We have not heard from Emanuel Fashbaugh since his last letter, 08 Nov
1878- about 9 months ago.
There has been a significant death in both the Firestone and Hartline
households.
28 Mar 1878:
Mary Clementine Firestone, age 19, 5 days short of her 20th birthday,
died. I believe her to be the 3rd child of Sam & Sarah Firestone.
09 May 1879:
Mary Alice Hartline, age 28, wife of Jonas Snyder, 1st daughter and 2nd
child of Frederick and Lovina Fashbaugh Hartline, died in Franklin Twp,
Tuscarawas, Ohio.
3 children survive Mary Alice:
Frederick Maximilian Snyder, age 8; Daniel Webster Snyder, age 6
and Lydia "Lillie" Roselema Snyder, age 3.
Details provided upon request. This is a Kosciusko County venue.
letter, Samuel Firestone Jr, Pierceton, Indiana to his wife's sister and
her husband, Frederick and Lovina Fashbaugh Hartline, my great
grandparents, Franklin Twp, Tuscarawas, Ohio
Frederick Hartline
Franklin Twp
Tuscarawas County, Ohio August 17, 1879
"It is with much gratitude I thank you for your most kind and welcome
letter. It was received with much Anxiety and Care. Was glad to hear
from you and yet sorry to hear of the death of Mary Alice.
"We know how to sympathize with you. We have passed through the same
ordeal. We are always sorry to part with those that are dear to our
heart yet when they die in hope that Immortality Beyond the Grave and
all is peace as they pass through the Cold Hand of death, we may ever
rrjoice that it was a way where we can be forever at rest through all
eternity.
"The day before Mary Clementine died I asked her if we waited on her
good enough. Yes, she said, I don't know how I will ever pay you
and Mother for waiting on me. Said I to her. Mary, have you thought of
dying once? She said, Pa, I won't die. I have a home in Heaven so we
may ever rejoice that salvation is free.
"Friend Fred and Lovina and family, I do feel a deep sympathy with you.
Your loss is her Gain. We all pass along sooner or later. A natural
death isn't so hard as an accidental death.
"Last Monday it was a thrashing machine engine that blew up a few miles
west of Pierceton. It tore the right arm and shoulder off one man and
another was struck on the back part of the head and broke his scull.
The engineer was badly scalded but will recover.
"Now friends, I will endeavor to give you some information in answer to
your request. We have not been to Milford since last April. Mother
promised us to come out and stay 2 or 3 weeks in May. We didn't see any
of them 'til the First day of July. Phoebe Smith brought Mother out and
was going to stay overnight. Do you think we could get her to stay? Not
a bit of it. She crawled back into the buggy and went home. Her health
is some better than it was last winter yet she isn't stout at all.
"Emanuel and Lavina was out and stayed overnight with us 5 weeks ago
last night. That was as long as they could stay. Daniel was here last
Wednesday night. Pete Smith and Daniel Fashbaugh is running a livery
stable.
"Emanuel says he can't find out much about Pete's financial business.
Some thinks he is sinking money. He traded his grocery for a dwelling
house and got $500 to boot, then he traded his dwelling that he lived in
for a livery stable and got $500 to boot. A man told me Pete sunk
$400-$500 in that trade. I don't know a thing about it. only from
hearsays. nor do I care anything about it.
"Emamuel has rented his and his Mother's house to his brother-in-law,
William Alley. On what conditions, I don't know.
"Now about Elias. He is farming and is getting his place fixed up
nice. He has 10 acres of corn in. That is good. He was at all expense
and got too thin. He had 200 bushel to his share. He is well
satisfied on the farm. His wife is Dissatisfied. Wants to go back into
town. Elias got the house remodeled last Spring and everything fixed to
her notion yet she says she is ready to go back to town.
"Now Fred it would answer your question. I would gladly do so. That is
why the Boys don't answer your Letters. Elias nor his wife hasn't been
here since you was. We are on good terms as far as I know. They can
stay away as long as they please. We have asked them to come and they
promise. They are like some people who pay their debts with promises.
If Elias don't give up to Rachel and stick to his farm he will be all
right. He tells her to go back to town if she can do better than stay
with him. He won't go.
"If I had space I would give you an outline of what I was told by them
that was there. They said it was goers and comers for 3 or 4 days as
though there was a corpse at the house. She won't let Uncle John Mock
thrash. She says he has enough machinery to run at home.
"Crops never was any better than they are this summer. Wheat is good
in yield and quality. William Zimmerman, west of Leesburgh had an
average of 42 bushels per acre.
"Fred, this is all the paper I can find about the house and the reason
is I have interlined it. Sarah and I went to Camp Meeting last
Sunday at Warsaw. Heard a colored lady preach and saw a big crowd
of people estimated at 10,000 people.
"Sarah is in your state today. She left last Friday with one of her
church sisters. Their destination is Defiance, Ohio. They will return
tomorrow. They carried in their church report.
"We are all well at present. Hope this finds you all the same. About
coming in if I don't go West, we may come and bring Mother along. Fred,
things isn't so Lovely with Uncle John Mock and wife as they was the
evening we was there. Emanuel's wife, Lavina, off and raised old nick
in general. They all agreed on a Divide but finally
compromised. Samuel Firestone
respectfully transcribed verbatim from the original
Jim Hartline, Sterling Heights, Michigan