7 November 1886, Letter from F. Reichenbach to his cousin Christian Frautschi
University of Wisconsin-Madison. Max Kade Institute. Frautschi
Letters (MKI/Frautschi3/R1886E)
Electronic version: http://frautschi-letters.mki.wisc.edu/let/R1886/Reichenbach1886.html
McKinney, KY, Nov. 7 1886
Esteemed Cousin Christian!
We were very glad to receive your valued letter of October 26.
Forgive us for not replying immediately; we will now attempt to
do so. At the end of March 1887, it will be six years since we
left Saanen. We had a fairly good trip, a powerful storm on the
seas, and so we arrived around the middle of April in West Virginia,
our first destination, following the advice of a compatriot. We
did not like it, though, and so we headed back to Kentucky, to
the Swiss colony in Lanzel County, where we spent the first summer
on a small farm we leased; and in the fall, we headed back to
Stanford, KY, where again a compatriot, who through unscrupulous
___ and misrepresentations, sold us a house for a relatively high
price in a seemingly remote location where there is no traffic.
We spent the winter there, and in spring we bought the farm on
which we now live. It originally comprised 165 acres, of which
we sold ten last year. The land is fairly good, although it shows
traces of poor farming. We have a beautiful orchard of about ten
acres. The buildings we found were not in good shape. We built
a barn in the second year. The fencing was also very poor. It
only cost us 4,300 dollars. We cannot say that we have a blooming
business, since farming is not very profitable, due to the current
low prices of products. The climate is healthy. Up to now, Thank
God, we were spared from severe and long sicknesses. We are in
the District of the so-called Saaners' Colony, but it cannot be
properly called a colony, since the farms are quite scattered,
with English farms inbetween.
Your friend and acquaintance Isaak Haldi lives with his family
about four miles from us, on the outermost corner of the so-called
Saaners' Colony. Our next German neighbor comes from the Grisons,
and is the richest of the local Germans. Christian Schopfer and
Jos. from Grnigen, teachers, are also here, and live next to each
other. Hans Haudwirts and his wife (who have also been in Wisconsin)
also live here, as well as many others whom you cannot know. We
still do not have a German church, since there are not yet enough
Germans. However, in the Lutherheim colony not far from here,
they inaugurated a Catholic church a short while ago, and a Lutheran
church is being built. We would like to send you a photograph
we took when we were still in Switzerland before we left. It shows
the entire family. As soon as we have an opportunity...
[end is missing]
[Fritz Reichenbach]