This the first of a series of letters from early Kinzer settlers in the mid 1800s.The persons identified have their ID numbers in parenthesis and italicized. Kinzers are in bold print. LETTER FROM JOHN
KINZER
TO SAMUEL LINN
BEAVER DAM
MAY 16,
1844
Dear Brother & Sister and
family.
I am very sorry to hear of the bad health of sister Catherine but we
hope that her health may return to be good again. We have great reason to be
thankfull to the Creator of all good for his mercies to us. We are all in the
injoyment of a reasonable shape of health.
Oald age is coming on us we have
entered on our seventyeth year and the many _____ and _____ left. And hard work
shoes it self with Anney and myself. We are getting very stiff and clumsey but
we are free of pains. We can lay down at night and sleep sound. Our appetites
is good we can eat all kind of vituels without any ingery from it. I have been
a good deal afflicted with rheumatic pain for better than too years that I
scarcely know what it was to get a good night sleep.
About the beginning last
August in the year 1843 a neighbour of mine in company with me went to the hott
spring in Verginie about 75 miles beyond Staunton. We remaind there just one
week bathing onste every day.
The first day I baithed in the pool of one
hundred degrees heat. The second day I went in one hundred & three degrees
heat. I was not more than 30 minutes in that heat til I had severe pain than I
even had before . I remaind in about one hour. The pain continued for about
21/2 hours I then went into the same pool and in about haff an hour the pain
left me and I have not had anything of it since. The next two days I went into
a pool of one hundred six degrees. I felt quite comfortable in that pool and
well.
As the others the two last days we finished aff(off) in what they call
the boyler. It is a greater heat when we came out of that heat we then had a
bed to get in immediately after and take a swet. You could have no ide how
easey the swett comes. It seems to run out of you in streems so fast that it
runs through the bed and along the floor. My neighbour as well as myself have
bean relieved since . No return of the rheumatic pain.
Dear friends I now will
gave you some acaunt of our childron in the west. My son Henry has sold his
farm (Harrison Co. IN) and moved about 40 miles down he river from where he had
bean living. He now lives in a little town calld Rome. Keeps store and has a
Store Boat that he trades down the river with himself & wife and too childron.
Ware down the river for 8 months from in the faul til this spring and made fine
sales.
They lived on the river day and night. Now his wife and 2 daughters
tend the store at home. Himself and one young man are down the river with the
store boat.
There is no credit in that way on the river. He wrote to me that
his sales averaged from thirty to thirty five dollars per day. He could
reville(refill or restock) his store along the river in the principal towns if
he run out of some articles. He says he can make more money in that way than
any way he has ever hide (had).
Our daughter Salley Willard and family are all
in good health the rest of the friends there are all well. I will now give you
some account of the friends in Lancaster County.
Just one year ago Anney and
myself paid our friend a viset. We had not bean to see them for ten years
past. We found a great change in them. That is still alive Brother John
Slaymaker has faild verry much his wife ___ also faild. Sister peggy free has
faild rather more than any of the rest of the friends there.
The last of last
August Alexander Buffington & his wife & John Buffingtons daughter in company
with Maryann Slaymaker who had went to Harrisburg on a viset to see the
Buffington friends there found them all in good health. Alexander Buffington
got a hack and the four got in and paid us their first viset they remaind about
one week.
We much pleased with our friends. I think that Mrs. Buffington is a
very fine industrous woman. They are in good circumstances oans (owns) too good
houses in Harrisburg. Mary Ann Slaymaker a very fine young woman stayd with us
till the last of November when my son Jasper and my granddaughter Ann Eliza
Paxton(?) and my grandson Henry Stoner they took the carriage and took Maryann
hoam and then found the friends there all well. And they ware much gratified to
see where there friends ware living.
For thence heres was any of those thence
before. Our daughter Catherine ____are well and doing well and doing well.
They have butt 3 children two daughters and one son. The daughters are fine
young woman.
Your old and reverend friend Smith who was your parson in Verginea
is living in fredirick town Maryland. He and family are well he was here with
us a few days ago. He preaches here in our house a few weeks ago. He wishes to
be remembered to you and family.
I almost forgot as Mary was going home they
stopped for breckfest 2 miles beyond Columbi for breckfest at a tavern. One of
the daughters got talking with Nancy ann Slaymaker. After leaving her home she
said that ther was 4 _____ Slaymakers died and bury a few days ago. Mary asked
where she lived and she told her which was her sister Betsy which was your
brothers ___. She had a baby 4 weeks old. The child is well.
I must conclude with ascribing
my self your ever well wishing frend until death.
John Kinzer
Anney and the family joins me in
our best wishes to your self Catherine and family.
John K
The envelope was addressed to: Mr. Samuel Linn
Hillsboro, Highland Co, Ohio
Dated May 16, 1844.
Transcribed by Larry Kinzer on Feb. 9, 2007
in Bradenton, FL
The copy of the original letter was acquired through the
Lancaster County Historical Society.
The letter is part of the Samuel Slaymaker II, White Chimneys Collection, MG-268 Series 2, Box 7.
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