| Title: | Jane Ellen Orr, Portaferry, to John M. Orr, Chicago. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2016 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Orr, Jane Ellen/95 |
| Year | 1847 |
| Sender | Orr, Jane Ellen |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | Prob. Protestant |
| Origin | Portaferry, Co. Down, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Recipient | Orr, John M. |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | Copyright Retained by John McCleery, 80 Circular Road, Belfast,BT4 2GD. |
| Archive | Ulster American Folk Park. |
| Doc. No. | 9702157 |
| Date | 13/10/1847 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | Document added by LT, 10:02:97. |
| Word Count | 1300 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | NEW ORLEANS JAN 5 [Circular transit postmark 5 Jan 1847?] John M. Orr Messrs George Smith & Co. Chicago Illinois America Portaferry October 13th 1847 My dear John A fortnight has not yet elapsed since Dada wrote you a very long letter. at that time I had no intention of writing you again before the 1st of next month, but William McCleery sails in a day or two for New Orleans, and he requested us to send a letter for you with him, and he would drop it into the office there. I am sure it will be a very long time before this reaches you. We were all disappointed - particularily Mamma - that there was no letter or paper from you by the last mail, if there will not be any for us the next mail, we will be very uneasy. We are anxious to know whether you have commenced any business or not. Mamma desires me to say, that any time you do not write, if you would send us a paper, directed with your own hand, it would be almost as satisfactory. Any mail that comes in, if we have no tidings of you, we always fancy something is the matter, at the very least we will be expecting a letter every month, now if you please don't forget to write. So we have got John Dalzell married at last, & a very nice wife he has got, not well looking though, but most agreeable. There was a very large party for her in Dr. Filson's, on this day week. Of course Meg & I were there, "No show without Punch," but really we had a most delightful evening, we did not separate until half past two o'c [o'clock?]. The young gentlemen would have been very scarce, but had not John and Alexander McCullough & Mr Sam Cunningham arrived most unexpectedly from Belfast. I assure you we were all delighted to see them. We had great dancing. Quadrilles, country dances, reels, the Spanish dance &c &c. We had some very funny songs from Sandy McCullough and sentimental ones from John. now altogether we spent a very pleasant evening - W. Donnan has built splendid stores where Molly's old house was, they are so very long that you can hardly see to the end of them, he has half promised to give us a dance in them when they are finished. I am sure I hope he may do so with all my heart, as there is nothing I enjoy more than a good dance to the violin. There was a very alarming thing happened here on Saturday morning. Mr William Campbell of Ballyalton near Newtownards came to the Inn on Friday morning, and intended returning by the coach in the morning, when James Moreland went to awake him in the morning he answered him and said he would rise, however when the coach was starting there was no word of him, and James Moreland went into the room and shook him, he gave a tremendous groan, he had been seized with apoplexy, for two days his life was despaired of, but I am happy to say he is now in the fair way of recovering, and they hope to be able to remove him tomorrow. Mr Campbell's illness caused a great sensation in the town. All the Doctors were in attendance. Captain Pollock of Glasgow died on Tuesday week of bilious fever, he had been in a bad state of health during the greater part of the summer, but for a few weeks previous to his last attack, his friends thought he was recovering. however when he was seized with bilious fever, he only lasted eight days. I am sure you will be surprised to hear that Mrs Frank Donnan has got a little daughter, Frank is in no bother about it, he was all disappointed it was not a son. Have you much [froth?] about Chicago? I need scarcely ask you that question - as I am sure you have lots of all kinds, I only wish I was with you to get share - Mr McCullough the schoolmaster is leaving next week, as he is going to College. We had an application for the school from Mr Pollock who had been in America for five years we were quite delighted to meet with anyone that had been there in America. He told us that the way the Americans pronounced Chicago was as if it was spelled Shihogo, is that the case? ,he also told us he thought you would have to blacken your own boots, as the servants there would be too proud to do so. well really I should like exceedingly to see you at that work, I fancy you would not be very good at it. I had a letter from Margaret Orr today, she mentioned that Henry Maxwell is there at present with the Miss Donnans. he has left the vessel he was in, as she was a very bad one, I have not heard whether he has got another or not. James Blow is Captain of the [Troubadour?] we saw yesterday by the papers that he had arrived in New York after a passage of 31 days. I understand he is going to give a regular "blow out" when he comes home. Mrs Filson had a letter from her brother Robert about ten days since, he mentioned that he had been in New York after he had heard of your arrival there and called at Mr Maxwell's to enquire about you but they had heard nothing of you at all. James Warnock had called there too, it is a great wonder he had not thought of calling at Mr William Maxwell's knowing that you had letters of introduction to him. There were no less than three papers came for you from Mr J. Glass with 2d each on them, we did not keep them, I wonder does he not know that you are in America. We are all quite well, Meggy is growing almost as fat as I am. His Fathers son William Henry is as great a mischief as ever, he often wishes that I was away, & that you were home again. Dada sends you the "Derry Standard" every mail, he is anxious to know whether you receive it or not. It is pretty generally reported and believed that James Johnston is going to be married to [Emily?] Craig immediately, [certain?] it is that he is very attentive in that quarter. Did Robert Bowden write you from Quebec, he sent home some time since for your address, and he got it. Have you found out Tom Warnock yet? There were papers from him from Cincinatti by the last mail, but no letters. I am sure you will have some difficulty in reading this scrawl. I am getting tired writing. My pen is none of the best & my poor ink is far gone in consumption, it is very pale. I am now going out to walk, perhaps when I come in and get a cup of tea I may think of something more to tell you. Well here I am again sitting down to write, and really I can't see that the nice walk or my tea have brightened my intellect, as I cannot think of anything else to tell you. So I must conclude hoping we may have a very long letter from you by next mail, telling us that you are making your fortune, And with kindest love in which I am joined by all here I remain dear Jack Your sincerely attached sister Jane Ellen How do you come on at mending and darning? William Henry is most anxious to know whether you have got your whiskers cut off or not, and if you ever think of Sarah-Anne. Mamma wants to know if the weather is cold where you are. |
