| Title: | Maggie Black, Adams Street, Chicago, to her Mother |
|---|---|
| ID | 206 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Black, Maggie/17 |
| Year | 1890 |
| Sender | Black, Maggie (n. Hall) |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Destination | Loughgall, Co. Armagh, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Mrs Hall |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | daughter-mother |
| Source | D 2041/13: Purchased From J.A. Gamble Esquire, 44 Taunton Avenue, Belfast 15 |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9310727 |
| Date | 16/05/1890 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by C.R., 25:10:1993. |
| Word Count | 1476 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: Mrs Hall, Eden Cottage, Loughgall, County Armagh, Ireland From: Maggie Black (nee Hall), 602 W. [West?] Adams Street, Chicago, U.S.A. May 16 1890 602 W. [West?] Adams St [Street?] 16th May 90 [1890?] My dear Mamma At last we have got to our destination and I am so thankful. We reached New York on Monday evening but did not land until Tuesday morning. Willie Patterson was there to meet us we got thro' [though?] the customs splendidly I was fortunate enough to be examined by a very nice gentleman We had all our baggage open and in readiness when he came round he never opened the lid of one of the larger cases and several of the smaller ones he passed over too & those he did examine was merely a form of course he asked me what I had got in the cases & boxes if they had been in use & how long. I had to swear a declaration to that effect I thanked him for being so kind to me & he said I guess if I turned them out you would have more trouble to pack them again when we were done there Willie Patterson & I went to see about what freight would be charged for the transit of the large cases (the captain told me on board ship to send them on as freight) I had to pay a little over £3 on them & judging from what they charged me on them from Dungannon to Derry I think it was not too much. Then we had to go & have checks for all our baggage these checks are little squares of brass with different numbers on them they strap one on each box & give you a duplicate for all you retain until you arrive at the depot or station in Chicago when you present your checks you get all your baggage as the [they?] call handed over to you once you have the checks the railway Co [Company?] are responsible for your property but you cannot claim it if you lose them you never have to look after them for the remainder of the journey. When we got this part of our business over we went to a resturant [restaurant?] & had dinner as we had a very early breakfast & it was then near 2 oclock [o'clock?] When we had refreshed ourselves in #PAGE 2 this way we went over the famous Brokylin [Brooklyn?] Bridge up & down Broadway a street 4 1/2 miles long & very fashionable then to Central Park I could not give you an idea of such grandeur carriages by the hundred out driving thro [through?] it for pleasure New York is an awfully large busy place I could not describe it. Our train did not leave until half past 8 oclock [o'clock?] on Tuesday evening so we had time to see a good deal of it. Willie Patterson stayed with us all the day & saw us off I never could have managed without him or someone like him. We were in the train from that till half-past eight oclock [o'clock?] yesterday morg [morning?]! I was never so tired in all my life bad as the voyage was & me so sick I would prefer it to the train it was awful Lytle & Mr. Anderson were to meet us & you can imagine what a glad meeting that was!! Lytle looks very well indeed & seems as happy as can be. after we came here & had breakfast & rested a little he took the children and me over to see our new home at Winchester Avenue I am greatly pleased with it it is a house of two flats ours is on the second flour [floor?] but we have our own hall door & staircase there is an outer door form the street and about six steps up to this door then ours opens on the right hand & the other house on the left. there is a drawing room & one bedroom in front folding doors off the drawing room into another room something like a library as it has a large glass book case on top & [-----?] so many drawers underneath off this room there is a large recess which we propose screening off to make a bedroom for Tom then there is a passage off which there are two bedrooms clothes-rooms with shelves & hooks complete bath-room & w.c. [water closet?] combined. then a nice kitchen & pantry the back door opens out to a kind of balcony which is all the garden we have it will do for drying clothes when we get lines put up. then off this there is a stair down to the yard which we occupy with the family below to whom both houses belong. everything in and about seems quite new & fresh I just wish I could take you thro [through?] it. the rent is high tho [though?] compared with Ranfurly Terrace £48 per year of our money pair [per?] monthly. The rents of all the houses are very high I find. We afterwards went over to see Mrs Anderson & family they were greatly pleased to see us. we had tea as they were just at lunch when we entered. it seems the folk here take a light lunch about 1 oclock [o'clock?] & don't dine until 5 or 6 oclock [o'clock?] which does supper as well. so we shall be quite aristocratic!! Mrs Anderson came over here this morning & helped us to select some furniture for our wee house we have to buy a range or #PAGE 3 stove ourselves which will cost a good deal we got two bed-room suites & three beds a table & six chairs for a common sitting room & a couch the furniture is all a kind of stained wood. I did not see a bit of mahogany since I came of course there are different qualities walnut oak etc etc [et cetera?] it is just as cheap if not cheaper than in Ireland it will not be delivered until Monday so we are not settled yet. Lytle took a bedroom next door for ourselves & Margaret & the children sleep in his bed. Tom sleeps in this house too of course we all have breakfast & dinner together here we hope to be in our own house on Monday or Tuesday at the latest as we shall then be able to live cheaper provisions & everything except rent is as reasonable as at home dress materials are much the same but it is the making up that is expensive. I think Margaret will be staying on here. Lytle had the place waiting for her she is to get 3 or 3 1/2 dollars to begin with so that she has not long to wait. I think we shall like this country very much the folk all seem kind and sociable and this old man of mine is so good and attentive to us that up to the present I am not homesick! and once we get our things in I expect to be pretty busy. there is a bedroom & front parlour we intend to try and let after a little and it will reduce our rent. our cases are not forward [forwarded?] yet from New York they were to have been here to-day but have not arrived so we cannot do anything but take it easy for a little I shall get into lazy habbits [habits?] I'm afraid if it goes on much longer like this. I hope to be able in my next to give you more particulars as to the customs of the people but I have not discovered a very great difference for so far. [sic] Lytle says his business is on the increase & hopes to soon be able to make a good thing of it. he sells groceries of all kinds as well as flour & grain. so I trust in a short time we shall be as comfortable as ever we were & when Dada & you pay us that visit you promised we shall be able to entertain you and "show you around" I guess!!! We are to have dinner at W Anderson's tomorrow after church Florrie & Edna were there yesterday. I think we shall not want for friends I cannot believe I am in America at all somehow but it seems far more than a fortnight since Dada left us at Derry! Now this has been all about ourselves but I wanted to write you as fully as I could at first about little things. How are all at home? Is Annie better? & is she still in #PAGE 4 the notion of America? We have all recovered from our sickness & in our usual health again. Hoping to have a long letter soon & often from some of ye [you?] I am with love to all joined with Lytle & the children your fond daughter Maggie |
