Points to consider for a congregational meeting which shall take place on Sunday 14 October 1855 at the Low Pinoak Settlement home of the pastor.

1) My call [28.5], dated the 23d of May 1854, signed by Lehmann, Teinert, Moerbe, Hohle, Kokel and John Urban and read twice and approved in Dauban in presence of the assembly of the association was valid for one year. Even though the call was dated 23rd May I have calculated it from the 1st of July. In this call I was promised 300 Brandenburg Taler on the 1st of July, 700 Taler ten days before the journey, and in addition those [monies] a pastor receives for certain services. The pastor was promised a piece of land near the church property for sale or by shares, meaning that the piece of land is to be paid out of the congregational treasury, as it was given to the poor. Instead of the 300 Taler which the association wanted to give me on the 1st of July, I have received, as best I can remember 270 Taler. That is as much as the adults have given Taler by Taler. I did not receive the 700 Taler 10 days prior to departure because the uncertainty during the preparations was great. Therefore I have calculated according to my list how much it would be for a person over 14 years, if 700 Taler should come together. So I calculated quite low, 2 Taler per person, and sent this result to Hamburg so that this amount is to be accounted to me. Yesterday I quickly double checked the list and counted 325 persons and that makes only 650 Taler. But many still owe their part so that the treasury can only come up with 100 Taler. And when I re-calculate I did not receive 900 Taler but between 800 and 900 which I was not able to equate to a dollar. One hundred Taler is according to my calculations $75. So actually I have received slightly over 600 Taler from the association. From this money I paid for the transportation of my things from home to Hamburg and Liverpool, and from Galveston to here for $200. Later I paid for the poor on the steamer and in Houston $154, and received only $54 from the association treasury and am still waiting for $100. After that I paid $60 for freight from Houston to New Ulm for Teinert, Kubitz, Korka, Schneider, and Arldt. And then there was my journey from home to Liverpool via Hamburg and Belgium that cost me altogether $100. That makes $460. In Houston we bought flour, coffee and other necessities for our life here in the country. And other expensive things we also have bought in Europe: wagons, horse collars and much more. Here I have sustained myself for one year and purchased a cow and horse for $50 altogether. And yesterday Noack commented to my wife and asked, “If you had so much money. Why didn’t you buy more than one cow?” And I have heard the same from others. Therefor I have to address this first point because of those who act as if they slept from one September to another and now wake up and ask “What have you done with your money?”

2) My contract expired this year on the 1st of July according to the call which I received from Dauban from the men who for such compensation would keep their word and promised they would not desert me. But from the 1st of July to this 14th October no one asked “Do you have something to eat?” And no one asked if I would like a new call, and if or if not they could give me something for my maintenance. Meanwhile I live as one of the poorest. Therefore I am asking you today 1) whether or not you would like me to serve you further as your pastor, and 2) if you desire to support me in keeping with my office and status. After your answer today which must be on the record I will answer to the brethren in Australia who would like me to be their pastor. If you want me as your pastor, we have to set some terms, that you and I will have to follow. For the case you want me, I will leave open everything in my answer to Australia and will not take all their hopes, so that I will be able to answer with certainty after half a year and move to them at the end of the year, if this settlement does not keep its promises and I still am forced to lead a wretched life as I have up to now. I really know that you are all busy with building and with field work, but I must think also about my own life, because I cannot go into debt that I will not be able to pay back. Therefore I await from you a written call, if you still would like me. This document should say how much support you want to give me and what I must do in my position. Each person must sign the document who wants to retain me. Whoever does not sign will indicate that he does not want me here and that I owe him no service. This call should be for only one year from September 1855 to September 1856 because I want to see and experience if I can live in Texas according to the points we will work out together. I do not wish to annoy you and only expect a small amount from you because in a pinch I could sell some things. Anyhow I will have to see how everything goes on or if later I will have to demand more money or even will have to move away. So I wish the call for only one year because later when the land will be paid for, the settlement will be founded anew and will get a name. Then everything here will be like a new beginning. But until that time everything is uncertain and those who may not be able to pay for their land may be forced to give it up. Because under these conditions the purchase was made.

3) If you now want me for one year, until September 1856, you must do so with a written call, as is the common practice in congregations. So I will now tell you my requests, which you have to discuss and decide. But no agreement shall be valid unless all are unified. In churchly matters there is no majority if the votes are not counted through which the smaller part/the minority is subjected. I insist on a dwelling for myself alone, the one in which we are meeting What was built before by the congregation, like ladders, shelves, benches will be written up as inventory and stay with the house if we move away. Everything else, what I got made myself, what I own, what I sowed or grew on the field and in the garden, that is my property. To the dwelling belongs 1) a smokehouse, which should be built. 2) Field and garden that should be plowed this year 3) the fence around the court yard and the field and especially 4) a cow and pig pen that has to be done this year. How this can be achieved most rapidly, must be discussed, because up to now we didn’t not progress very well with the construction works. There should be a new building for church and school. I expect $200 a year for school and other work. I am calculating the other group, which I visit every 5th Sunday as 100 persons over 14 that should pay $2.00 per year for support.

Translated by William Nielsen



Punkty k wopomnjenju za wosadnu zhromadźiznu, kiž ma so njedźelu, 14. oktobera 1855 w Low Pinoak Settlemenće duchowneho dla dźeržeć

1) Moje powołanje wot 23. meje 1854 w Dubom wudate, wot Lehmanna, Teinerta, Ernsta Mjerwy, Hohlje, Koklje a Jana Urbana podpisane, w Dubom před zhromadźiznu dwójce lasowane a za dobre spóznate, je dyrbjało 1 lěto płaćić. Hač pak je to pismo runje wot 23. meje, da sym ja jo tola hakle wot 1. julija rachnował. W tutym pismje su mi přilubjene 300 bramborskich tolerjow na 1. julij a 700 tolerjow dźesać dnjow prjedy rejzy wyše toho, štož so hewak duchownemu za wěste dźěła dawa. Tež je duchownemu kruch toho najblišeho při cyrkwinym grunće ležaceho kraja přilubjeny, k předaću abo pak přez akcije, to rěka, zo ma so tón kruch kraja z kasy zapłaćić, kaž so chudym z kasy dawało je. Město tych 300 tolerjow, kiž je mi towarstwo na 1 julij dać chcyło, sym ja, tak wjele hač so dopomnju, 270 tolerjow dóstał. Tak wjele su ći dorosćeni towarstwa po tolerju nadawali. Te 700 tolerjow 10 dnjow prjedy rejzy njejsym dóstał, dokelž bě ta hara toho přihota přez měru wulka. Tohodla sym ja po mojej lisće wobrachnował, kak wjele na jednu paršonu, kiž je 14 lět stara, přindźe, hdyž 700 wonpřinć dyrbja a tuž sym słabje a nisko 2 tolerjej na paršonu rachnował a to do Hamburga pisał, zo by so tosame wotćahnyło. Ja sym wčera tu listu zaso z chwatom přešoł a 325 tajkich paršonow narachnował a to wučini jenož 650 tolerjow. Nětko pak su jich wjele to swoje winojći wostali, tak zo te resty wewšěm 100 tolerjow wučinja. A dokelž sym ja tež … nisko wobrachnował, da ja njejsym 900 krydnył, ale jenož něhdźe srjedź 800 a 900 stow, štož ja njemóžu tak na toler prajić. 100 tolerjow pak je po mojej rachnuncy 75 dolarow, potajkim sym ja něšto přez 600 dolarow wot towarstwa dóstał. Wot tutych pjenjez sym ja zapłaćił to přewjezenje mojich wěcow wot města hač do Hamburga a Liverpoola a wot Galvestona hač jow. To ja … rachnuju … 200 dolarow. Potom sym zapłaćił za chudych na dampfschiffje a w Houstonje 154 dolarow a sym z towastwoweje kasy jenož 54 narunane dóstał a mam potajkim hišće 100 dolarow krydnyć. Potom sym zapłaćił fracht wot Houstona do New-Ulma za Teinerta, Kubitzu, Kerka, Schneidera a Ardta, to wučini 60 dolarow. K tomu přindźe hišće moja rejza wot doma hač do Liverpoola přez Hamburg a Belgisku, ta mje zewšěm, štož je mje na njej trjechiło, koštuje 100 dolarow. To wučini 460 dolarow. W Houstonje pak smy kupowali muku, kofej a druhe k našemu zežiwjenju jow w kraju, a drohe wěcy smy tež doma w Europje kupowali, wos, komoty a wjele druheho. Jow sym so lěto zežiwił a sebi kruwu a konja kupił, kiž wobaj hromadźe 50 dolarow koštujetaj. A nětk je so Nowak wčera moju žonu prašał a prajił: Wy sće tola tak wjele pjenjez měli, čehodla da sej njejsće wjace hač jednu kruwu kupili? A wot druhich sym tež słyšał, zo tak rěča. Tohodla sym tutón prěni punkt rozestajeć dyrbjał, mjenujcy tych dla, kiž činja jako bychu wot jedneho septembera k druhemu spali a nětk haklej wotućili a so mje nětko prašeja: Što sće z wašimi pjenjezami činili?

Moje lěto je lětsa z 1. julijom wuběžało po mojim powołanju, kotrež sym w Dubom dóstał wot mužow, kotrychž sym za tajkich dźeržał, kiž słowo dźeržeć a mje zastupić a nic wopušćić budźa. Ale wot 1. julija hač do dźensnišeho 14. oktobera mje nichtó w tutym settlemenće njeje woprašał: Maš ty što k jědźi? Nichtó so mje njewopraša, hač chcedźa mje znowa powołać a hač chcedźa mi što k zežiwjenju dać abo nic. Tuchwilu sym žiwy kaž jedyn tych najchudšich. Tohodla so ja was dźensa prašam, 1) hač chceće mje dale za duchowneho měć abo nic, a, 2) hač chceće mje tak zežiwić, zo po mojim hamće a štance žiwy być móžu. Po wašim dźensnišim wotmołwjenju, kiž protokolěrowane być dyrbi, budu tym australiskim bratram wotmołwić, kiž mje za duchowneho měć chcedźa. Jeli-zo mje wy za duchowneho měć chceće, da mamy wěste punkty hromadźe zestajeć, po kotrychž wy a ja so dźeržeć mamy. A ja budu, hdyž mje wy runje měć chceće, australiskim tola njewěsće pisać a nic wšitku nadźiju preč wzać, da móžu jim za poł lěta hišće wěsće pisać a na kóncu přichodneho lěta k nim ćahnyć, hdy ónlej settlement swoje słowo dźeržał a ja swoje žiwjenje jow dale tak hubjenje wjesć dyrbjał, kaž hač dotal. Ja derje wěm, zo ma jow kóždy ze sobu, z twarjenjom a polom dosć činić, ale ja dyrbju tola tež wo swojim žiwjenju rěčeć, dokelž nochcu dołh činić, kiž bych zapłaćić njemóhł. Tohodla ja wot was pisomne powołanje žadam, jeli-zo dale wo mnje rodźiće, tajke pismo, kiž praji, što wy k mojemu zežiwjenju činić zmejeće a što ja za to po mojim hamće činić mam, kotrež pismo wot kóždeho wosobinsce podpisane być dyrbi, kiž mje měć chce. Kotřiž so njepodpisaja, ći swědča, zo womnje njerodźa a mi ničo dać nochcedźa a zo jim ja tež žaneje słužby winojty njejsym. Tute powołanje pak dyrbi zaso jenož na lěto być - wot septembera 1855 hač do 1. septembera 1856. Přetož ja dyrbju haklej w tutym lěće hladać a zhonić, hač budu po tych punktach, kiž hromadźe wučinić budźemy, so w Texasu zežiwić móc. Ja was mjenujcy njecham wobćežić a jenož mało wot was žadać, dokelž k nuzy wěcy předawać móžu, tohodla pak dyrbju ja přihladować, hač to dale tak póńdźe, abo hač dyrbju potom wjace žadać abo ale ćahnyć. Tuž ja chcu, zo bychće mje jenož na lěto powołali. Přetož potom hdyž budźe kraj wšón zapłaćeny, budźe tež naš settlement haklej na dalše załoženy a budźe mjeno dóstać. Potom budźe so jow wšitko kaž znowa započeć, prjedy je wšitko kaž na chwilu a na njewěste, dokelž kóždy, kiž njebudźe w … času dopłaćić a zapłaćić, swój kraj a swoje prěnje date pjenjezy zhubi. Přetož tak je ta kup činjena.

3) Jeli-zo mje nětko na druhe nowe lěto hač do septembera 1856 měć a mi na to pismo powołanja dać chceće, kaž we wšitkich wosadach prawo a wašnje je, da mam ja nětko moje požadanja prajić, wot kotrychž so rozrěčeć a po tym wobzamknjenje činić maće, ale tak, zo žane wobzamknjenje njepłaći, w kotrymž wšitcy přezjedni njejsu. W cyrkwinych wěcach wjetšina hłosow njeje kničom, přez kotruž je ta mjeńša parta podčišćana.

Ja žadam pak
a) to wobydlenje sam za so , w kotrymž so zhromadźili smy. Štož budźe do toho sameho wot wosady twarjene, jako rěble, polcy, ławy, to budźe jako inwentar horjepisane a wostanje při chěži, hdyž ja preč ćahnu, to druhe, štož sej sam činić dam abo mam a štož ja syju abo do pola abo zahrody sadźeć budu, to budźe moje.

K wobydlenju pak słuša 1. smokehaus, kiž dyrbi twarjeny być, 2) polo a zahroda, kotrejž dyrbitaj nětko lětsa woranaj być, 3) fenz wokoło dwora a pola, a wosebje 4) kruwjacy chlěw dyrbi činjeny być a swinjacy tež. To dyrbi so w tutym lěće stać. Kak by so to najručišo stało, ma so rada dźeržeć, dokelž na dotalnym puću jara z blaka njeje šlo z tym twarjenjom.

Transliterated by Martin Strauch