100 year old letter
MARING
Posted By: Helen DeHoedt (email)
Date: 6/14/2004 at 19:31:09
EXLINE RESIDENT HAS LETTER THAT IS 100 YEARS OLD
Mrs. Hannah Maring has a letter she treasures highly. It was written nearly a century ago and has long since turned yellow with age and the edges are becoming frayed.
The letter was written by Mrs. Maring's Uncle William Holman of Livingston, Kentucky, to her father, Harry John Holman, who resided at Bloomington, Macon Co. Missouri. At that time there were no postage stamps or envelopes like we are so familiar with today, so the stationery was folded in such a manner as to form an envelope. Then in the upper right hand corner, where we place a stamp, the number of cents due for postage was set down in numbers. In this instance it was 10 cents. The flap at the bottom was closed with sealing wax.
The penmanship is extremely neat and plainly written with beautiful capital letters. The whole style of the letter seems odd to us. No attention is paid to punctuation, but in spite of this it is easily read and understood.
The writer's favorite expression seems to be, " I can inform you." He speaks of having purchased a new farm on the river about eight miles from Livingston for Four hundred and fifty dollars, and of having twenty-five hundred dollars at that time of taxable property. So we note that in that year of 1847 taxes had to be paid, but perhaps they were not so high or included so many things as we know them now.
Mr. Holman also speaks of the death of a son, James, 18, who was born Aug. 19, 1828. He states that cause of death was a pain in his side (probably appendicitis, which can be cured so deftly now by an operation). During the son's illness, his wife Sarah, died, taken as he puts it "with a pain in the nose and changed to the bowel complaint." Both ailments probably could have been very promptly and easily checked with modern medical knowledge of today.
He goes on to say, " I can inform you that I am married again to Rachael Hosick." The letter continues that it will be out of his power to come to Missouri to see his "conecion" (probably means relatives) but at the close of the letter wishes to be informed about the nearest river city as he plans to make the trip by water as it was by far the cheapest mode of travel.
He mentions the price of a number of farm products including corn selling at from fifty to sixty-five cents per bushel, oats forty-five, bacon nine to ten dollars per hundred weight, flour five to six dollars a barrel.
This is to mention a few of the things of interest in the letter that contrast much with our modern life.
The salutaion reads: "Dear brother, I embrace this opportunity of writing you a few lines." The close states, "So nothing more at present, only remain your affectionate brother until death."
To receive a letter in those days was something of an event and many of them were treasured as keepsakes. Mrs. Maring, who is well past the three score years and ten goal in life, is proud to have fallen heir to this one.
Later a neighbor informs us, Mrs. Maring will be 78 on March 23. Although she is not able to leave her home she manages to do her own housework. As she resides alone, she especially enjoys visits paid her by friends and neighbors.
Appanoose Documents maintained by Renee L. Rimmert.
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