LETTERS II
Special thanks to Ulla Przevolka who translated this
German letter for us.
Letter from a Kunz brother (Dornach, Germany) to Joseph Kunz (Elvaston, Illinois):
Dornach, the 9th of January, 1879
Dear brother and sister-in-law,
I take the liberty to send you a few lines that I wonder how it goes with you, whether you all are fresh and well. As we are concerned, I and my children are well, thank God. Dear brother, I always live in great poverty since I lost my wife. Since then I had my ______ I remarried, but very unlucky. The misfortune was caused by my brother, Mischel, but by now I got over it. But since we are German in Elsass [ed.: Alsace] the factories don't work anymore and where we earned our bread, they are all closed. I am now out of work for the last six months and don't know what to do.
Now, dear brother, I am turning to you if you would be so good to let me come to you, me and my young son, he is 12 years old and strong and can work hard. The two daughters are provided for. The Emli is 18 years old, learned in school and earns money and the Mari is in Maryville, hired by a family as a cook and she is doing well and me and Schull [Translator's note: "Schull" must be the 12 year old boy] are in such great poverty like we have never been before. No income and nobody else is in a better situation. My resources are gone and there is no work anywhere. Everybody is poor. There is great poverty in Muehlhausen, up to 5 000 labourers without work, nobody can endure that.
My dear brother, would it be possible for you to send me the travelling money so that I can come to you to get out of this poverty? I am willing to work hard, as much as I can, just to get out of here. I don't want to become a beggar in the street.
I don't know anything about [our] other brother, Dominik, I have not heard from him since I have been away from Paris. But Mischel is also in great poverty, more so than I. He married a 15-year-old woman, all his money is gone and now he gets many children _______. When I come to you I will tell you everything.
Now I close my letter in the hope that you receive my letter in good health. I send you thousands greetings and kisses and remain your faithful brother until death.
Your faithful brother,
________ Kuntz
Greetings and kisses for your wife and children and the entire family. Dear brother, I hope that my wish comes true. Be so good and write to me immediately. Fare well.
Note: This letter was written in January of 1879. In May of 1879, Joseph's sister-in-law, Marie Catherine Weber Klein Reynolds, refers to the fact that Joseph is ill, and by March of the following year, Joseph Kunz has died. It is not known whether he was ever able to help his brother.
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