

1.
I wish to you all
At the beginning of this New Year
That the blessing of God should watch
over your body and soul
And that you remain in good health.

2.
Although I have traveled in to a distant land
Separated form my loved ones,
The bright sun's rays are for me love rays
And I will remember the words that our God's
Hand is here and there with you.

3.
The people in America
Are often changing
Their dealings are so different as
They strive for wealth.
They sell land and houses
And look for other things.

4.
A few are rich and without worry,
Others are very poor.
Soon death will come to both, much too soon
For the wealthy and the poor.
Watch over our paths
As we go to our Eternal reward.

I often visit the English preacher in Spring Green though I cannot enjoy it because there are only a few Germans here. But my body and soul enjoys the happy hours I spend wit hthe Roth family. Spring Green is on the railway and only 2 1/2 hours from our uncle's place.