Saturday, March 27, 2004

E F Alling to Seth Keney, Connecticut 1848

This stampless letter has a circular date stamp for WESTVILLE Ct., a handwritten 5 cent rate, and is addressed to Seth A.B. Keney Esq., Burlington, Ct, and is a three page letter written by E.F. Alling.

The headline is Orange, Aug 5, 1848 (hope I'm reading the last digit in the year correctly, it might be 1840). If I'm correct, Orange was in New Haven county at the time.

Some abstracts: "Once more I feel myself free and instead of taking lessons from tutors & profs I am learning from nature herself. These old hills of ORange, bleak and barre as they are, teach a lesson to me."

"My mind finds a pleasing employment in calling back the memories of those who formerly were with me the p[??] of apple pear & peach orchards, melon gardens ..."

"College commencement went off in good shape. The orations, poem, etc. were good. Among the visitors at the commencement of the Wesleyan were many distinguished individuals. The Gov. of Conn & of R.I. were present with Revs. D.D. L.L.D.'s in any quantity. The graduating class numbered 25. The maj of them have engaged in teaching, some of them at the meager salary of $50 per year."

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