📄 Letter to Frank Jerome Tone, May 4 1935

Included in the 📄 Frank Jerome Tone family history letters. An E.B. Forse visits the site of John Tone (1719-1791)'s farm. It seems that Forse lived nearby to the farm's location, and the letter sounds as though he and Tone were acquainted.

THE CARBORUNDUM COMPANY
Perth Amboy, N.J,

May 4, 1935

Mr. F.J.Tone,
The Carborundum Company
Niagara Falls, N,Y.

Dear Mr. Tone:

I went back 150 years yesterday and had a look at your ancestral home, situated approximately ten miles due south of us off the main roads, in a very attractive farming section. The country is gently rolling and given over to general farming with some fruit. The soll seems to be quite sandy.

The farm Itself is bounded on the north side by a very pleasant brook, Deep Run. From the bridge over it I could see several intriguing trout pools but look as I could there was not a fin to be seen. The stream is rapid in spots at this time of year but I imagine it is a bit sluggish in the summer months. I had hoped for a rocky bottom but it is mainly sand. There is an apple orchard on the property in fair condition and I think pear and other fruit trees In very poor condition.

The house, built some time after the Civil War, from the outside is in excellent condition situated on the highest spot of land on the farm. There is an old well on the property and several old trees which must have been there in the seventeen hundreds. The foundation of the house is unquestionably the original one, although it has had to be pointed up In places. There are one or two old wooden out-buildings, one a corn-crib I should say, which from the looks of It contains the original lumber. It is held together with wooden pegs and has age written all over it.

The owner, an old widow woman, is living in the house and at the time we were there, there were two men employees plowing the field to the north of the house, possibly to plant corn. It is just the sort of country habitation which would delight Margery and I am afraid to take her out for fear we might move in and people the place with all kinds of four-footed animals. It is too bad the commuting distance is so far or it might have made a country home for Jerry. A little damming of the stream would make a wonderful swimming pool.

It is amazing that the property has come down intact through so few hands. I understand that George Miller is sending you the whole story with the natural and reconstructed map so that you will have the entire matter duly authenticated. The farm can be reached in twenty minutes from the office.

When are you coming down to look over the property? May is just the month to turn back the years in the countryside.

Yours very truly,
(Sgd.) E.B. Forse

The "old widow woman" seems to have been named Anna Ferry, as indicated on the accompanying map of the farm's location.