Notizen zu dieser Person
REFN: A7 !Notes: Although the births of the children were recorded in Pottsville, the family actually lived in Tuscarora, a small village near Pottsville. Please note that most of Germany at this time was referred to as Prussia, andmuch of the neighboring territory was often reffered to as Germany, as well. !Notes: (A copy of a translation of an account of the life of Conrad Graeber,written in German script by Conrad Graeber and possibly partly by one or moreof his sons, as it appeared in the book, "A History of the Greber / Graeber /Graber Family 1680 - 1980", by Kathleen Neumann Graber, 1981. The original German manuscript and the translation are both in the possession of Mildred Graeber Kearney, Shamokin, Pennsylvania.) !P: Life of Conrad Graeber !P: He wasborn in Spelsen (Spiesen), Ottweiler, Prussia, Germany, on the sixteenth day of January, 1826. It being a law in Prussia that every parent must send his children to school until they attain the age of fourteen, his parents were obliged to comply with this law and therefore he went to school until the fourteenth year had expired. After that he followed the mercantile business for two years, he acting as clerk in his father's store during that time. Not liking this business, he resolved to learn a trade; for this purpose he entered a glassfactory with the intention of learning the trade of inspecting, numbering, and assorting glass and glassware. By patient studying and hard labor, he received his diploma when he arrived at the age of eighteen. !P: It was during hiseighteenth year that he received permission from his parents to leave home for the first time. It was chiefly owing to the large number of people who intended to visit the old city of Frirr (Trier) where the coat which our Savior wore was on exhibition, that he received this permission. They departed from Spelsen (Spiesen) in procession, singing and praying during their journey to Frirr (Trier.) The distance between the two places being about sixty miles. Inthe evening of the first day of May, they arrived at their destination, but being fatigued they retired for that night and the next morning they entered the cathedral where in front of the alter the coat was exposed to view. Being perfectly satisfied with the result of their visit, they returned to Spelsen (Spiesen) where a grand reception awaited them. !P: Having a desire to seek his fortune in North America, he obtained his parents' permission and on the firstday of March, 1845, he departed from home, going by way of Metz to Paris, andfrom Paris by way of Ronen (Rouen) to Havre. Spending ten days in Havre visiting many places of interest, he took passage on the ship Baltimore, destined for New York. After a stormy journey which almost cost the lives of all on board, the ship arrived at New York on May 5th. Remaining a few days in that city, he went to Philadelphia, his ticket entitling his passage as far as that city. Remaining in this city for one week, he departed for Reading with the intention of going to Pottsville, but being deficient of means he was obliged toremain in Reading in order to earn money enough to secure himself passage toPottsville. In Reading, he was employed by a butcher for $10. per month. Onaccount of the small wages, he did not remain long in Readning, but as soon ashe accomplished his object in saving enough money, he departed for Pottsville, arriving in that place on June 1, 1845. Times being very poor on account ofthe financial depressions, he could obtain no other employment than work at the mines. !P: With this object in view, to receive seventy cents per day, he applied to Johnson Wesely for work and was so successful in removing the coal dirt from under the screen; and out of this he was obliged to pay ten dollarsper month for board, so that after a few other littleexpenditures, he had very little if anything left when the month was up.
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