In reply to Obadiah Witherspoon (msg # 21):

Verity smiled gratefully at Obiadah, and said,"Yes, we are not related, good sir. Would you be looking for any place in particular?"

“Please pardon my presumptions placed upon you both,” Matthias’ face went red making it hard to hide his embarrassment.  He tried to recover and focused on just his need to find the printers. “I am needing to acquire larger sheets of paper for maps.  I purchase what I need from Hall and Sellers since they also publish for the Governor.  I usually can pick up information, official and otherwise, from them or their patrons.”

Obadiah remarked, "Speaking for myself, I cheerfully pardon your misapprehension. A little confusion is understandable when strangers first meet.I hope we shall not be strangers long. I am glad that information may be found here.  While you are purchasing your map paper, I hope I can make some discreet inquiries regarding any...singular events in these parts of late."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:03, Wed 29 May 2019.

“Again, my apologies, I will blame it on being in the wilderness a bit too long,” Matthias’ words were laced with slight variations of pronunciation turning the w’s into v’s and long into a something between that and lange.  It revealed a bit about him, and while it was occurring he neither knew, of if he did, care. “Well, there are always the official proclamations of course, posted for all to see, but then there are the unofficial attitudes and of course the rumors that swirl about.  Although, I suspect the coffee houses and more established locations could be of greater source for the latter.”

He continued to walk with them towards the economic heart of the busy city.  The buildings here were a mix of wood and brick, each with signs advertising their specialties and wares.

Obadiah responds, "While no doubt the coffee-houses carry man common rumors, I am hoping to learn of something more in the line of ...curious ancient lore, which might be best found at the printer's." He continues to walk briskly beside the surveyor.

“There be the destination friends,” Matthias pointed at the two-story brick and timber building with a rather lavish storefront and door.  Hall and Sellers were one of the well-established printers having continued the printing done by Dr. Franklin and acting as the official printers of the Penn family and its government.   David Hall was the partner of Dr. Franklin, but his age took him away from the hard work of the press in most cases.

Nearby was the tall bell tower of the colonial government house with its various adjoining ministries.  Matthias had no dealings there, yet, those would come when he finished his maps and provided his notes to the expecting land officials.  He took a few quick steps to open the door from both Master Witherspoon and Mistress Mitchel.  “Bitte,” he said as he held the door for them.”

In reply to Mathias Berhard Wendt (msg # 27):

Verity smiled, and told him, "Thank you, sir."

Obadiah courteously let Verity precede him into the shop and then entered, politely nodding to Mathias and saying "My thanks, sir."
He looks around the shop once he has entered, looking around for newspapers, public notices and books of interest, especially esoteric interest (if any).

The interior of the combined store, workshop, and mail room was a mix of paper and people with the aroma of cloth, sweat, mixed with the crispness of drying ink.  There were broadsides posted to one side of the door, books on three shelves atop the dark walnut countertop with closed whitewashed cupboards below.  As he let the door close behind them, Matthias saw that a youth of some 14 years or so was working behind the main counter.  To his right were various pamphlets, almanacs, bottles of ink, and various types of quills, pens, and such.

“Good day,” Matthias greeted the younger man.  “I need a few things if I could be so forward.  A dozen sheets folio size of very fine paper for maps for the Board of Property of the Upper Susquehanna and one of its tributaries.”

He glanced down and saw that there was a copy of the Pennsylvania Gazette at the ready.  He glanced at it, and a few things caught his eye.  “Also, should inquire if I might purchase this newspaper, as well as place an advertisement in your next.  I need to share some personal items with a few people associated with the families I visited in that region. “

He smiled as he said the last statement.  News is what the printers needed, and he had some information on the new lands that might come available from the Governor’s office, as well as general information on the situation to the North.  But, what he did not want to make too obvious was the fact that he also had brought back letters for a few individuals from their families.  No post was paid to him, but officials tended to get a bit frustrated when the King’s tax was not paid.

He looked back down and noted that a few estate sales were to take place, as well as a couple of auctions at the London Coffee House of real properties, as well as higher valued estate items.  What also caught his eye was the closure of the business of Cruckshank and Collins, another printer who tended to carry books and items of both a secular and occasionally metaphysical nature.

Verity glanced around, looking for nothing in particular, and no one in particular. She then left the store  and headed home, where she went upstairs to do some sewing.

Seeing Verity depart, Obadiah lifted a hand in a polite gesture of farewell, and then began scanning the three shelves of books for anything of occult interest.

At first, he thought the young man hadn’t heard him, but then he saw him turn and start pulling out sheets from different drawers along the wall behind him and momentarily vanish into the printing shop.  When he reemerged, he had a few sheets of much larger paper with him that he added to an empty spot off to his right.  “Please, sir, take a look at these.  The bottom two are imported, one from London and the other from Paris  Highest quality and most durable  The next two are papers made here in the colonies with this last larger group made for us in partnership with a colleague.  Quite nice, and much more reasonable than the ones imported, we think.”

The man smiled as he emphasized his preference for the larger, slightly less white version of the paper he had just retrieved from the back.  Matthias looked at all of them with a focused eye.  The color of the paper was identical to the newspaper that he had been reading and it did look to be of a fine quality.  However, the whiteness of the two from Europe was much brighter. “These are very gut, but I fear they may be out of my budget.  Price of those are?”

The man leaned in and whispered the price, and Matthias had to ask him to repeat himself.  “Vas,” he gasped and looked at the man and then at the paper.  The price was such for a dozen sheets that he could buy a couple of the almanacs they printed, a small book, and subscribe to the newspaper.  His eyes remained wide as he looked at the two papers and then slowly shook his head and held up his left hand in a protective gesture for the sake of the papers’ protection more than his own.

He looked again at the paper produced in the colonies.  It was a good paper, well pressed  with a noticeable smoothness to it.  “How much for this then,” he asked as he pointed to the larger sheets before him.  The young man rattled off a price slight more than the cost of one of the newspapers.  Matthias thought about it and then nodded, “two dozen sheets then for die maps and a copy of your most recent newspaper, bitte.  Oh, and is there any news or mail from Strauben, that area, my parents now live there.”

Obadiah selected one of the books from the shelf and examined it curiously.
OOC: I leave it to the GM what he finds, but I hope it is interesting)

Her red-brown curls swung behind her as she marched through the marketplace. How dare he! she thought to herself. She walked through the different stalls, heels roughly clicking against the cobblestone. Ned. I am going to kill him. Kill him! Not even a half hour ago, Annie and Ned were assisting their father with a persistent case of worms in an adult male patient. And Ned had the nerve. The nerve! To contradict her. Wormwood! How could he think wormwood would even work on intestinal worms that looked like that! She had been so flustered that her father suggested Annie step out to the market to find a text on worms and their remedies, ideally with diagrams for reference. Of course, Annie was resolved to do that anyhow. She needed to prove him wrong. He didn’t even want to be a doctor! He begged Da to take him on as an apprentice after the lawyer caught Ned kissing his daughter in the pantry.

Annie’s usual kind and gentle demeanor could always be flipped by her brother Ned. Regardless, she loved him dearly, just not when he was stepping on her toes! The young, Scottish woman charged into Hall and Sellers, giving a quick wave and “Good day,” to the clerk, who was clearly helping someone else, as she bee-lined to the shelves she so frequented when an ordinary bookseller didn’t have what she needed.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:03, Fri 12 July 2019.

In reply to Annie McDougall (msg # 35):

Obadiah glanced up a bit absently from the book he was examining and responded "Good day, miss"--apparently not understanding Annie was only addressing the clerk. Then he plunged back into the volume he held.

The young man may have been thinking or may have been about to start an answer when there was a whirl of determined steps followed by the door closing behind their conversation.  The clerk’s eyes followed the footsteps that offered a “Good day” in a voice that was obvious that of a woman which the clerk’s flushed face seemed to affirm.  The accent was not Philadelphia’s norm, nor his German wrapped English either.

He turned and saw a young woman with fair skin that contrasted her reddish-brown ringlets that fell about her shoulders make a straight line to a set of shelves with the books. “Ja, Gut Day.”

Brought out of her own world by the replies from the men in the shop, the auburn-haired lass momentarily looked away from the shelves to survey her bookish, shop-going comrades. Oddly friendly. But as briefly as Annie was pulled out of her thoughts, she was just as quickly reminded of her anger once she returned her gaze back to the texts in front of her.

At first, Annie aggressively sifted through the articles and texts, still heated by the thought of Ned having the audacity to repudiate her medical advice to a patient. What was worse was the patient would rather have listened to Ned, despite his inexperience, than her just because...how did Mr. Harrison put it? Oh right, “because she was a girl.” No thought could really fluff her feathers more. Annie took a deep breath, realizing she was getting nowhere in this crazed state. Letting it out, she purposefully looked over the shelves. Her face and shoulders relaxing, the young woman set into a calm focus. “Aye. This may be it!” she half-whispered to herself. Flipping through the pages of the article, she gave a satisfied nod.

Her footsteps far slower and more gentle than when she had first arrived, Annie waited her turn as she approached the counter. Not wanting to be rude, she gave the patron at the counter three-feet-worth distance so he could conduct his business.

Noting the serious medical article Annie had selected, Obadiah was privately impressed, though he did not venture to comment on it.

Obadiah spoke a little sharply to get the attention of the clerk (who seemed distracted by the young woman), "Pardon me, may I purchase this volume, please?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:29, Tue 03 Sept 2019.

The man wrote out a receipt for his purchases and noted that there was no recent news from Strauben.  They would be happy to share it with their readers if any came in, he noted.  As he did so, he heard the lighter, thoughtful steps of someone coming up behind him, and Matthias shifted to see who it might be.  Master Witherspoon was still pursuing various books off to the side, and the walker was the woman who had blown into the shop with a bounce and flash of curly auburn hair.

“If you might check to see if there is any mail for me, Matthias Wendt or perchance the Eisenbery’s at the Lion Inn, where I am staying,” as he spoke Matthias moved along the counter to give space to the approaching woman.  “Fraulein, bitte, I am done here once he checks and then wraps the papers I purchased for me.  Please.”


He said the last word as he gestured towards the space he had formerly held at the counter.   At about the same time, Master Witherspoon called to the clerk about purchasing a volume he held aloft in his hand.

The book that Obadiah had found was a book on spells and the history of magic-casters in Britain and the colonies, written several years earlier by a now-dead author.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:05, Sun 03 Nov 2019.

Obadiah tells the clerk, "I definitely wish to purchase this volume, so as soon as you have assisted Mr.Wendt, I hope you will wait on me."
OOC should that be "now-read" or "now-dead" author?

In reply to Obadiah Witherspoon (msg # 43):

Ooc: I accidentally typed in read when I meant dead.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:06, Sun 03 Nov 2019.

“Gut, seems that we all have found something,” Matthias said as he looked over at Master Witherspoon.  He shrugged though as he turned his gaze back at the clerk, “I don’t think he was expecting so many customers all at once though, probably focused on the printing job they have going on back there.”

Matthias nodded towards the back of the shop where two other men were moving rather quickly in tandem with the inking of type, placement of paper and pressing.  The two working the press had noticeable beads of sweat on their brows and sweat marks on their shirts.

Obadiah murmurs, "I wonder what they are printing with so much urgency? Perhaps a political pamphlet or newsletter?  There is so much debate going on now."