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of relief from his mother after her death, and afterwards from his sister, who having married a spendthrift - Count de Salm - who when his wife was dying had a pen placed in her hand and compelling her to sign a fraudulent will, Father Gallitzin, who had spent at least $150,000 in planting his colony found himself in financial straits, burdened with debt which he could not meet, so as a matter of conscience he felt himself in duty bound to appeal to the charity of friends to assist him to pay, at least, part of the debt. The appeal which is in his handwriting, was intrusted to the writer by Rev. Fr. Ferdinand Kittell, in 1899, from which Mr. Swank had a cut made which was first published in The Johnstown Tribune in account of Centennial of Loretto in 1899, and afterwards used by Father Kittell in his "Souvenir of Loretto Centenary," and is herewith reproduced on the following page.
It may be well to state that at the time Father Gallitzin was educated, more capital letters were used than now, verbs and adverbs and common nouns often were capitalized. The orthography was also different as in "Defence," "segars," "embassador" and some other words.
Charles Carroll, of Carrolltown, the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence under date of November 13, 1827, endorsed the appeal. Following is the list of some notable contributors to the fund in the handwriting of each except Cardinal Capellari, which is in the writing of Father Gallitzin:
| Ch. Carroll, of Carrollton |
$100.00 p'd |
| Robert Oliver |
100.00 p'd |
| Baron de Maltitz |
100.00 p'd |
| Jo. Silvestro Rebello |
100.00 p'd |
| Cardinal Capellari |
200.00 p'd |
| Matthew Carey |
20.00 p'd |
| Cash |
20.00 p'd |
| Jos. Reiley |
10.00 p'd |
Collected along the canal below Blairsville say $370.
This latter entry also in Father Gallitzin's handwriting.
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