The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-16
Q%UAINTFARMER LIBRARIAN
CASsKE's WONDERFUL COLLECTION or
GERMAN AMERICANA.

Secured In His fArmhouse IN LoWst sb
ford, Near philadelphia, . Library OF More
Than so, 900 ntiss-Hs Il Now so Tears
Old-Hi, Lifes stuEEis and Triumph
To r..cus literature from oblivion and to
collect a remarkable library despite an appalling
barrier OF ignorance and superstition has been
the life work Of Abraham Harley Oassel. who
has now practically completed fourscore
years and lives IN a little old farmhouse
In Lower Stafford Township. Pa, twenty
Ave miles from Philadelphia, In
and Lower Stafford townships. . setuement
OF Pennsylvania German farmers In MONT
geometry county. where tho whistle OF the loco
mouv and the gong Of the trolley car are never
heard. and the sound Of the Enslish language
Ia not much more frequent, Cassel has ao-
oomplished his mission. Born OF parents VINO.
ike most OF the Mennonites and Dunkards
OF that period. Is Mr.. Cassel himself duainuy
says, made It a point OF conscienoe 70 orins
up their children In pious ignorance. he never
theless b. perseverance In historical and literary
research has attained the position OF authority
in his Acid. that OF derman-Amenoan topics.
When be began his work tho wealth and
glory OF the German literature OF Americas
early era had been almost forgotten. the Ger
man farmers having generally suooumoed
10 that stage Of Intellectual bluntness Of which
some OF the .Pennyslvanis Dutch OF to-day
ae looked upon as eNemplihoattons. 10 hoss
good Mennonites and Dunksrds IL was no longer
OF any interest that In i7b, at Germantown
Christopher saur. the German Mennonite
printed the first Bible In America forty years
before It was published anywhere on the Con-
tlnent In English; or that Saur and his son
Christopher, making all the paper, type. ink
and woodcuts which they used. In addition
TO printing and binding their publications
and conducting a newspaper and a series OF
almanacs. issued more than two hundred works
IN German. some going through SIX or seven
editions; or, furthermore, that the Brethren
at the Ephrata ~cloister, In i7+s. translated from
the Dutch and published in German tho 'Blutser
sohauplatE.' or Book Of Martyrs, a folio OF
1900 pages, the greatest literary undertaking
in America up TO that time. Nor did they take
pride In the fact that OF the productions OF
BENJAMIN Franklin's printing on1ce Atty or
sirty-probably moro than half Of all he Issued
had been in German, while Franklin himsslf.
in a letter, expressed tia fear that because OF
the growth OF German English might soon
become extinct in Pennsylvania.
These honest Pennsylvanisns Of eighty years
ago were devoted 10 two t~hinEs-thdr farms
and their religion. They titled their acres and
read their Bibles. In the evening, after q day
Of the ssvsrest toll. the men sat about the blaze
Of the log fire In the kitchen and shellcd corn
or msnded harness. while the women spun and
knitted and sewed. On Sundays they SOL
EMMY rode 70 the plain little meeting house
and listened to a sermon by their elder. a farmer
from among them. They opposed the In
PRODUCTION Of the common school system. sev-
eral weeks Of so-oalled instruction In the win
tar by a wandering mechanic. unable TO End
employment at his trade. was deemed SUM-
Gent for their offspring. They had forgotten
that their ancestors supplied the Intelligence
OF the province; that while IL was oommo n for
English settlers to sign their names with a GROSS.
the old records shOwed comparatively Few
such instances when a German signature was
In such a community Of Mennonites. whore
the quality Of heroism was necessary, 20 rise
above the common plane. Cassel was born on
sept 81, 1890. The years that for the ordinary
lad are characterize by utter freedom from
Garo were embittsred TO yonpg EASEL by COZ
bows thirst for knowledge. The father. al
though he lived TO the age Of 50, never read
permitted I'm the house. The elder Cassel
made one effort 10 teach his son German. but
both teacher and pupil soon lost patience and
the Instruction was abandoned ,Abraham's
sister had some knowledge, OF English and she
. s%aSet 'a hut 0S What e { hc thus P"si% aSSsirS d 's sse@ lssi
useless, Tor no one IN tho neishborhood ever
NFInaliv tho villsge physician di.coyered the
boys traits and encouraged him 40 far as his
limited opportunity permitted. II, was a great
event in httle Abraheln's career when one day
tionary BY the aid 81 this he succeeded In
mastering several books that the physician
Through his mother Abraham was a lneal
Descendant Of Christopher Saur. the pioneer
printer Vaguely he learned q the achieve
ments ~ his ancestor and with renewed dN-
termination he set forth 70 circumyent the
hindrapces that beset his pathway. To thwart
his book love, the father gave him endless tasks
on the farm, so that nearly al his time was
occupied in strenuous labor When he sought
70 read at night. the feeble light was denied
pnmnd Of candles, but one night the father
discovered the light burning in the attic bed
s sqtaq %Sld iSS la4 Ta S9@ Ga@pS SJEisI e 60 oS 20 TO EEsir IN
fhs darknees Then a Yankee pndler heard the
story Of young Cassel's struggle: and epcour-
candies could be lighted without the aid Of IRE
RRaao returned nT \ rnsdd" with "a a box " matche-. the hrst
ever seen in that township Abraham paid
% cents FOR about sevAntv-fve matches and
ana "andl~4 being conccalcd IN an. oid desk,
When the youth had progressed so far that
he was ready 10 enter nICn he stud, OF rsn-
farm. He therefore went out into the barn
ward and after a more or less exciting pursuit
captured an old rooster and derived the fowl
Of a feather OF commemorate proportions,
IhNn he attpnItef 70 maze n men several
times he tried 70 cut the feather with his fathers
razor, bur the experiment was rather unsuc-
cessful When the elder Cassel noted the re-
markahle paiutulness ~ his next aftempt to
shave himself he solemulv renrima1ded his good
Wife FOR using the razor 10 pare her corns. A
clumsy butcher knife next served the bov in his
effort 10 make a pen For a while he tried to
write with the rooster feathers sharpened n a
point. but without p slit in the end. AND his
mauuscrints naturally looked more as though
tho fowl that was So innominiouslv robbed OF
his ornamentation had poured forth hs lanen-
tations bv meaNs Of HE spurs One dav Ahra-
hams uncle, who nppeared more sympathetic
than his father. saw The bows difficulties with
HE pen and showed him how 10 cut n pen Prop
erlv AND also gave him a clasrknife Thus q
new delight was opened To the hov.
The fame n the lad went abroad and kind
hearted friends came 10 remorstrate With tho
father. several wealthy men Offering 70 pay for
Ahraham's education. But the fathers an
swer invariably was, IF Won give a child
learning then YOU m him for forging, counter
feitirg or for any other wiCkcd0ess which an
uulearUed man would not be carahlc Of doing :"
And 40 new tasks were set for the lad 70 make
rim forget his better erdeavors So severe
wore his lahors that his constitution sue
cumhed and he became III. The eIpostu-
lations Of friends Increasing. the father re-
Tented somewhat that winter and allowed
Abraham 10 attend the district school
"LeaTu," he said, and II II leads YOU TO evil
the fault Is not mine
So Abraham, then II wears Cd. went 20 school.
The session continued six weeks. and that was
the extent Of the education which Abraham
+. \ = a NAaa. II AN1 IL all = =