| Title: | Andrew Greenlees, Ellenwood, Kansas to his brother. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1251 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Greenlees, Andrew/20 |
| Year | 1874 |
| Sender | Greenlees, Andrew |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Ellinwood, Kansas, USA |
| Destination | Magheramore, Co. Wicklow, Ireland |
| Recipient | Greenlees, John |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | T 2046/18: Copied by Permission of Ailen McClelland Esq., 3 Beechhill Park Avenue, Belfast. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9405281 |
| Date | 09/09/1874 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 11:05:1994. |
| Word Count | 787 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Ellenwood Sept 9th 1874 Dear Brother I have expected a letter from you for some time in reply to my last but as none has Come I will write again first I will answer a few queries in your last which I had not room for in my last in regard to markets we have railroad communications on two sides of us the Kansas Pacific on the north and the Atchison Topeka on the south distance nine miles & the latter 25 to the former as for school privileges of course then in comparitively [comparatively?] none at present bear in mind three years ago there was only five inhabitants in this County how ever [however?] we are organizing school districts and building school houses as fast as possible we finished organizing a school district two days ago where we live we have the proper officers elected and the district laid off - containing nine sections; 9 miles square. we will [diagram drawn in original letter] probably put up a school house in the spring we will raise the funds by issuing bonds payable by the district this is the 26 district formed and ready for buisness [business?] in this county. but besides this I would say that there is at Emporia 75 miles or 100 miles from here one of the best higher class schools in the west and those that have the means to spare can have all the facilities for [educational?] purposes therein that they can wish for before leaving this subject I would say that the state of Kansas has made good provision for the education of her childern, every town contains six miles square [96?] sections two sections in every township is [reserved?] for school purposes those lands are sold [generally?] when [they?] will bring about ten dollars per acre left to the judgment of the trustees the interest of which makes a good school fund - we have a presbeterian [Presbyterian?] church organized; also sunday school every sunday preaching every other sunday by our presbeterian [Presbyterian?] minister [also?] by the methodist minister alternate sundays each preaching at other posts alternate sundays I believe that is all the questions answered I must now come to a gloomy picture perhaps you have already heard of the ravages of the grasshoppers or rather locusts for they are nothing else, they started away up in minesota [Minnesota?] destroyed about 15 or 16 counties there crossed in to Iowa done about the same amount of damage their [there?] then left for Nebraska ravaging about the half of it then [?] south into Kansas destroying about the two thirds of the crops in the state it is a hard blow John and those of us who came this spring feel it in all its crushing desolation before the grasshoppers it was as the garden of eden behind them a wasted wilderness we as well as many others had a splendid prospect for a crop I had forty acres in all together and was feeling quite hopeful that there was enough and to spare both for man and beast for next year but now every thing [everything?] is gone in one days time for that was all the time required to complete the work of destruction and here we are like an army post cut off from its supplies, our means all exhausted, an [abundance?] almost within our grasp but in a moment destroyed leaving [us?] for the mean time [meantime?] destitute dazed and bewildered a few who have enough of means left are going back east but that is a foolish move for the locusts are more likely to be their [there?] next season than here we are not able to go back if we wished and would not wish to if we were able mean time [meantime?] we [?] that He who permitted the scourge will also open up a way for us. and turn the apparent evil for our real good that we may trust less to our own resources and live more by faith believing that he who feedeth the ravens when [they?] cry and taketh cognisance [cognizance?] of the fall of a sparrow will also watch over us and bring us safely through kindest love to Hugh and Jenny also to Ellen & Agnes dont send them this letter to read in their feeble state it would probably give them a shock which would be injurious Simply tell them we are all well and enjoying perfect health for this is the healthiest county I ever lived in tell ellen her little name sake [namesake?] is one of the smartest best natured little cricket she ever saw Lucy joins in kindest love to Jane write soon and believe me Yours truly Andrew |
