| Title: | John Gass, Attica, Indiana to William Gass, Markethill, Armagh |
|---|---|
| ID | 1149 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Gass, John/4 |
| Year | 1868 |
| Sender | Gass, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | politician |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Attica, Indiana, USA |
| Destination | Co. Armagh, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Gass, William |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | T 1396/23: Copied by Permission of S.Gass Esq., 26 Howard St., Belfast #TYPEEMG John Gass, Attica, Indiana, U.S.A. to William Gass, Markethill, Co Armagh, Ireland, 1 March 1868. |
| Archive | Public Record Office, N. Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 8905237 |
| Date | 01/03/1868 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | 28:06:1989 LT created 04:12:1990 CD input 05:12:19 |
| Word Count | 691 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | MAYOR'S OFFICE, City of Attica, Ind [Indiana?] March 1st 1868 William Gass Markethill Ireland, Dear Brother About twelve months since I received a letter from you I neglected answering sooner. I have considerable buisiness [business?] to attend to in my Office which causes me to neglect writing to my friends. Enclosed you will a likeness A present to one of your girls. The one that sent the wreath. It is presented by her Aunt Rachel. We had it taken a few days since. I was Elected Mayor of this City last May, this is the second term I am serving sometimes buisness [business?] is brisk last evening the Marchal [Marshall?] arrested two men that were fighting, both pleaded guilty I made their fine light six Dollars each including costs. I have power to fine as high as 50$ and imprison 30 days - one week since Rachel & I visited Sarah Smith & her husband, they were glad to see us; Sarah got up a first rate dinner her husband is worth twenty thousand Dollars and a good liberal kind of man, Sarah was lucky in finding a good husband. I have not heard from Margaret for some time Alonzo Brady our grand son lives with us is past eight year old, goes to day school and sabbath school, thinks he will send his likeness next summer, his mother is not married the second time lives with us. I folded up a newspaper with a sale bill in and mailed to day directed to you we have had a beautiful winter ten degrees below zero coldest, produce of every kind sell high, our crops has been allmost [almost?] a failure in some of the states, I see by the papers there is considerable distress in large Cities It is forty year next Christmas since I left Milltown, I suppose I would scarcely know the place I suppose but few of my old acquaintances living. I reckon the old corner Mill still stands in the same place with its thatched roof. If old Roger McQuaise is not on hands to thatch it. Roger done the thatching I was his waiter he would tell me stories at night, several of them I still remember. I have seen considerable hard times since my arrival in the states and I guess I have had my share of p[leasure?] I am now filling the highest Office in the City. We had a warm Election last May. I was Elected by sixty four majority & 45 the first time. Our City contains one Presbyterian church one Methodist, one Episcopalian (or church of England) one Su[?]e, one Jew, one dutch) one Baptist, one Christian, on[e?] Camelite [Carmelite?] & one Catholic. Not much said about Fenianism in this place, as but few Irish live here, in the large Cities they still keep it up. I believe I have wrote all I can think of that would interest you, give our respects to your wife, and all your children, boys and girls, then you can remember me to any and all of my old acquaintances I suppose Jane Gass recollects me, and I have no doubt Dan Hughes & perhaps others I have forgotten. What become of John Seeman & family did they go to Austrailia [Australia?] are any of Uncle William [?] family living has Markethill improved much also, Newry & armagh is Bo[b?] Gass' old well still in existence is the water still carried through that deep cut [?] uncle Ben's house to the corn mill do you still thatch your houses with straw, and have you [Dung?] hills in your yard with you stable & Brier joining your dwelling is many of your floors still made of earth, do you use oat meal bread like you formerly done. I used to think it was so good, I wish I had a mess - none manufactured here, our oats are small grains cant I ask questions, I mean nothing disrespectful all the above was the custom when I was a boy. Respectfully your Brother John Gass Lizzie or Eliza Shaw, now Lizzie Hixon is well lives 18 mile from here married a farmer, she has a child 18 months old - all well - |
