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Title: John Henry, Kansas to Mrs John Henry, Coole, Co. Derry.
ID1420
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileHenry, John/14
Year1887
SenderHenry, John
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationfarmer
Sender ReligionPresbyterian
OriginClay Center, Kansas, USA
DestinationCo. Derry, N.Ireland
RecipientMrs John Henry
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipson-mother
SourceT 1480/3: Copied by Permission of J. Henry Esq., Coleraine, Co. Londonderry.
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, Northern Ireland.
Doc. No.9405206
Date25/07/1887
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 09:05:1994.
Word Count657
Genre
Note
TranscriptTo: Mother [Mrs John Henry, Coole, Coleraine Post Office, County Derry?]

Clay Centre July 25th 1887

Dear Mother
It seems to me that it is
a long time since I had a letter
from you, and I suppose by this
time you will think it is time you
were having one from me so I
thought I would try and write
you a few lines [to?] let you know
that we are still in the land of
the living and in a pretty fair
state of health at present
I have had good health ever since
we came to Kansas this is a much
healthier country than Illinois
there is no ague or chills & fever
here it is a fine farming country
and it is a fine stock country
cattle will grow fat here on the
prairie grass fat enough for beef
the land is easy farmed no tuff [tough?]
clay soil but a rich sandy loam
that rolles [rolls?] over with the plow [plough?] like
a bed of ashes we have been
here 18 years and I have never had
to manure any yet nor I dont think
I shall have to manure any in my
day I dont see any difference in
the crops since we commenced 18
years ago I have no particular news
to write at present only the same
as the American letters used to
write all well and doing well
I am thinking some of selling out
and quiting [quitting?] farming all together [altogether?]
or else renting the land out to
small farmers, we have now four
Hundred acres of land and it is
[too?] hard work for one man to see to
it all and all the stock Besides
we have a nice pasture with plenty
of grass and water we have 35 head
of cattle 9 head of horses and 12 calves
to see after 12 of these in milch cows
we live close to Clay Centre and
sells our milch [milk?] in town to
the bakeries and resturants [restaurants?] to
make ice cream for the town people
We made some cheese this summer
but we can do better by selling
the milk, our family is scattring [scattering?]
out and leaving us pretty fast
and I dont feel like working so
much as I used to, five of the
Boys are their own Boss and
the oldest [girl?] is a dress [maker?] [dressmaker?]
When Children gets 21 years of life
in this country the [they?] work for themselves
and are what we call their
own Boss the [they?] make their own B[?]
pay their own debts and are expected
to make their own living
we are both glad and sorry that
such is the case but it is the
way of the world one generation
passeth away and another cometh
and I suppose we will have to
submit to an all wise Providence
knowing that He doeth allthings [all things?]
well and that all things work
together for good to them that
love God
I think it is a great [shame?] for
us to not write oftner [more often?] to each
other I dont remember when I
had a letter from any of my
folks neither do I remember
when I wrote last to any of them
now such things ought not
so to be, we can all write so
we have [?] [?] [?] [?]
then the Post [was so?] cheap that
we ought not [to grumble?] on that
account, so it seems their [there?] is
nothing left for us to do but to
put our hands over our faces and
cry out ungreatful ungreatful [ungrateful?]
I hope we may all try to do better
in the future so that we may hear
of each others welfare oftner [more often?]
I will have to close for the present
seeing my paper is getting full &
hoping that these few lines may
find you all in the enjoyment of
all temporal and spiritual Blessing
I remain Your Affactionate [Affectionate?] Son
(write soon) John Henry