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Title: Catherine Parker, New Jersey, to "Dear Father", Dromore.
ID2063
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileParker, Catherine/68
Year1816
SenderParker, Cahterine
Sender Genderfemale
Sender Occupationunknown
Sender Religionunknown
OriginNew Jersey, USA
DestinationDromore, Co. Down, N.Ireland
Recipientunknown
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipdaughter-father
SourceThe Belfast Commercial Chronicle, Monday, 23 December, 1816
ArchiveThe Linenhall Library, Belfast.
Doc. No.9806352
Date23/12/1816
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 15:06:98.
Word Count505
Genre
Note
TranscriptAMERICA.

(From the Newry Telegraph.)

SIR - Much discouraging matter with respect to
America having been printed in the public newspapers
(yours as well as others) I think it but right that
the public should hear something on the other side of
the question, I therefore request you to publish an
extract of a letter, written by James, Moses, and
Catherine Parker, to their father in the neighbourhood
of Dromore, from Monmouth County, New Jersey, July 7,
1816. - I am, &c. P.

"DEAR FATHER - This is the country for you, for if
you were here, you would have work plenty, and your
wages would be from eight to twelve shillings per day,
at building or repairing malls, and I can get work
plenty for you, and all my acquaintances; my brother
Moses has his choice of work and by his appearance he
will make a sober steady wage and that is all that
is required in this country. He began to work in three
days after I brought him home and had 6s. a day, and
food, and he referred his hiring to me, and I
would not let him work so any longer for that wages
and he boards with me, and works at a bark factory,
and clears from 10 to 14s. per day, and has steady
work for one year, and I shall send for you, and you
must not disappoint me. If you live to come to this
country, the latter part of your days will be the best
that you have ever seen, for you can have peace and
plenty of every thing to eat,and to wear, in a very
short time.
"Dear father, you need not be afraid of coming to
this country, for you will have a friend here that
will set you a going, with a house and farm, and cows,
hogs, and household furniture ready, and provisions
to sit down and make yourselves comfortable, and in a
few weeks you will be better off than any of your
kindred in Ireland, for you can earn more in one day
here, than your family will make use of in three days,
for provisions is cheap and wages is high, so that a
poor man can live here as well as the rich, if he will
work any at all. I have kept my own table, going on
three years, and has not had six bushels of potatoes
in all that time, and is never without tea and sugar,
flesh and fish, both roast and boiled, when I want it,
so that I would to GOD that all my relations was here,
in the Garden of Eden. When you write direct to the
care of Mr. Robt. [Robert?] Stewart, No. 39 James
street, New York, for James Parker, and it will come.
Give my love to all my inquiring friends. This letter
is from us as one. So no more at present, but remains
your loving sons and daughter, till death,

"JAMES, MOSES, AND CATHERINE PARKER."