The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-06-06
GIRLS ONCE BOUGHT IN CHESTER.

/ In recent number OF Col. Forpev's
/ Progress is a sketch of the life Of Mr..
/ Abraham Peters, who IS now living and
/ enjoying competency at the advanced
Z age of - years. near MiileTsville, Ian
! caster county. which contains an incl
{ dent which took place in Chester about
1 seventy years ago. In those times the
/ poor Germans who wanted to come to
/ this country but had no money TO pay
I their passage. contracted with the cap
tain of vessel. SO that he was allowed
to sell them into servitude for their pas
sage money. and these people were cal
led Redemptioners. At the time above
referred to- Abraham Peters father was
ia the habit of hauling grain from Ian
caster county to " IlmingtOn, Del. and
on one occasion. a lie was going there.
his sister. Mrs. Bausman. requested him
10 buy small German girl from a vessel
for her. The vessel stopped at Chester.
80 after he had disposed of his grain he
mounted one of bis horses and rode to
Chester. He went on board an emigrant
vessel. and as hc spoke German he was
soon surrounded 10y a crowd, each one
requesting To be bought as they prefer
red To get into families where German
was spoken. lie called the Captain and
made known his eTTand. The Captain
told him he had two small orphan girls
on board. their mother having died on
the VOYAGE. He asked forty dollars for
the two; but as Mr. Peters only wanted
one. and could take but one with him,
the captain said he would charge twenty
five dollars for one, and if he sent him R
purchaser for the other lac would give
her for fifteen dollars.
He describes the scene when these two
orphan girls were parted as most affect
ing. but he assured the remaining one
that he would try and find her a good
home. Before parting the girls were
going 10 deVide their dead mothers ef-
fectS, but Mr.. Peters would not allow
this, as he assured them that Katy. the
girl he was taking with him. would find
plenty. and therefore insisted on the
other keeping all except the clothes that
Katy was wearing. Again assuring the
Captain that he would try and find
another purchaser. he started for VIII
mingtOn. and was soon on his way home.
He had proceeded but short distance
from Wilmington. when he met a fine
old Quaker gentleman and his wife driy-
ing to town. The lady saw the girl. and
admITing her. stopped and wanted To buy
her But Mi Peters told her that he
had bought the girl for MS sister. and
therefore could not sell her. but told her
OF the little sister that was left behind
on the vessel and requested them 10 go
to Chester and buy her. lie gave the
gentleman few lines to the Captain.
and reminded him of the fifteen dollars
he had agreed To take.
The Quaker promised to 60 and buy
the sister. They gave each other their
addresses. and promised to write and
keep the girls in communication with
each other. Katy was installed in her
new home. and under the kind motheTly
treatment of Mrs BaUsman grew up to
be a fine woman. Her sister also found
"a good home with Quaker family. Cor
respondgnce was kept mp between the
families. and yearly visits were made al
temately with the girls. and very friend
" relations spTang up between the two
families. which were kept mp long after
the girls were free. When Katy had
served ont her time and arrived at the
proper age, She was married to a worthy
baker in Philadelphia. These incidents
illustrate how some OF our early settlers
came to this country. too poor to pay
their passage. but they were honest,
industrious, and of good habits, and
their OifSpTingS are scattered through
the eastern counties of this State. COM
posing some of our most prosperous and
respectable families.