"Finally, when, after the wearisome and perilous voyage, the vessel nears the land which the passengers have desired so anxiously and so longingly to see, all crawl upon the ship's deck to gaze upon it in the distance. When they discern the shores they weep for joy, and pray and sing to the good Lord, in love, gratitude and praise. The sight of the green earth gives the people on the vessel new life, even to the sick and half dead, making their spirits to leap and shout with gladness. They are willing to bear all their miseries patiently, in the hope of soon landing in safety. But, alas, when the ship, after the long voyage, arrives at Philadelphia, no one is permitted to leave her except such as can pay their passage money, or can furnish good sureties; those who have not the means with which to pay must remain on board until they are sold, and are released from the ship by their purchasers. Now, the condition of the sick is the most serious, for the healthy are the more readily purchased. The suffering sick oftentimes remain in the ship lying in the harbor two or three weeks, sometimes even dying. The traffic in human beings at the ship market is conducted as follows: Every day Englishmen, Hollanders and High Germans from the City of Philadelphia, and from other places, sometimes from a distance of twenty, thirty or forty leagues, come to the newly arrived ship which has brought passengers from Europe, and has them for sale, and select from the healthy persons those suited to their wants, and bargain with them as to the length of time they are willing to serve in payment of their sea passage, which usually they owe in full. When an agreement is reached, it happens that grown persons bind themselves in writing to serve for three, four or five years, according to their strength and years, for their passage money. The quite young, from ten to fifteen years of age, must serve until they are twenty-one. Many parents trade and sell their own children like cattle, by which means only the parents, if the children assume the payment of the passage money, are released from the ship. As the parents do not know to what sort of persons, or to what place their children will go, it often happens that parents do not see their children for many years after their departure from the ship; or, it may even happen they will not again see each other during life. Often it happens

that the entire family-husband, wife and children-become separated by reason of having been bought by different persons, this being the case when such persons can pay nothing whatever on account of their passage. The forenoon following the anchoring before Philadelphia of a ship with a load of passengers, all the males above the age of fifteen are taken out of the vessel in a boat to the wharf, landed, and marched two by two to the Court House or City Hall.

"Here they must swear allegiance to the Crown of Great Britain. When this is done they are again taken back to the ship. After this the trade in human beings begins as I have described."

In the records of the Reformed Church of Freinsheim, in the Palatinate, are the names of the six children of Philipp Frederick and Anna Katharine Antes, and the dates of their baptism. The eldest of these was John Henry, who was baptized the 17th of July, 1701, and the youngest was Johannes, in 1716. This shows that the Antes family was living there in the year 1716. The next record is as follows: On the 20th of February, 1722-3, Frederick Antes (written Anttos), of Germantown, bought of Heinrick Van Bebber 154 acres, situate in Philadelphia county, part of 500 acres bought by said Van Bebber on the 4th of November, 1718, of John Henry Sprogell, being part of the tract of 22,377 acres in Mahanitania. Antes paid for this land £38 and 5 shillings, Pennsylvania money. There is also this entry in the Land Office, 7 br., 14, 1724. Agreed with Frederick Antes for the land called Darby Greens, in Limerick, about 300 and odd acres, at £22 p. C't; £30 to be p'd next 3 mo., and interest for the rest till paid.

This shows that the Antes family came to this country with capital to establish themselves wherever they chose for a permanent home. There is no mention of any of the children but Henry and a daughter, Maria Elizabeth, who married John Eschbach, of Oley, a prominent man among the settlers. Frederick Antes from the first was one of the principal officers of the Reformed Church of Falckner Swamp, and in this faith trained his children.

Henry Antes was associated with the most prominent men of his time in movements for the public good. He

was the great helper of Zinzendorf in his religious efforts, and with Whitefield in his schemes of philantrophy, and with Muhlenburg in matters of education, and with the Justices of the Colony in securing for all classes the rights which the laws of the province assured them. Whenever the German people needed a champion he was ready to serve them. When they were accused of being disloyal to the Proprietary Government, he vindicated them in a speech of great power, and turned the opposition into their favor. He gave up his home that it might be used as a school for young people. He inaugurated the Unity Conferences, which was the beginning of the movement that in these times is known as Christian Endeavor. In proof of the claim that he is the Father of this movement, we present his letter calling these conferences.

"Call for a meeting of Christians, to be held on New Year's Day, 1742, in Germantown. In the name of Jesus, Amen!

"MY DEAR FRIEND AND BROTHER: Since a fearful injury is done in the Church of Christ among those souls who are called to the Lamb, and this mostly through mistrust and suspicion, and that often without foundation, which one entertains towards another, by which every attempt to do good is frustrated-and since contrary to this we are commanded to love one another-the question has been discussed in the minds of some persons for two or more years whether it would not be possible to bring about a General Assembly, not for the purpose of disputing with one another, but to confer in love on the important articles of faith, in order to see how near all could come together in fundamental points, and in other matters that do not overthrow the ground of salvation, to bear with one another in charity, that thus all judging and condemning among the above-mentioned souls might be abated and prevented; since by such uncharitableness we expose ourselves before the world and give it occasion to say: "Those who preach peace and conversion themselves stand against one another.' These facts have induced many brethren and God fearing souls to take this important matter into earnest consideration, and to view it in the presence of the Lord. And they have concluded to assemble on the coming New Year's Day in Germantown. Accordingly you are heartily entreated with several others of your

brethren who rest on good ground, and can give a reason for their faith, to assemble with us, if the Lord permits you so to do. Nearly all others have been informed of this by the same kind of letter as is here sent to you. It is believed that it will be a large assembly; but let not this keep you back; everything will be done without rumor. The Lord Jesus grant His blessing to it. "From your poor and humble, but sincere friend and brother, "HENRY ANTES. "Frederick Township, in Philadelphia County, Dec. 15, 1741."

For ten years Henry Antes was one of the Justices of Pennsylvania. He was distinguished for his breadth of view and progressiveness, as the friend of the oppressed, and the benefactor of the poor.

Christopher Sauer, the publisher of the German newspaper that had great influence among the Germans, said in the issue of May 16th, 1756:

"By this opportunity the editor cannot justly omit to state what he has heard as truth concerning Henry Antes, viz.: When he had been for a long time prostrated by sickness, and he felt the end of life was near, a warm friend visited him and inquired how he regarded his past administration of the office of Justice of the Peace; whether he felt easy in mind concerning this. He answered: He did not desire the office, and accepted it contrary to his own wishes because so many desired him to accept; he walked in uprightness himself and administered justice to others to the extent of his ability. He never respected the person in passing judgment. When his friend, or a rich man, yes, even a justice, was in the wrong, he helped the poor man to his rights, nor did he favor his children against a stranger; and he did not lie down to rest until he had examined his entire day's work and had ascertained that he had performed his office as he would have men do to him; and when he erred in judgment through ignorance, he made the correction directly. Therefore he felt quite at ease concerning his office of judge and he longed only for dissolution. He died in a state of impartiality toward all men and parties. Were such magistrates more numerous, the poor would not have cause to complain and to weep over gross injustices which they have to suffer because persons are respected."

Such was the father of John Henry Antes.

In his family Bible he made the following record: "Fifth of October, 1736. A son was born to me this morning at three o'clock. I named him John Henry. The Saviour preserve him to eternal life. He was baptized by John Philip Boehm. I myself stood as sponser at the baptism."

The following shows the ancestry of Christina, the wife of Henry Antes:

In the year 1644 there was born in the Principality of Broich, Holland, William Ryttinghuisen. For generations his ancestors had been engaged in the manufacture of paper. Some time before 1690 William Rittenhouse came to Pennsylvania with his three children, and with his son Claus, or Nicholas, built the first paper mill in America. On the seventh of May, 1691, they were granted naturalization by Thomas Lloyd, the Deputy Governor.

William Rittenhouse died in 1708, and was probably buried in the burial ground of the Mennonists, in Germantown, of which church he and his son Claus were ministers. After his death the business was continued by his son Claus.

Claus, or Nicholas, Rittenhouse married Wilhelmina Dewees, a sister of William Dewees, of Germantown.

The second paper mill in the American Colonies was erected by William Dewees in the year 1710, on the west side of Wissahickon Creek, in that part of Germantown known as Crefeld, near the line of the present Montgomery County, then called the Manor of Springfield. The probability is that Dewees had learned the art of paper making from the Rittenhouses.

In 1726 Henry Antes married Christina, the daughter of William Dewees, and a flour mill was added to the Crefeld paper mill. Here Antes worked for three years.

In 1734 Claus Rittenhouse died. In 1732 David Rittenhouse, the American astronomer, was born. He was the grandson of Claus. Thus Rittenhouse, the astronomer, and Colonel Henry Antes had the same great-grandfather, in the person of the father of William Dewees.

In that valuable work, "The Settlement of Germantown," by Judge Pennypacker, we are told that many persons fall into error in tracing the old families, because they ignore the old