Hi Group: Those of you who were interested in the Germantown series may remember the story of the Battle of Germantown. It was written as though the battle was all over and done with in one day's time. The reality , according to Watson's "Germantown" chapter, is that the residents suffered a great deal on a continuing basis. This is a rather lengthy segment and may require more than one posting. Words in capitals are in italics in the book. Evelyn WATSON'S ANNALS OF PHILADELPHIA VOL. 2 Page 47 Published1857 There is, I presume, a great mass of citizens, who having never been in battle, feel a desire to have a close insight into the incidents which must there occur ;- this, as a means to remove some of the vagueness of their imaginings and conjectures. Such feelings I have had myself ; and which have been in part relieved, by such enquiries as I have occasionally made among the few remaining individuals who had witnessed the doings in the battle, and at the British encampment, &c., in Germantown, to wit : The most of the conflict was on the north-eastern side of Germantown. That part of our troops which encountered the Hessians and British, near the junction of the Wissahiccon with the Schuylkill, had de-filed for that purpose, after they arrived at Chestnut hill, going thence, as led by two guides, of whom Geo. Danenhower, lately alive, was one. When the battle bean, the fathers of families were quickly busied in disposing of their children and women in cellars. In the present C.M.Stoke's house, then belonging to Squire Feree, there were collected two dozen of weeping and terrified women. George Knorr and other boys ran towards Philadelphia, as far as Nicetown, where they met the Hessians coming out, and then stopped. One cannon ball struck a tree at Haines' brewery, as they passed, and then went before them down the street. Boys were very curious and venturous ; and several of them plucked up courage and got to the tops of houses, and even into the streets to see what could be seen. Such as some of them saw, I shall relate : - Such as the battalion of TALL Virginians, under Col. Matthews, brought in prisoners from Kelley's place, and lodged in the church at the maket house. The faces of the prisoners and their guards were well blackened about their mouths with gunpowder, in biting off their cartridges. These Virginians had just before captured a party of British in the fog, and set up a hurrah, which brought a greater force upon them, and caused their own capture. The roar and rattling of discharges of musketry and cannon, was incessant ; and the whistling of balls, were occasionally heard. Combatants could be seen, from the house top, occasionally in conflict, then obscured by smoke, and then again exposed to view. The battle, though begun at daylight, was continued till after 10 o'clock. The retreat, when it began, a little before 11, must have been skilful as to general arrangement and orders, for it went off WITH ENTIRE SILENCE. It seemed like a conflict and a great outbreak, suddenly hushed. The battle was but little witnessed IN THE TOWN, after the first onset, and but few of the military were seen along the main street. It was chiefly on the north-eastern side, on the tillage ground ; and the fences were mostly down. A great deal of fighting must have occurred in Joseph Magarge's field, near Branchtown, (probably with Stephen's division,) ascertained from the great number of leaden bullets found in his ten acre field, for years afterwards. Stephens himself had been set aside some time before, by his own oficers, as too much inebriated to command. This was told to me by one of his captains. The present Dr. George de Benneville, of Branchtown, now aged 83 years, was a lad of sixteen, at the time of the battle of Germantown, and saw much of the fight, and of the preceding and succeeding operations of the two armies. They had the Highlanders and British cavalry quartered in his neighbourhood. They were always cheerful, and always seemed to go gaily and confidently into expected fights. On such occasions, the kilted Scots went off in full trot, keeping up with the trot of the cavalry. The soldiers made free to take and kill the cows of the family, and their neighbours ; but the officers were gentlemanly in their deportment, and seemed to try to put them in a way to get some recompense. Several of the british officers were quartered in Thomas Nedrow's house - the same now Butler's house, opposite to the residence of the present Pierce Butler. When the battle came on, the British made a barricade across the York road, at the place of those two houses. One militia, in the time of the battle, made no stand of resistance in the neighbourhood of Branchtown, but seemed quickly to make their retreat; and for this non-defence, as many of them were known in the neighbourhood, they did not fail, afterwards. to receive the jibes and jeers of the people. They accused them of throwing away their cartridges, as a feint of having exhausted them in fight ! Dr. de Benneville saw the British army come down the York road, on their return and defeat, after they had their affair at Edge hill, where Gen. Morgan, with his riflemen, had so ably discomfited them. The British still looked well, and as if able to make a bold stand, if pressed to do it. The doctor has described to me, with lively vivacity, his vivid recollections of those days; and says they were daily of the most stirring interest to him, and others of his neighbourhood. They kept them daily excited, and interested in every thing doing around them; and almost every day brought something new to pass, which in some way or other, might engage the feelings, or the wonder, of himself, and his youthful companions. Such recollections, to their possessors, a least, are even now FELT to be worth a whole age of lesser years ! Mr. John Ashmead, still alive, and then an intelligent lad of twelve years of age, - as soon as the battle ceased, started from the market house, with a young companion, to "range o'er the tented field to note the dead". He saw several lots of dead, in parcels of sixes and sevens ; none of the wounded remaining. They visited Chew's house - there they saw before the house about thirty dead, whom citizens were already beginning to bury, north-west of the house. They went into the house and all over it - saw blood in every room - noticed where a six pounder, which had come in at the front window, had gone through four partitions, and then out at the back of the house. Observed that some of the British therein, had used the back windows on the roof to get out, and under the shelter of that roof, to fire upon assailants approaching the front. They saw a dead American soldier, lying on his still smoking fire brand, who had evidently gotten there under the shelter of a board fence, joining the house to the kitchen out-house, and had been shot, (vainly seeking "the bubble reputation,") as he was about setting fire to the same, by a soldier from the cellar window. Another fine young warrior, volunteering to effect the same purpose, with a bundle of straw at a window, at the north-west corner, was also shot down on the spot. Persons who saw our retreating men at Chestnut Hill, say they passed there with some show of order and control. It is, however, surprising how very few seem to have seen the whole scene, with sufficient intelligence to afford a picture to any inquirer now. One wants to know how they looked and did, how fared the wounded, and how they got on, &c.,&c. Some of those in the retreat passed by the way of Oxford, thus showing a wide dispersion. Sundry of our wounded were deemed far enough removed when taken into the Episcopalian church, as their hospital, at Flour town. The British, shortly after the battle, concentred in Philadelphia and vicinity. Directly after they left Germantown, a troop of American horsemen came through the town upon their rear, so closely, that a British surgeon, who had just left dressing the wounds of three American officers, prisoners in the Widow Hess' house, was over-taken on foot in the street. When they were about to arrest him, W. Fryhoffer, who saw it, and knew the facts in the case, proclaimed his useful services, and he was told to walk to the city at his ease. In the mean time, the three officers were taken as prizes, and thus unexpectedly liberated. The same troop, advancing a little further, encountered a Quaker looking man in a chaise, who, in trepidation, made a short turn at Bowman's lane and upset, and thus exposed a large basket full of plate. He and his treasure were captured and ordered off to head-quarters. One of the boys of that day has told me how he used to go to mill, to bring flour to an individual in Germantown, who used to deliver it out TO WOMEN coming from Philadelphia*, at high prices, and carrying it in small parcels concealed about their persons. These were probably petty dealers for the wants of the town, and thus made their gain. The same returned with salt, &c. *[ It was carried to Philadelphia, and brought $8 per cwt. I knew a man to carry 1/2 cwt., and boys that carried 1/4 cwt., but they had to take a by-road for fear of losing it.] British officers were generally quartered in houses in the town, and demeaned themselves very civilly to the families therein. The officers, very many of them, were young; only the superior grades were aged. The soldiers were well disciplined, and did not commit any severe aggressions. The 33rd one night stole a neighbor's cow, killed her, and covered her with straw, behind the late Wm. Keyser's bark house; a sham search was made next morning, but it was soon hushed, and the cow cut up. They were said to be the clearings of the jails. The 33rd were noted thieves, but they had to do it quietly. Two of the inhabitants of the town, Andrew Heath and young Sowers, became guides to the British, and wore their green uniform when so acting, intending, probably, to pass unnoticed ; but they did not, and had to leave the place till the peace. At the same time, the brother of Sowers was an active whig. The honest father was abused as a tory, although he had actually given many blankets to the town militia. Sundry of the whig persons, engaged with the army, used to make, occasionally, hazardous excursions to visit their families stealthily, by night, &c. On one occasion, Mr. Denny, who was a militia lieutenant, came to his father's near the market house, and when going away on horseback, at midnight, he chanced, as he was intending to turn into the church lane, to encounter the advance of a secret silent detachment going against LaFayette, at Barren hill. As he whipped up to turn the corner, they let fly a platoon, a ball from which, passed through his thigh, scarcely making him sensible of a wound, for he actually got over to the Branchtown tavern before he stopped. Such an alarm, at midnight, soon startled the whole town, and rapidly brought up the whole force of the expedition, at the same time breaking the intended secrecy. Jacob Keyser, now an aged citizen of about 80years of age, was then a lad ; he, with his father's family, lived where is now the house of the Rev.Mr. Rodney. Its high position above the street enabled them, by placing an apple under the cellar door, to peep abroad and see the battle in the opposite field, distinctly. After the battle, he went abroad ; and saw before the door of Jacob Peters' house, there lay a fine large American officer dead, on the pavement. In a little while, when he again passed there, he was nearly stripped, and while he beheld him, a man forced off his shirt as his own lawful prey ! His body was interred in the north-east corner of the burying ground opposite. His brother, Abraham Keyser, saw several officer looking persons, much divested of their clothing, laying dead along the inside of Chew's front wall-fence. It was understood that these inhumanities were inflicted by the followers of the camp - sometimes by soldiers' wives. These two brothers saw seventeen bodies put into one pit, near Chew's house, under a cherry tree. There was a row of cherry trees from the gate up to the north side of the house, and behind these trees men approached towards the house, as their shelter ; some were dead, or wounded, at the foot of those trees. A fine large soldier, from Reading lay dead at the gate ; also, a lad, a son of Col. Chamberlane, of New Jersey. To be continued....

Hi all! I think I may be nuts for doing this but since fall is fast approaching and I have my new computer up and running, I thought I'd take a shot at this. Thanks to some new found cousins out there (you know who you are- HI!! Sorry I've been MIA!), I have a lot of information on my TRACHSEL/TROXEL side of the family in the way of names and dates. This is fun but I would love to see more, ie. where they were born, died, buried. In some cases, who they married or if they had any children and then who their children married and so forth. Sounds like the eternal quest of a genealogist doesn't it?? So what I am asking is for anyone who has a TRACHSEL/TROXEL (even just one!) in their family to please write me at the address below with the information you have. I will be most willing to share what I have now and will also be willing to share what I end up with if you are interested. I have a feeling I may end up with a bunch that I don't quite know where they fit in but with everyone's help, maybe I can tie them in! Thanks! Take care and have a good night! --Larissa Souzer larissa+@pitt.edu

In a message dated 97-09-16 06:31:22 EDT, you write: << I guess my French ancestors weren't the only ones to make > blood sausage. >> This was the mainstay diet of the cattlemen of Scotland, too. Wi ' a wee bit o' scotch, of course! MarilynT Researching: BINDER, ECKERT, ERNE, ESHELMAN, FORNEY, GROFF, GUTHARDT, JACK(s), KRICK, LINSENBIGLER, REMP, RUFFENER, SCHLONECKER, SMITH/SCHMIDT, SPOHN, STEFFY, STOUDEN, WAGNER, WHITEHEAD, CARPENTER/ZIMMERMAN

Ron, Your extensive Shelley file arrived and reads OK , thank you, very much. Unfortunately I have only one distant connection in my program @ Magdalena Shelley, 1761-1842, m Christian Martin, Earl, LancCoPa. Christian is s/o David Herr Martin & gs of David Martin (1691-1784) of Weaverland, &m 4 times: Weber/Herr/Groff(2). It sounds to me as if you have all of the early Herrs & the Groff Book and probably don't need those repeated. I have parents, siblings & some descendants for David Martin and will send those. By the way her dob is 11 Jan 1761, dod= 2 Jun ;;his dob=13 Apr 1758, dod 3 May 1841. As for my own (n)grandparents: I can find no connection to my Shelly head of household: Christian Shelly, 26 Dec 1769- Oct 1842, Wash twp, FranCoPa, but bur Ringgold BinCh, WashCoMd, m Magdalena Hasby, b-26 Jun 1796 & d/o John Hasby,nfr, but who was living in Canada "when Magdalena, on her own, rode a horse to Canada to ask her father for a loan." Children & spouses: 1. Nancy nm/ni, 19 Jul 1794-24 Dec 1863 2. Mary Polly ca 1796, m 23 Nov 1816, m Tobias Funk (13 Jun 1796,PA-30 Apr 1853 at ,Washington,Franklin,PA) 3. Elizabeth-ca 1802 Pa-bef 1840, FranCoPa, m Isaac Hershey 4. Barbara ca 1803, m Joseph Whitmore 5. (my) Catharine, 15 Jan 1806 on Shelly homestead, nr Greencastle,FrankCoPa,m 11 Nov 1824, Jacob Funk, 15 Feb 1803-15 Feb 1850, Big Spring, Marshes, Washington, Franklin,PA 6. Lydia ca 1808, m David Shope 7. John ca 1809 -aft 1840, nfr 8. Jacob aft 1810. nfr Christian's will proved 5 Nov 1842 FCCH grants $2,000 to each child; Wit: Jeremiah Gordon & John Lesher, Exec: Joseph Snively So, the above is all I have on MY Shelly's! Too bad I could not connect to all that good work you have done. If you have any ideas or I missed something, or you come across my group sometime, please let me know, Should I return just Christian Martin's MARTIN ancestors or the Herr/BAR/Kundig ones as well?? Jack Clopper

Greetings Similar story but my brother paid $29.95 plus $5. shipping & handling. He didn't get a refund either! Lorraine Frantz Edwards re: FRANTZ family ========================================= Ladoga Library wrote: > > My mother thought she would do me a favor and wasted her $20 on a so-called > Kreisher book. Needless to say, she never got her refund. > Ken > > ---------- > : From: Lee & Rod Rhodes <lee@bambam.swlink.net> > : To: PENNA-DUTCH-L@rootsweb.com > : Subject: Halbert's > : Date: Tuesday, September 16, 1997 23:46 > : > : Sorry David, you'd be waisting your money. Infact I thought I saw a news > : release someplace about Halbert's being investigated about the way they > : advertise. I got suckered once and it was so impressive that I can't even > : find it right now! > :

I rec'd irate, insulting mail today by a self-described lurker. They were removed by the automated server for bouncing mail. Apparently this person was another who was just "too busy" to read any of my posts or visit the webpage. After the unnecessary email and completely wrong insinuations and charges made therein the writer has now been removed by me. If you are going to make nasty accusations about me or to me, make sure you're right. I have stated before the server will remove you from this list if your mail is continually bouncing. The remedy is to resubscribe. Anyone who does not read this mail has no right to go off half-cocked on me. If I remove you, you will first receive a communication from me, not the server. The remedy is not to write me calling me "quick on the trigger" and lots of other blah, blah, or any other insulting nonsense, particularly if you can't read the header on your notification and see that it came from the server rather than me. All listmembers and particularly new members are requested to visit the PDL webpage at <A HREF="http://members.aol.com/PennaDutch/pennadutch.html">Penna-D utch-L Home Page</A> Being aware of the information on the page re:subbing, unsubbing, posts etc. is the responsibility of the listmember. rod

At least you got yours, They cashed MY check and then would not respond OR send me the book. Again, that was BEFORE I did any genealogy. Guess I got double suckered. I tell my husband sometimes, that people look at me and see a picture of a lollipop instead of me.<g> > > >I got snuckered too, it was a b i g waste of money, >i keep it around > >so i won't fall for another snucker. > >Gordon Sincerely Carolyn Leverich Atkinson / email: catkinsn@ecity.net 1602 York /In replying send copy of our correspondence. Des Moines, IA 50316 Provider has occasional bouncing problems, please resend later/next day. __________________________________________________ To join the JACKSON/CLAY/OVERTON CO, TN List, email catkinsn@ecity.net with JACKSON/CLAY/OVERTON CO, TN in subject. ___________________________________________________

please unsubscribe my name to this mailing list it is taking over my mail box

I'm trying to find information on the parents and ancestors of Samuel BRUNER & Margaret STITT. This is the info I have on them: Samuel BRUNER b. 1 Jan 1807, d. 12 Nov 1879 m. bef 1851 Margaret STITT b. 4 Jul 1806 Armstrong Co, PA, d. 12 Feb 1883 They had at least two children: Emily BRUNER b. 26 Jul 1851 (m. Dave BEATTY s/o Samuel W. & Mary Jane MOTT) James A. BRUNER b. 26 Jul 1851 (m. Lucy W. SMAIL) Any help would be greatly appreciated! Brenda Hébert http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/h/e/b/Brenda-M-Hebert

WATSON'S ANNALS of PHILADELPHIA vol. 1 - page171 Published 1857 THE CAVES Most Philadelphians have had some vague conceptions of the caves and cabins in which the primitive settlers made their temporary residence. The caves were generally formed by digging into the ground, near the verge of the river-front bank, about three feet in depth; thus making half their chamber under ground; and the remaining half above ground was formed of sods of earth, or earth and brush combined. The roofs were formed of layers of limbs, or split pieces of trees, over-laid with sod or bark, river rushes, &c. The chimneys were of stones and river pebbles, mortared together with clay and grass, or river reeds. The following facts may illustrate this subject, to wit: An original paper is in John Johnson's family, of the year 1683, which is an instrument concerning a division of certain lands, and "executed and witnessed in the cave of Francis Daniel Pastorius, Esq." On the 17th of 9mo. 1685, it was ordered by the provincial executive Council, that all families living in caves should appear before the Council. What a group they must have made! This order was occasioned by the representations of the magistrates of Philadelphia, and enforced by a letter they had received from Governor Penn, in England. No one, however, thought proper to obey the order. The Council gave "further notice" that the Governor's orders relating to the caves will be put in execution in one month's time. In 1685, the Grand Jury present Joseph Knight, for suffering drunkenness and evil orders in his cave; and several drinking houses to debauch persons are also presented. They also present all the empty caves that do stand in the Front Street, "which is to be sixty feet wide," wherefore, the court orders that they forthwith "be pulled down," by the constables, and "demolished;" [terms intimating they were in part above ground], and upon request of John Barnes and Patrick Robinson, [the Clerk of Council,] who asked one month to pull down their respective caves, it was granted, on condition that they fill up the hole in the street. On another occasion, they are called Caves, or "Cabins," on the king's highway. The interesting story concerning the cave at the Crooked Billet, at which the ancestors of Deborah Morris dwelt, has been told under the article "Primitive Settlement". Mrs Hannah Speakerman, when aged 75, told me that she well remembered having seen and often played at an original cave, called "Owen's Cave". It was in "Townsend's Court", on the south side of Spruce Street, west of Second Street, on a shelving bank. It was dug into the hill - had grass growing upon the roof part, which was itself formed of close-laid timber. The same man who had once inhabited it was still alive, and dwelt in a small frame house near it. Near the cave stood a large apple tree, and close by, on "Barclay's Place", so called, she often gathered filberts and hickory nuts. The whole was an unimproved place only 80 years ago; it being, from some cause, suffered to lay waste by the Barclay heirs. John Brown, and others, told me that the original cave of the Coates' Family, in the Northern Liberties, was preserved in some form in the cellar of the family mansion, which remained till 1830, at the southwest corner of Green and Front Streets. **************************************************************************** *****

WATSON'S ANNALS of PHILADELPHIA VOL. 2 PAGE 31 Published 1868 PENNSYLVANIA INLAND - - GERMANTOWN A person, now 80 years of age, relates to me that he well remembers....The superstition then was very great about ghosts and witches. "Old Shrunk", as he was called, [George S., who lived to be 80,] was a great conjuror, and numerous persons from Philadelphia and elsewhere, and some even from Jersey, came to him often, to find out stolen goods and to get their fortunes told. They believed he could make any thieves who came to steal from his orchard "STAND", if he saw them, even while they desired to run away. They used to consult him where to go and dig for money; and several persons, whose names I suppress, used to go and dig for hidden treasures of nights. On such occassions, if any-one "SPOKE", while digging, or ran, from "TERROR", without "the MAGIC RING", previously made with incantation around the place, the whole influence of the "SPELL" was lost. Dr. Witt, too, a sensible man, who owned and dwelt in the large house, since the Rev. Dr.Blair's, as well as old Mr. Fraley, who also acted as a physician, and was really pretty skilful, were both U_______e doctors, (according to the superstition then so prevalent in Europe,) and were renowned also as conjurors. Then the cows and horses, and even children, got strange diseases; and if it baffled ordinary medicines, or Indian cures and herbs, it was not unusual to consult those persons for relief; and their prescriptions which healed them, as resulting from witchcraft, always gave relief ! Dr Frailey dwelt in a one-story house, very ancient, now standing in the school house lane. On each side of his house were lines of German poetry, painted in oil colours, (some of the marks are even visible now); those on one side have been recited to me, viz: Translated thus: Lass Neider neiden, Let the envious envy me, Lass Hasser hassen; Let the hater hate me; Was Gott mir giebt What God has given me Muss mann mir lassen. Must man leave to me. An idea was very prevalent, especially near the Delaware and Schuylkill waters, that the pirates of Black Beard's day had deposited treasure in the earth. The fancy was, that sometimes they killed a prisoner and interred him with it, to make his ghost keep his vigils there and guard it. Hence it was not rare to hear of persons having seen a SPHOKE or ghost, or of having dreamed of it a plurality of times, which became a strong incentive to dig there. To procure the aid of a professor in the black art, was called HEXING; and Shrunk, in particular, had great fame therein. He affected to use a diviner's rod, (a WITCH-HAZEL) with a peculiar angle in it, which was supposed to be self-turned in the hands, when approached to any minerals; some use the same kind of rod now to FEEL for hidden waters, so as to dig for wells. The late Col. T.F. used to amuse himself much with the credulity of the people. He pretended he could HEX with a hazel rod; and often he has had superstitious persons to come and offer him shares in spoils, which they had seen a SPHOKE upon ! He even wrote and printed a curious old play (a copy of it is in the Atheneum Library), to ridicule the thing. Describing the terrors of a midnight fright in digging, he makes one of the party to tell his wife, "My dearest wife, in all my life Ich neber was so fritened; De spirit come, and Ich did run, 'Twas juste like tunder, mid lightning." ******************************************************************************** Note: the above words in capital letters are in italics in the book... I presume the "magic ring" mentioned is a ring drawn in the dirt. E.

Would like to correspond with anyone who is researching the surname of RAU/ROWE especially from the Pa. area. I have a Mary/Marie RAU/ROWE daughter of ___________and Marie RAU/ROWE . Mary married George WARFEL on the 16 August 1791 according to Trinity Lutheran Church records. The couple probably was from Lancaster Co. Pa. They came to Ohio from Pa. in 1806. Mary died in Tuscarawas County, Ohio and was buried in Layport Cemetery, Stillwater, Ohio, Tuscarawas County. Even if the names mentioned above are not familar I would still like to hear from you if you have RAU/ROWE in your ancestry. Right now anything would help, at least I would have more names to go on in determining the line. Thank you, Jadean Hopper Columbus, Ohio jadean46@aol.com

Is there anyone who is researching the RODMAN surname? I have a Maria RODMAN who was born 24 October 1809 in Pa. but where exactly is not known. Maria married Almond SMITH in May, 1829 in Delaware County, Ohio. When Maria came to Ohio is not known. Maria died in Delaware Co. Ohio on the 16 October 1847. What I am hoping for is to correspond with those who are researching the RODMAN surname or knows something about the name. I would like to go further back on this line but right now I haven't a clue to where to start. Thank you to anyone who can steer in the right direction. Even if the above name doesn't ring a bell I would like to correspond with anyone who has any data on the surname. Jadean Hopper Columbus, Ohio jadean46@aol.com

Thanks to all the 35-40 who replied. Answers ranged from NO! -> HELL NO! Only one reported finding it in any way useful, and I gathered he used it in the same way many of us use Phone CD's. > I knew I could count on the group for an honest answer! Thanks agan. > David Huffines

Check out the SCAMS FAQ in the ROOTS-L archives: gopher://ftp.cac.psu.edu/00/genealogy/roots-l/faq/faq.scams Keep scrolling on down through the early comments to near the end for a very entertaining report of tracking down "Sharon Taylor" in England. Elizabeth Harris chlamy@acpub.duke.edu

I have a lovely sponge-painted box that was owned by one Lucy J. White in 1845. It was later inscribed by her niece, "This trunk contained her best clothing." It is approximately 10" x 20" x 9" and supposedly it held her entire bridal trousseau. She was more typical of period, don't you think? Bonnie

Please, don't waste your money on anything from "Halbert's" there is a current investigation going on and there was one with a court ordered desist sought by the National Genealogical Society and the US Postal Service. Frances

Enjoyed the story. "The more things change, the more they remain the same", says my husband. He insists that for a two day trip - that is normal! :) Send more info, LettieLuLu

>Today I received an advertisement from Halbert's concerning their Census >Book Offer. Normally I am quite suspicious about such companies, but I >don't want to miss a good thing, if it is. >> >Their pitch to me is a book: "The Huffines in America: From 1790 to 1997." >The book purports to contain records of 61 Huffines who have been recorded >since the first census in 1790. (I think that I probably have more census >appearances than that, especially if you count the other variant >spellings.) Then it says that there are 437 Huffines Households in the US >and they are going to give me those with addresses. (I have all that on my >phone directory CD's.) >> >There is a careful disclaimer: "No direct genealogical connection to your >family or to your ancestry is implied or intended." >> >Satisfaction if Guaranteed and an "unquestioned full refund of the purchase >price" if returned within 15 days of receipt. Has anyone had any >experience with this? or with this company? >> > >David Huffines > > Adds for that have been circulating about every four of five years since 1978, that I'm aware. There may some vague references to your family history taken from some major publication. The rest is telephone book reprints and a short course on genealogy. Just got one of that kind from Co. in Ohio. Offer was signed by a namesake. Called them and asked for his address or e-mail and and they refused to give it to me. Said, he was 'just lending his name to the promotion' etc. etc. Bill Bieber

Subj: Halbert's Date: 97-09-17 00:00:16 EDT From: lee@bambam.swlink.net (Lee & Rod Rhodes) To: PENNA-DUTCH-L@rootsweb.com Sorry David, you'd be waisting your money. Infact I thought I saw a news release someplace about Halbert's being investigated about the way they advertise. I got suckered once and it was so impressive that I can't even find it right now! I got snuckered too, it was a b i g waste of money, i keep it around so i won't fall for another snucker. Gordon