Sometimes a Letter

[ArtS]

The other gun I bought at about the same time was an 1879 lifter. It was the equivalent of a Grade 2 gun. The Letter gave his name and delivery city of Hastings MN. Investigation showed that he was born before the Civil war in Wisconsin to parents originating in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. According to census records as a youngster he had several siblings. When 26 years old and working as a printer in Hastings or the nearby county, he ordered a rather expensive shotgun while living in what had to be some of the best hunting land in the US. By the time of the 1900 census at the age of 47 , he lived in San Francisco with his 77 year old mother who was listed as the head of the household. She owned the house and was listed as a "capitalist". He still worked as a printer. They were the only two living there, even though he was listed as married for 14 years.

Sometimes these brief peeks into a life story make you realize what unique and rich lives with many twists and turns ordinary people live.