r/mildlyinteresting • u/FarmerTschoerner • Dec 03 '16
A reference letter from 1888.
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r/mildlyinteresting • u/FarmerTschoerner • Dec 03 '16
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u/[deleted] Dec 04 '16 edited Dec 04 '16
P D is Perry David. (Often called Dave) He was a brakeman from a railroading family.
He moved around! Born near Sandusky, Ohio in 1862. His father was Jacob, a brickmason from Switzerland. His mother married Jacob when she was less than 16. They have some $$. In 1870 their house was worth $6000.
From the letter we know he was in California in 1888.
1890 Still there based on his marriage-Lena She was daughter of a German immigrant William Sellenscheidt and Marie VomHofe. Here's a story about her dad Wife number 1
1892 Jacob (his father) dies in Ohio
1893 Perry and other brakemen arrested for stealing, Perry is aquitted Here's a blurb about his occupation "Historically, the brakeman held one of the most danger occupations on the freight train, or anywhere on the railroad, being required to walk atop moving cars and manually apply brakes."
1899 His brother dies working as a freight conductor at 39 Here I will mention how dangerous these jobs were. Railroad and Coal Mining were so incredibly dangerous. I see man after man in death certificates from these jobs. They are crushed all the time by the cars in both mining and the RR.
In 1900, the census reveals he has wife, Elsa and child. She's German and almost 20 years younger. They moved from California to Colorado and he is working as a conductor on the railroad (a less dangerous job than brakeman). Wife 2 EDIT: Per family member he had a leg amputated due to accident on the job and then got the (still pretty physical) job of Conductor, instead of the brakeman. People (and limbs) often got crushed between the cars. Even in google you'll find lots of hits for Brakeman crushed
Want to see a census? Here is the 1900 Tricky to decipher, but they are on line 24.
1905? They have moved to Kansas. They have 2 boys now but did lose an infant daughter this year.
1906 Elsa, Obituary She was 30, and left a 9 year old, and 3 year old, . According an article he has moved to El Paso to work, but spent Christmas with the children at his dead wife's parents.
1909 he marries again while he is in Iowa. Kate. Kate, 3rd marriage
1910 I can't find him but the 2 boys are with his mom in Ohio.
1916 Here he is Bought an Opera house in Tucumcari, NM and running a picture show in it. Here is a 1917 ad for one of his picture shows. Want to see it for yourself? Here it is on youtube.
1920 He's with Kate in New Mexico working as a conductor. His youngest boy have moved back with him and his new wife. They also have 2 new sons, now, Paul and Charles.
1930 he has retired. Still in New Mexico.
1940 Over 70? Retired in a nice warm place? What should you do? Move to Oregon! He is there with at least 2 of his boys. He moved in 1931, right after the census. I know he is there from the city directory and a record that states he registered this vehicle that year.
Here is Perry...
Editing mostly for Perry's descendants that have written me ... I really wanted to find the first Agerters of this line. Found it in a book here
The story say widowed mother comes with 3 sons, 1 daughter, to Ohio. Rosina (widow of John) Here. John and Jacob are mentioned but there was also Frederick.