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Jacob Scheef - Letters to Home - 24 July 1885

My husband's family are very fortunate as his great grandfather travelled back to Germany from Armidale, NSW from May to September 1885. While visiting family he sent many letters back to Australia and kept a diary of his time overseas. I'll post his letters on the day they were written. These letters can be seen at the University of New England (UNE) Archive in Armidale, NSW, Australia. Biographical Entry


Beilstein  Marbach
the 24 July 1885
My dear Wife and children
I have received 3 letters from you since I am in Germany the last two dated the 31 May and 2 June and I received the letter of recommendation from the Lodge as well as the 4 Expresses I see that you are all doing well and get on with your work well as for giving you any instructions or advice is of no value now because we are too far apart and I see through the letters that you manage right enough. When I wrote my first letter to you from here I was only 3 days here and they were wet so I could tell you very little since then I was in Höpfigheim Untertürkheim and the surprise I got there was the same as they were here Your Uncle Christian is alive yet and is well and hearty and so is his wife and they send you all their best wishes there are the most of your cousins in America and doing well.I will go and see them again before I go home and that won’t be long. Last week I was in Untertürkheim and saw the relatives there the most of my relatives are dead but one old uncle is still alive yet and is well he is 82 years of age and went with me to Stuttgart walking better than I could the country looks splendid everywhere grapes and pears are in abundance and the grains and all other produce look beautiful. Next week the harvest will begin and I have to look out for my return the time hangs heavy on me sometimes when I am not moving about from place to place I am trying to bring or send a waggon to you but as yet there is some difficulty about the transport of it the waggon will be a complete hay waggon of the carrying capacity between 4 and 5 tons and it will cost here £10 ten pound delivered at Heilbroun I will know next week if it can be transported or not If it can be transported I will not be able to go through America home as I will not have enough money left and then I will go from England with the same company as I came here with and that will be probably week after next as my staying here is of no use after that but I hope to receive another letter from you before I start homeward trusting at the same time that you are all well and in good spirit. As for myself I am getting on fine as far as my health is concerned only sometimes I feel that I am not at home and have nothing to do. I believe if nothing comes against me that when I be back again that I will be as healthy as I was ten years ago.
I hope this letter will find you all well and healthy and so is the wish of all our friends here and they send their best well wishes and respects to you all. Give my best respects to all my friends and acquaintances and I trust that I will be soon amongst you again.
Your loving Husband and Father
Jacob F Scheef

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