Letter: John E. Moore to his mother Mrs. Ann Moore
care of Carson C. Moore, Carlisle, n.d.
This letter was written by John E. Moore at Bellefonte, Pennsylvania on a Friday afternoon. Although the letter is not dated, it was written after 1847 and before 1856. He is visiting his sister Augusta (Gus) who married Samuel Linn on December 1, 1847. John describes his trip to Bellefonte in full detail. Note: John wrote three pages without a single paragraph, so they have been inserted for the sake of the reader.
Dear Ma
Well here I am safe in this city of seven hills at last for although it is but a short time since I left you it has seemed very long to me. I suppose in the first place you will want an account of my voyage. We arrived in Harrisburg about 1 o’clock and had to stay there until half past two at which time we left for Lewistown, and at precisely thirty six minutes past four landed in that place and allowing six minutes for stoppages we made the 62 miles in two hours. When we left Harrisburg the whole three cars were so crowded that some could not get seats, but when we arrived at Mifflin we had scarcely 20 in all. About 150 got out at the Junction and took the packet boat and they were stopping every mile from that to Lewistown to take someone out.
When we arrived at Lewistown the first man I saw was John Shannon sitting on his “Bus” as he called it. He knew me the minute he saw me and called me before I saw him. He got my baggage out and put it on the Omnibus and started across the river. He told me to give his very best respects to Miss Gustine, and he was perfectly delighted when I told him Carson and Caroline were coming up. He said he would wash up his old “Bus” and scour every bit of his rig and have it as bright as a new pin. We got over about 5 o’clock and I got my supper at the Hotel and then asked the stage agent about the stages. He told me there was a daily line run but it always went so full that there was no such thing as getting a seat and that I better take the night line which I agreed to do.
So precisely at 6 the stage came to the door and upon getting in I found seven other passengers, but what made it worse than if there had been 15 was Old Burnsides [was] one of them and he would have (unreadable) a seat and a half to himself and any that did not like it might get out before we started for if he heard one word of grumbling he would throw them out and break their necks, and he would not let a window be hoisted so that it was so warm that nobody could stand it. He said he thought he could make the driver drive faster if he would make him drunk and he commenced (?) him, but as the driver could stand more than him, by the time we got to the bank he was a drunk as a hog and did nothing but sing and swear and punch them that tried to go to sleep with his cane—clear to Bellefonte which place we reached just 20 minutes before 4 o’clock this morning having been on the road just 10 hours.
We stopped at the Hotel and had our baggage taken off and set into the house and sat down by the stove until 6 o’clock at which time we got breakfast. After breakfast I asked the tavernkeeper where I should find Samuel Linn and in place of directing me to Sam’s he showed me the Old Man’s so I bolts down and knocks and a yellow woman came to the door and I asked for Mrs. Linn. She told me she was not up yet and I told her not to tell her I was there and would just slip into the room and wait until she got up. So in I goes and the first thing that met my eye was a pile of hymn books about six feet high and on the top a great big broad rimed [sic] hat. I thought this was kind of queer and I commenced taking observations to find my longitude when I saw a sheet of paper lying on the table and I picked it up and one line was enough to convince me that it was a sermon, I dropped it as if it was hot and grabbed up my cap and out of the house as hard as I could go. When I got across the street I thought I might see some fun so I lay down behind a board fence directly opposite the door. And in about a minute the old woman came to the door and looked up the street and down and then went in and brought out the girl and directly the old man joined them and I thought I would break my neck laughing so much laughing at them. After looking up and down at one another for a few minutes they all went in and I up and off as hard as my leg could carry me and meeting a man he directed me right and I was sure there was no mistake this time for it was Gus herself [Augusta] I met at the door. She did not expect to see me before the evening and was a good deal surprised when she opened the door. After staying a while I went up and brought down my trunk and basket and flowers. They all carried first rate, and the roses are all out in crocks and (I forget her name) is busy planting the seeds now. I could get no onions from Mrs. Harris.
This morning I went down to the tan yard with Sam and saw Alfred Hays and the creek and spring and trout and I don’t know what all so much that it will fill another letter to tell you about. Augusta’s face has got quite well and there is no scar where it was lanced. Tell Caroline that when she comes to mark all his on the outside, her trunks on the top and it will save some trouble at Harrisburg. Tell her also that when she gets into the cars [train cars] for Lewistown to take her seat on the right hand side of the aisle for two very good reasons. 1. Because all the view is on the right hand side going up and all the steep cuts and the mountains are on the left so that in running past them so fast if you look out at all you get dizzy and where there is no cuts in the mountains the sun comes shining right in on you. But I must now close my letter as it is getting late. Gus says she will write on Monday a long letter. Tell Tot to take care of the chickens as Gus has been trying every place and cannot get any. They have a coop as big as our stable yard. But I must bid you good bye. Your affectionate son, John
On the address side of the letter, he adds “I forgot to tell you the fare from Harrisburg to Lewistown is $1.90 and from Lewistown over to Bellefonte $2.00 6 ¼ cents “Bus”
Ann’s daughter Augusta also wrote several lines on the address side. “John has given me permission to write one line just to say that my face is entirely well and how very glad we were to see him and how delighted to find that I would so soon have the pleasure of seeing Caroline, Carson and (Nelly?). I will write you the beginning of next week if nothing presents. Much love to all.” Your daughter Gus.
John Moore (1797-1863) of South Middleton Township was married on October 22, 1816, by Rev. H. R. Wilson to Ann, daughter of Robert Grayson, dec’d. and had the following children.
When Sarah Filey was growing up in rural Cumberland County in the 1830s and 1840s, she could not have imagined that ten years of her life would be spent more than 5,000 miles away in Constantinople, Turkey.