LETTERS from the PAST

AuthorHouse

Contents

Introduction..................................................................1Chapter 1 Step Back in Time...................................................3Chapter 2 Dick Evans Arrowsmith Autobiography.................................19Chapter 3 Simon Kenton Land Sale 1816.........................................27Chapter 4 Dick Evans Arrowsmith Wedding to Gertrude...........................31Chapter 5 Letters 1892, 1893, and 1894........................................43Chapter 6 Letters 1897........................................................53Chapter 7 Letters 1898........................................................61Chapter 8 Letters 1899........................................................69Chapter 9 Dick Evans Arrowsmith Prank 1899....................................95Chapter 10 Letters 1901.......................................................101Chapter 11 Letters 1903 and 1906..............................................105Chapter 12 Letters 1908.......................................................123Chapter 13 Dick's Grandfather 1808 - 1893.....................................129Chapter 14 Dick's Father 1833 - 1864..........................................133Chapter 15 Dick's Mother 1840 - 1940..........................................141Chapter 16 John M Rhodes Family 1827 - 1956...................................157Chapter 17 Author's Life with Dick Arrowsmith 1939 - 1954.....................181Chapter 18 Author's First Marlin Rifle:.......................................197Chapter 19 Revelations Last Chapter of the New Testament......................205References....................................................................215

Chapter One

The year is 1862. Dick Arrowsmith was born in Defiance, Ohio on the 29th of October. We do not know the exact place of birth but his father was John Caraway Arrowsmith and his mother was Mary Ann Evans Arrowsmith. Dick's father and mother were married on December 21, 1861 at the bride's parents' home. Their home was a white frame house along the River Road in Defiance, Ohio, on a hill, now the Kettenring Country Club.

Dick's mother, Mary Ann Evans Arrowsmith, was one of thirteen children, being born in 1840. Birth control was for all practical purposes non-existent in the early 1800's and large families were commonplace. Rubber condoms were not available until 1855 and men were instructed to wash them out after use and keep reusing them until they crumbled.

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States elected into office in 1860. He won 1,865,908 of the 4,685,029 popular votes beating out John C. Breckinridge, John Bell and Stephen A. Douglas. Comparing this to the 2008 election with Barack Obama receiving 66,862,039 of the 125,181,481 popular votes, for every voter in 1860 there were almost 27 voters in 2008. When President Lincoln gave his inauguration address on March 4, 1861, it was 8 days until the State of California received the news. The message was sent by telegraph to Joseph, Missouri and from there it was carried by pony express to California. The pony express trip took 7 days and 17 hours. The telegraph lines were completed in October of 1861 and that ended the pony express.

The Country was in the midst of the Civil War which started on April 12, 1861 and finally ended on May 26, 1865. This war resulted in the death of 625,000 men or almost 2% of the 1860 population. Historical records tell us that the average number of deaths were 599 men for each day of the war.

The first Henry rifles were offered for sale in the summer of 1862 at a price of $42, equivalent to a soldier's salary for three months. This brings us to an interesting story I recently heard about the early profits of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Oliver Winchester, the founder, died in 1880. His only son was William Wirt Winchester. William's wife Sarah lived in great guilt. First, their only child, a daughter, died shortly after birth in 1866 and they never had any more children. Second, William Wirt died of tuberculosis in 1881 leaving Sarah with nothing but lots of money and a life of guilt and fear. It is reported that a psychic told Sarah that the loss of her family was caused by spirits of all the people killed by repeating rifles manufactured by Winchester. The psychic suggested that she move west and commence construction of a house and never finish construction and as long as construction was going forward, she would be safe. So, she ended up in San Jose, California with 20 million dollars and a monthly income of $1,000.00 from her part ownership in Winchester. One internet site said her income was $1,000.00 per day. Regardless of whether it was per day, per week, or per month, it was in 1884 when a quart of strawberries cost 4 cents. She bought a house and 160 acres in San Jose and for the rest of her life had something like 24 carpenters working 24/7. The construction had no plans and the ongoing daily verbal design was to discourage spirits. There are stairs going nowhere, doors opening into solid walls, windows with 13 panes of glass, and numerous unheard of weird things. The author first learned about this house during a sermon on over coming guilt given by Ed Ivie of Living Waters Community Church in Bonita Springs, Florida. Guilt can be so easily over come simply by asking forgiveness from Jesus Christ. This home is located at 525 South Winchester Boulevard in Jan Jose, California. The Winchester home is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open for tours.

It would be 14 more years before the Battle of the Little Big Horn known as Custer's Last Stand which took place on June 26, 1876 in Big Horn County, Montana. After the battle, Custer and all 200 of his US Calvary were killed and most of the bodies were scalped and mutilated. Some even had their genitals cut off and placed in their mouths. The white men and the Indians had developed a bitter hatred towards each other. Then, 14 years later, on December 29, 1890, the last major Indian war ended in Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota. 500 troops of the US 7th Calvary killed 300 of the Lakota Sioux Tribe. This is a sad event in history because the 300 Lakota's killed were not just warriors but the elderly, women, and children of all ages including infants. For all practical purposes, war with the Indians was over and the various tribes were confined to reservations.

This sets the background for the start of Dick Arrowsmith's life. There were no computers, no hard surface roads, no gas stations, no automobiles, no airplanes, no telephones, no radios, no refrigerators, no bottled water, no microwaves, no indoor plumbing, no credit cards, no fast food restaurants, no Social Security, and list goes on and on. Perforated toilet paper in roll form was not even factory produced until 1877. Sears Roebuck & Company did not begin business until 1888. The things we take for granted today did not exist in this period. Blackberries were used for jams and pies, not for text messaging. Firearms, saddles, wagons, tools, cooking utensils, clothing, etc. were American made without Chinese and other Asian imports.

Imagine, today in 2009, going into a hardware store or shopping mall, walk the merchandise in its entirety and mentally remove from the store everything imported. What would be left? In the clothing and shoe stores it is almost impossible to find American made merchandise. In a hardware store, pretty much just the liquid paint products and a portion of the lumber, drywall, builder's wire, and PVC pipe. Even drywall was imported from China starting in 2001 and many American homes are now infested with excess levels of sulfuric acid. As reported in several March 2009 editions of The Naples Daily News, Naples, Florida, where I live, China made drywall using waste products of coal-fired power plants called fly ash. When combined with moisture in the air, sulfur compounds including sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide creates sulfuric acid.

Symptoms include breathing problems and corrosion of copper fixtures including air conditioning coils, electrical wiring, and home electronics. We can all remember the Hainan Island Incident that occurred on April 1, 2001 when China caused the forced landing of one of our American planes. Then they held our 24 man crew captive for 11 days and ended up charging our government $34,000. for their room and board. It is hard to imagine how our politicians kiss up to China and even apologize to China for the USA being too aggressive on restricting the importation of toys with lead based paint. Many blame our current economic condition on Chinese imports.

The other problem with our economy is the result of efficiency of technology. The goods we are still manufacturing are being done with much fewer employees. Economics in its truest sense is described as, mans behavior as he seeks to maximize profits thru the use and allocation of scarce resources; labor, of course, being one of the scarce resources. Today, labor is becoming less and less of a scarce resource. Thus, we have the effect of cheap labor overseas versus technology here in America, and the end result is a combination of both resulting in high unemployment. Young people today must either become skilled in something or succeed in becoming a successful small business entrepreneur. Otherwise, they will have to be satisfied with the low income associated with retail clerking, restaurants and fast food, landscaping maintenance, and other general unskilled jobs.

Dick's father died March 22, 1864 at the young age of 30 from consumption (tuberculosis). He volunteered for the Union Army but was declined due to failing health. He was auditor for Defiance County. One man said he would shoot John if he dared come in his store. John heard of it and, of course, he went in. He didn't shoot him. The man was a bonded agent for the government, the man to whom the soldiers could send their money from the war. John wasn't bonded but a lot of the boys sent their money to him because they trusted him. Dick was only one and one half years old when his father died.

Dick's mother was 24 years old when her husband died, now single with a one and one half year old son. It is written in family history, that she had at least 30 men propose marriage to her but she did not want her son, Dick, to have a stepfather. She would not let anyone take her John's place. As a few years went by, she became distraught in Defiance and decided to move to California to live with four of her brothers (Allen, Alvaro, Orlando, and Newt) on their 5,000 acre ranch in Long Valley.

The following letter is the first and only letter we have that tells of her upcoming move to California. She had just returned from a trip somewhere now unknown. Her letter is addressed to Grandpa who was in this writing Miller Arrowsmith, grandfather of Dick Arrowsmith. She mentions a letter from her brother Newt who was in Texas engaged in a cattle and horse drive to the California ranch.

Defiance, Ohio April 14th, 1869

Wednesday evening

Dear Grandpa,

I returned home one week ago today. Found all well, but terribly upside down that is to say the house and farm. The high water made sad havoc with everything. Fences swept away loads of drift left on the fields and yard. Bank terribly washed, indeed the whole country along the river is in bad condition.

Nal got back from Columbus Saturday. I heard at Defiance as I came home that Wm. Holgate was married to his Dutch girl but the report has been contradicted nevertheless he had the benefit of a telling. We had a letter from Newt last week written at Galvaston. They will probably be in the Northwestern part of Texas.

I would like very much to see you before I have a guardian appointed for Dickie. Can't you come down soon? Please write me immediately. Did I write you that I expect to go to California in the fall? Dickie is well as usual and growing fast. I opened a school Monday, have one student. Hoping to see you soon.

As ever,

Mary

They traveled by train approximately six months after the Central Pacific railroad was completed on May 10, 1869 and the golden spike celebrating the occasion was driven at Promontory Point, Utah. Dick was 7 years old when they boarded the train. Her brother Allen accompanied them. Upon their arrival in California in November of 1869, Mary Evans Arrowsmith wrote the next letter to her grandfather telling of their trip experience. Dick lived at the ranch in Long Valley for 10 years with his mother and her brothers. This is a step back in time waiting for a stage coach to go from the train depot to the ranch. As it turned out, they made other arrangements.

Reno, Nevada Nov. 25th 1869

Dear Grandpa,

We arrived at this place this morning at Laclot's Hill and in good spirits since we left Omaha have had delightful weather and a pleasant trip. We left Logan's Post Thursday 18th at 12 o'clock. Arrived at Chicago 5 PM - stopped at the Tremont house. Took the Pullman Palace sleeping car Friday 11 PM for Omaha. We were snow bound somewhere near Dixon and did not reach Omaha until Saturday 4 1/2 PM. Stopped at Cozzens Hotel (kept by Mr. Rumsey) until Sunday morning 10 o'clock when we took the Union Pacific Railroad for Promontory, Utah. We breakfasted, dined, stopped at different points along the road. Got to Promontory Tuesday at 6 PM. There we changed cars for the Central Pacific Railroad.

And here we are within 45 miles of the Ranch. The stage doesn't go until Sunday and Al is out trying to find a way to get home. Pete was here day before yesterday on his way to Virginia City. Poor boy thinks Al is dead. So Allen told a gentleman here won't he be surprised. We heard from Newt at several points. At one place he had been the day before we passed.

The scenery is grand beyond description in some places. But I have not time to tell you all this time as I have several letters to write.

Dickie is feeling very well. He was a splendid boy all the way but at Logansport cross as a bear and his cold very terrible there. I have eaten elk meat - seen wild bear, elk, prairie dogs, wild Indians, and lots of things.

Al has just been in to get me, we start for the Ranch in one hour. Dick sends love. Hope to hear from you very soon.

Respectfully,

Mary

Dick's mother was one of thirteen children born to Judge Pierce Evans and Mary Ann Braucher in Defiance, Ohio. Six children of this family moved west and settled in California and Nevada. Alvaro Evans came first in October, 1851. He was followed a month later by Orlando Evans, both coming by water. In 1853 Alvaro returned to his old home for a short visit and on his next journey west he was accompanied by his brother Allen. Allen is the brother that became Dick Arrowsmith's surrogate father.

This is a picture of Allen Evans, brother to Mary Evans Arrowsmith, and surrogate father to Dick Evans Arrowsmith. Allen was five years older than Mary. He was also born in Defiance, Ohio and died in San Francisco, California, date unknown. In all probability, Dick Arrowsmith was unable to attend his surrogate father's funeral.

In 1858, after a short visit at the old home in Defiance, Ohio, Allen and Newt Evans came west, driving cattle and horses. They ended their journey in Long Valley, California where their brother Orlando had selected the place known as the Evans Ranch, consisting then of 5,000 acres of land. Brother Newt returned to Ohio in 1864 and 1869 for the purpose of buying cattle and horses to further stock the western ranch. He also bought cattle in Texas and drove them across the plains and was harassed by Indians on the way and lost some of their stock.

It was in 1869 that the only living sister, Mary Ann Evans Arrowsmith and her 7 year old son Dick Arrowsmith, accompanied Allen Evans to the home in Long Valley, California. This is where Mary lived for 10 years raising her son and keeping house for the Evans brothers.

In 1879, she moved to Reno, Nevada and made her home for more than 25 years with her brother Newt (John Newton Evans) and his family. Newt had just completed a new home on 835 Evans Avenue which was considered a mansion at that time.

Her three brothers, Alvaro, Allen and Newt remained in partnership, conducting their business as though it belonged to one man, until 1881. At that time some differences grew up between them, and misunderstandings led to dissolution of the fraternal partnership that had lasted for 30 some years.

At the age of 65, she was so lonesome for her grandchildren that she returned to Ohio in 1905 to live with her son, wife, and six children on their farm on Fountain Street in rural Hicksville, Ohio. She remained there the last of her 35 years of life.

Getting back to Dick Arrowsmith, this is his biography as written by one of his daughters (Helen Arrowsmith Hardy) in 1975.

Dad's name came out of a hat - Miller Pierce for his two grandfathers. The baby's nursemaid apparently thought it too cumbersome for such a tiny mite and stated calling him Dickie. Dick (not Richard) it became. Although I have used first names of other antecedents for clarity, I just cannot bring myself to call Dad Dick.

His proud father planned to send him to Germany to study medicine some day but death ended that hope. When he was seven Dad accompanied his bereaved mother on an early train to California - that must have been in 1869. Here, although he did have throat trouble, he grew to strong manhood. He learned to ride with sureness and grace, to rope, to wrestle with Piute boys much bigger than he, not to ask questions of strangers, to consider a man's word his bond. He loved the spaciousness of the west. Back in Ohio he often said he wished his nearest neighbor was five miles away.

To have a child on the ranch probably delighted the cowhands. They teased him a lot, about any little girl who might come down the road. He played with the Piute's and the little Chinese boy whose father was ranch cook. The donkey Uncle Allen procured for him was too stubborn, so Dad was promoted to a horse. His beloved Uncle Allen was a surrogate father to him. He would kneel on the ground so that Dad could rest the heavy rifle on his shoulder to learn to shoot. Dad's nine-year-old hopes for a rifle at Christmas turned into a sad jolt, a complete set of Shakespeare. At college Dad's superior wrestling ability opened social doors for him.

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Excerpted from LETTERS from the PASTby Dick Reed Copyright © 2010 by Dick Reed. Excerpted by permission.
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