Letter from Benjamin Franklin Christlieb to Ervin G. Chrislip–11 Aug 1894

B. F. Christlieb
Dealer in

Dry Goods, Notions Groceries
Hardware, Boots, Shoes
Stationery, etc.

Long Lake, Minn. August 11, 1894

Ervin G. Chrislip

Dear Cousin: Excuse my delay in acknowledging the receipt of your letter of July 23^rd. I thank you much for taking an interest in the matter of furnishing the family record of the Virginia Branch of our race. Was pleased to learn your age so as to be able to compare with myself. You say you are 60 and I am 58 soon. Time passes. It does not seem to be a very long time since the war. Then we were yet in our 20’s and now we are approaching the 60’s. The numbers show a large space which memory enumerates as a yesterday only.

I receive letters from cousin James A Conner, not a great while ago and as he writes in a peculiar way it’s hard at times for me to make out all he wants to say, but as near as I could make out his last letter he had got hurt some way in a fall in his business plumbing. I hope that he is recovering.

Did you visit Pennsylvania some time within 8 or 10 years? I visited Penn^a in Jan, Feb, & March, 1887.

Samuel Christlieb informed that one of the Virginia Relatives had visited there. I left Pennsylvania first -- 1859 and came to Minnesota and visited there in the winter of 1861-62 and again in 1864-5 and never got back there again till 1887 when I went to Washington and saw Conner’s folks--I also visited Washington 1859 just before I came Minnesota and saw Conners folks there. My health first gave out in 1873 and since I have confined my travels to the western states generally.

I thought I would write this letter acknowledging the receipt of your letter and give some family news. Our Pennsylvania Branch are scattered all through the West. Some of them I have lost track but am trying to learn some of them. I have the names as far as the generation to which you and I belong--2^nd cousins of yours and first cousins of mine. They are necessarily old people now, if alive at all -- I am the youngest of my family and several of my cousins were old enough to be my father being born in the first and second decade of the present century. Some of them are long lived. Most of my family are dead--five dead and three are still alive. My sister in Missouri is 70 which is a good age, and brother Isaac who lives here is 60. I have no children alive and am a widower. I have a wife and child in their graves.

I am sorry that cousin Solomon has not got along well in life a matter which I cannot understand as he is no spendthrift or drunkard, but on that poor Pennsylvania land it is necessary to look very closely after everything especially small items.

I will be pleased to receive the family record and information when ever you can get it up. At present there is no hurry as I have others to hear from. Accept my love for yourself and family and convey the same to my Virginia relatives.

I remain as ever sincerely.

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