Transcript of a letter from Henry Kiel to his wife Sarah "Sally" (Kern) Kiel, from a photocopy of the original in possession of a descendant. A photocopy of the original is in the Documents section of this website, along with another transcription.
[Phila scratched out] New York July 12th 1847
Dear Sally
after spending one Sabbath in New York
i will give you the particulars of what has happened. in the first
place the sabbath is not observd here. the first thing that
saluted my ears after I got up was a parcel[?] of boys in the street
crying out Newspaper for Sale. after while the different church
bells began to chime and play verry buatafull. after that i
wint up stairs to my room waiting for Mr. Souer to come. he did arrive
til eleven o clock. i wondered why he did not come soner. i begin to
think that he had over done himself on Saturday night owing to us
walking about so much for whe wint and paid Dr Vogeley a visit.
he lives about 3 myles from where whe board. whe spent a verry
pleasent evening. the doctor and his lady was very glad to se us. they
are well and doing verry well. whe left that about 10 o clock. it
was after 11 o clock before i got home to my boarding house. wel Mr
Souer had to walk about two myles after that and that was the reason
why I thought he had over done himself. but to return to sunday,
after Mr Souer had arrived he came up to my room and escqused
himself for not coming soner. he said he had overslept himself. he tooked
some tyme and then proposed to take a walk. whe to the Bowery
and from there to Castle Garden. then whe went on board a Dutch
vessel and asked for the Captain. he came forward and was introduced
and whe where invited down in the Captain's cabin. he than brought
out some Dutch beer. after that he brought out his long smoke pipes
and whe began. i wisch you had been here, you would have laught
to kild yourself, and the Dutch had to go it with a perfect rusch after.
staying a while, the Captain took us and showed us every
apartment in his vessel. i was much pleased with my visit. it brought
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back the days of my childhood and i thought i was really in Amsterdam.
but to proceed, whe returned to his boarding house after dinner.
Mr Souer took me down to his boording house that was about
two myles and remained there til almosst six o clock. he has
a splendid room fitted up for himself in graat style.
after that whe went to a family by the name off Camp, a
low dutch family, a Merchant that is worth about eight
thousand dollars. whe staid their a little while and than
Mr. Souer and Mr Camp and Jacob and myself started down
Broadway. Mr Souer observed to me he thought that my
supper would be over and proposed to go to a saloon
and take supper. so whe did and called for four suppers
elegantly served up. after that he would have me to go
to the great Castle garden one off the most splendid
places i ever saw. there was at leest about ten thousand
persons there. they played sacred music til ten o clock. after
that i wint home and wint to bed after spending a very
laborious sabbath. Newyork certainly is one off gratest places
in the unitedstates. Jacob is wel and is verry wel
contented. i think that this week or next week he
will git a sattuation. give my best lofe to my children
and a kiss to my little [Eck?]. Newyork is a place to spend money
if a man has it. Nothing more at present, but remain,
Yours, H G Kiel
Mr Souer sends his respects to you all.