kessjournal2

I cannot yet quite understand how my dear parents could let their boy of that age leave them, probably forever. But boys are so insistant sometimes. My solution is tho, that a Greater Fathers Providence designed the way for me to go, for which I thank him daily.

After a voyage of nine days on the steamer New York, I arrived at New York. Homesick? And seasick? I was both. While I was welcome at my sisters, and her husband, what could they do for or with the boy! They found me short jobs, in a candy shop, and cigar shops stripping tobacco, and for a while helping my brother-in-law peddling vegetables on the streets of New York. On their taking up a homestead in Wisconsin, my brother-in-law found me a place as a apprentice in a bakery at three dollars a month with three hours sleep out of twenty-four. Soft snap for a fifteen year old youngster. But I was pleased. I was now beginning to earn money. Changing ships I got two and a half a week which made me feel like growing. After my sister and husband had left I made my home with my dear aunt, Margaret Old.

Now came the news from Father to come back home again and with it money for my fare home. I was ready to do so, but not with the money from Germany. This I deposited in the name of my aunt in the Bowery Savings Bank. Having started to save from my three dollar a month time, I soon had enough to take me home with my own savings.

This was in 1863, at the time of the war, when the dollar was work sixty cents and less, which reduced the value of my savings also.

The three years I had been in America were exciting times. They year I came the good President Lincoln was elected and I yet see the banners across the street saying: "Lincoln and No Slavery". Lots of drilling and patriotic songs.

My return home was on a sailing vessel on account of necessary economy. It docked in 22 days at Bremerhafen. My pile did not quite take me to my own dear hometown and although I had money enough in my possession which my aunt sent me for her brother, I walked home, twenty four miles. But night overtaking me I stopped over night with an acquaintance of our folks. And how welcome I was-the little man from America. This was about five miles from home. The distant cousin walked home with me. As to the date, I surprised my parents, and when my mother saw her boy again she grabbed him and held him so tight, and did no know her nose was bleeding on my clean white shirt. Dear, dear old mother!

When I went back home, it was with the intention that I should stay home with the parents and take over the estate. But it was not so ordered by Him, whose I am.

When I had left in 1860 my brother married and took over these obligations. But mother not being constituted to get along well with ther daughter-in-law, they had that family agreement reversed and had called me home. I was now at home two years and my brother and his wife found it hard to start anew in business. My parents and the young couple reconsidered matters and I, instead a bone of contention and hindering, acted as peacemaker and only ased for the passage to New York again.

And again, in 1865, I left alone for the beckoning shores of America. At Bremen the ship was ready to go, manned by the same Captain that had brought me over in 22 days, so I thought it lucky and took ship on the same. But it was sailing west instead of east the time and it took the captain fifty (50) days to bring his ship to the harbor at New York.

After working at the baker trade in New York for about six months, I got out of a job, and altho it was in cold January I edetermined to go into the country to where Vetter, my brother-in-law had taken up his homestead. To Fort Howard, was all I could go by rail and from there, sixty miles by boat on the Green Bay was the only way to go. The Bay froxen over, I took passage in an opend sled that carried the frozen fish from the grozen northern fisheries to Green Bay. Stipping over one night on the way we arrived the next day at the village of Fish Cree, from where I walked to find Vetter. I came to the open door of a log barn where I found him threshing rye with his lone flail. Seeing me he embraced me and wept.