Posts
Charles Tyson Meets Maria Griest
My great-great grandfather, Charles J Tyson and his brother Isaac
Tyson, young, energetic Quaker (Friends) moved from their home in
Philadelphia to set up a new business: a photography studio in
Gettysburg, PA in 1859.
As the Gettysburg Compiler announces (as well as several of their
own ads):
Charles quickly became drawn to the country side of the county and became friends with other Friends, notably a Cyrus Griest and his family of Menallen Meeting, some several miles north of Gettysburg. Of course, it helped that not only were the Griests outgoing and friendly, but that Cyrus had a beautiful and intelligent daughter, Maria.
|
| Maria Griest Tyson -post Civil War |
[Transcript of a transcript of a letter from Charles J Tyson to his sister Ruth Anna Tyson (b. 1840-d.1914). “Original copy in possession of Edith C. Peters”]
Ruthie A B Tyson
No. 924 Cherry St
Phildelphia, Pa.
My very dear Sister Ruthie,
As Brother [Isaac Tyson] wrote to
thee last, I will claim the privilege this time.
I have so much to tell thee I
scarcely know where to commence, however, Brother intends to write
also so that what I miss he may think of.
Last Seventhday week Maggie White sent
over for one of us to come to their house that her Sister Addie was
dying. We were busy at the time but feeling such an interest in them
Brother attended to our customers while I went over. She was very
low indeed but finally recovered from her weak spell but it returned
again in the evening and when Isaac and I called in she was bidding
her friends goodbye. She had a kind word for all of them and talked
with more strength than I expected she possessed. When giving me her
last good night she thanked me very kindly for my attentions to her
and earnestly desired that we would not forget Sister. She concluded
by expressing a desire that we would meet again in heaven the scene
of that dying change is far better imagined than
described.
At their request I remained in the house
all night but she did not depart until the following fifth day
morning ½ nine o’clock during all that time she suffered intense
pain, it was surprising to all how she could survive so long when we
saw her Seventhday evening. I did not expect she could live two
hours longer. After the funeral her Sister returned to the home and
saw that it was in order after which she went to the house of a
friend where she intended staying until she determined what to do.
She is also in very delicate health and I would not be at all
surprised to hear of her death in less than a year. A more afflicted
family I think I never heard of. You will see notice of Addie’s
death in the papers of this week.
Now we will pass from these sad recollections
to thoughts more pleasant both to writer and reader, had you much
snow in Philadelphia Seventhday? It commenced here sometime in the
Night and continued snowing thick and fast until late in the
afternoon of Seventhday - I suppose it lay a foot deep on the level
and in some places it drifted (Seventhday night) several feet
deep.
We came to unanimous conclusion that the”time
had come” for us to go to “friends meeting” so off we started in
quest of the “fixins” necessary for such a trip. In the first place
we wanted a sleigh and the animals to pull it. Secondly we wanted a
pilot to see us thro, after some hunting we succeeded in getting a
fine double sleigh and a pair of spirited nags, half the battle was
over. Next started the search for the pilot or pilots or pilotess or
pilotessess it mattered but little to us first we called on a couple
of Ladies who were acquainted in that neighbourhood. One could not
go owing to some previous arrangements the other declined on account
of having a bad cold. Next we thought we would try our luck with the
“pilots” so we wended our way to see old James Wills who is well
acquainted there and had similar fortune there. His son was absent
from home, he being the only male member of the family at home he
did not like to leave, as his son’s wife was confined to her room
with cry spells. But he said he understood there was a young man in
town who wanted badly to go “Bendersville.” He had come up from
Oxford on the Engine having run into a snow drift and left the cars
behind until two o’clock yesterday. So we went off in pursuit of him
for our benefit as well as his - the motive might have been a little
selfish but we won’t stop to discuss that now.
Enough that we found him at the hotel from which
we hired our sleigh. After conversing with him about five minutes I
discovered him to be a friend by the name of Sam’l Kent of Chester
County, one of the building committee of the new meeting house. Also
he was an old school mate of Cousin Pusey Miller at London Grove
School and acquainted with Benny Orme & sisters. Some knowledge
of Eli Thompson and Sue Miller and a school mate also of Garret
Hambleton’s. By that time I felt as well acquainted with him as
though I had known him for years. He was on the way to “Springdale”
near “Bendersville” to attend a wedding party which was to take
place there Seventhday evening.
Someone was to meet him in
Gettysburg but neglected to do so, and thee may judge the young man
was in a great way, it was then half past nine o’clock and he had
but short time before arrived in Town, as the “Engine” was behind
time. He said he would promise us a first rate time if we would
order the sleigh and go up that night getting there about eleven
o’clock and take the company by surprise.
We were right in for it for the distance was
short-about ten miles-so we tried to get the team but Charlie Tait
(the owner) was afraid to let his horses go out as they had just
come in from Waynesboro, a distance of twenty-two miles so we gave
up going till morning. Upon going home (our adopted home) we found a
note from one of the Ladies who we first invited stating that she
had decided to accept our “kind invitation” which, to speak the
truth, was not the most agreeable news after we had made other
somewhat conflicting arrangements. However, we went for her the
following morning about half after seven o’clock and left Gettysburg
flying a few minutes after eight.
We had a splendid ride tho it blew a
perfect gale on the top of some of the very numerous hills between
here and “Springdale.” We arrived at John Wrights which is one mile
this side of “Springdale” a little before ten. The poor old man is
totally blind and has been so for several years. His two “old maid”
daughters keep house for him and an old bachelor bro. also lives
with them. I never felt so perfectly at ease as I did while visiting
the “Quaker Settlement” yesterday. All those we met, yes all, every
one (and there was some twenty-two or three strangers) seemed to me
like old friends, they all know of us by our advertisements in the
papers and our friend James Wills had been up there speaking a good
word for us so that our course was clear.
I talked about a half an hour with the
old man he seemed very glad to have us come see them tho he could
not see us, he spoke of a visit paid them about fifteen years ago by
Samuel Levick he said he stopped in one firstday as he was passing
thro the country. He had told them he had heard there was a Friends
settlement there abouts and would like to attend their meeting. John
made him very welcome but was all the time unconscious of his being
a minister. When meeting time came, they started together and upon
arriving at the meeting house John supposing him to be as he said a
“sprig of a boy,” he showed him a seat in the back part of the
meeting house which he took possession of but in a short time he
arose moved up into the center of the meeting and gave them a
“powerful sermon.” John said it almost frightened him to hear how
the little fellow could talk, I don’t know what become of him after
that day, expect he went his way.
Samuel had visited there before so that we all
felt at home from the first. After warming up, we started for Sam’s
Kent’s uncles (Springdale). His uncle Cyrus Griest is a very nice
old Friend, as “plain as a pipe stem” and somewhat similar in size
and disposition -- he is more like Thomas Hutton than any man I have
ever met with. We got there about half an hour before meeting time,
which this season of the year commences at eleven o’clock, his
family consists at present of three Single Daughters and
three single sons at home. He has two or three children married and
living in the neighborhood, Annie is the eldest Daughter at home--I
suppose in the vicinity of twenty five or six next and-my
choice-comes Maria a sweet girl somewhere about twenty she is very
intelligent and very mild my beau ideal of a “nice girl,” the next
comes Lizzie about sixteen not much smaller than her sister Maria.
She also and, in fact the whole family, seem to be intelligent. Of
the boys Cyrus is the eldest about twenty-three, next Jesse--bout
nineteen, and Little Amos in the neighborhood of twelve now that I
have give thee a description of the family, I will make some comment
upon the proceedings.
No, I have entirely forgotten the old lady or “Mother” I should
say, old Lady don’t seem quite to harmonize and I forget her first
name She is a good-natured jolly, old Friend someone on the style of
Mary Thompson but a good bit larger and when she laughs her very
sides shake. She enjoyed our company very much, after we had been
there for two minutes we felt entirely at home the girls were not at
all forward--neither were they backward--all that was necessary was
for one of us to commence a subject of conversation and they would
talk and did talk.
Fortunately I got a near seat to my
choice so by meeting time we were all right. I invited both the
younger girls to ride in our sleigh, which they kindly accepted, in
going to meeting, I kept them going pretty strong and in returning a
little stronger. The meeting house is a small one a real old
fashioned structure with the bare joists exposed. Our meeting was a
quiet one and I did enjoy it in spite of my thought wandering
occasionally to the other side of the meeting. We broke up about
twelve and returned to “Wrights” to dinner taking our girls with us.
It was after dinner that I had such a good talk with Friend John
Wright.
Is thee tired of reading, Sis? I would
like for thy sake only to stop but the theme is such a
delightful one to me that I cannot cease until I have done—so thee
must bear with me for I may possibly fill this page, the next, the
third and the fourth as it has been so long since I wrote to thee.
Thee can divide this one into three and distribute them in their
places. Isaac has just declared his intention not to write until
next firstday he says, He expects I have told all the news and he
might as well save a postage stamp. I think it is a wise conclusion
for if he finds anything to write about after I get thro it will be
something that I know nothing about. Thee remembers thee sent me a
letter, a sweet letter on my twenty-first birthday, this is
not as good a one but it is an unusual from this source; but thee
did not get it on thy birthday tho not long after. Thee can think
when thee looks over thy letters that there is one from Brother
Charlie, that long “foolish one.”
Well to return to the place
that I wandered from we returned to Wrights to dine. We had a
sumptuous dinner spent the afternoon there but the girls had
arranged for us to take tea with them. So we left Wrights a little
after four, we invited our Lady (who by this time was considerably
in the way) to accompany us but she preferred spending her time with
them as she was acquainted with them (the Wrights) before. So off we
started and in fifteen minutes we were at “Papa” Griests again. We
were cordially welcomed back and invited in the sitting room and
most of the time between that and tea time I was occupied in talking
with “the old man,” thee knows, kind of a getting round him, he was
very open and free in his conversation and I tell thee what, thy
little Brother “done his prettiest.” I talked religion to him and he
talked it back again and vice-versa, from that to farms, his farm
and land generally in that part of the country. I found that he
owned about one hundred sixty acres of good land and his farm was
well stocked. I have made some inquiry since and find he is very
well off and still making money pretty fast in the nursery business,
He raises all kinds of young fruit trees and sends them to his
agents located in different parts of the country.
I tell thee what, Sis, if it was not
so far off I believe I would strike in, but whether I will or
not as it is, time will make manifest, thee knows I have been
holding off until I met one worth and
something else combined I mostly have one eye open to {?} , as I plough my furrow
thro life, I have by experience been taught the necessity of doing
so.
The Bride and groom took tea with us (the same
show party Sam’l Kent was to have attended the previous evening). We
were introduced to them at meeting. We found them to very clever
people indeed. The supper was prepared with simplicity and much
taste and the table was loaded with the best of everything, “Golden
coffee” abounded. I was struck with a strange feeling of admiration
as Maria stepped into the sitting room just before tea. She wore a
plain dress long close sleeves small collar a small plaid apron with
a bib to extended up over her breast to save her dress while getting
tea. I thought to myself how scarce the ladies of this age one that
would walk into a room before strangers with such an apron on –
there was no false show all was plain and very neat. I liked her
better for that one thing. After tea we went into the parlor
I suppose the company would number about fifteen or
sixteen.
I forgot to tell thee that Maria is
teaching school at home. They call the school the “Springdale
School” after the name of her father’s nurseries. She has about
fifteen scholars some of whom are larger than she, the schoolroom is
only a few steps from the door of the main house. The way she got to
teaching school was this. They had some younger children that must
be taught and there was no school very near so they concluded to
start a little school on their own account, very soon they received
application for the admission of several of their neighbors’
children. Maria consented to undertake the charges and so it went
on, and now as previously said, her scholars number about fifteen,
about ten board with them--two of those are from the State of
Indiana. She speaks of discontinuing the school in the spring and
commencing at another at about four miles from home. I don’t know
whether she has decided positively to do so nor not but she thinks
of it now.
(Well, Ruthie, a little
more patience) the evening passed along very pleasantly indeed
chatting being carried on to a very great extent in all quarters as
for Brother I did not trouble myself much about him as he was old
enough to see himself thro and I had about as much to do as I could
cleverly manage. I gave M. a description of my movement a short time
previous and since leaving home. She sympathized very much with my
dear sister left at home without a Brother’s care, she made me
promise that I would bring you all to see them when you come to
Gettysburg next summer, I know thee will come to the conclusion that
I did that they were about the most clever people thee ever met
with.
Well to make a long
story a little shorter, we retired about eleven o’clock five in two
beds slept like five rocks till twenty minutes of five when we
roused up, fixed ourselves for breakfast, had a little talk a while
with the girls before breakfast, then took breakfast and left
“Springdale” about half past six o’clock for John Wrights when we
arrived they were just at breakfast. Ruth let us in we warmed up and
by that time our Gettysburg”Lady” was ready to start, our ride home
was truly delicious, the air was clear and cold as it is possible
for it to be in this part of the country, I think but we were all
proof against it fortunately, and breathing the fresh morning
mountain air is very good for health. We reached Gettysburg about
half past eight o’clock landed our Lady safely and opened our
Establishment for business, one day of pleasure and six of business.
I feel so glad to think that one long talked of and contemplated
visit has turned out so favorably, it happened so fortunately that
we met with Sam’l Kent, had it not been for him our introduction
would very much more limited and confined and probably to one or two
families for the present but as it is we have an introduction into
some half dozen or more already. The Bride and Groom talk of coming
in this week to have their picture taken so they may see after a
while how they looked when they were first spliced.
Quarterly Meeting takes place
up there next week commencing on Seventhday, firstday will be a
large meeting the business will be mostly done on
secondday.
They all gave us repeated invitations to come up next firstday but it
is doubtful whether we go tho I should like very much to attend
Quarterly Meeting in the country more especially “Springdale.” I
expect thee has said before this “Well I declare I believe my little
Brother is in Love.” No, no Sis, not yet but to speak candidly I think
few more visits up there would teach me how it feels to be in that
predicament, as these is supposed to have some experience in that line
of business probably thee could give me some idea of the first
symptoms, but if thee thinks I am wrong in regard to thy superior
knowledge of such matters thee must apply to Sis Rachie I think she
could enlighten us both upon the subject without a doubt.
Well Ruthie I must soon come to
a stop—this is the fifteenth page and it finds me “about played out”
to use an inferior phrase.
We are both enjoying good
health. I was very much surprised to see how plainly thee could write
in thy crippled conditions hope thy thumb will never be any serious
disadvantage to thee.
I was pleased to learn thee had a
prospect of soon teaching again. How are you getting along in the
knitting business? Do you have sufficient to employ your time? How
many boarders have you now?
I cannot tell when I will
get to Philadelphia tho I would like to in a few weeks. However, we
must wait patiently till the time comes.
Hoping to hear from you thee, I remain thy
affectionate
Brother Charles
My love to all the family.
Dear Sis Ruthie,
I have had the pleasure of hearing the
content of the above voluminous letter and take the opportunity of
giving my full sanction to all expression of pleasure wherein given.
We had a truly delightful visit, one that will long be remember with
feelings of intense pleasure.
Charlie seems to think me old enough to take
care of myself. I came to this same conclusion and pitched in with all
hands generally and Lizzie in particular, occasionally with Maria but
found there was no show there when Charlie was about.
Affectionately,
Bro. Isaac
---------------------------------------------
- SOURCES-
Phildelphia, Pa.
2nd Mo. 20, 1860
- SOURCES-
- Gettysburg Compiler, 1859
- Photo Maria Griest, Margaret B Walmer Collection (Aspers, PA)
- Original letter, Margaret B Walmer Collection (Aspers, PA)
How fortunate to have such a wonderful letter. It really gives you an insight into your gg-grandfather's personality.
ReplyDelete