| Title: | Maggie Black, Chicago to Thomas Hall, Armagh. |
|---|---|
| ID | 212 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Black, Maggie/68 |
| 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 | Hall, Thomas Sr |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | daughter-father |
| Source | D 2041/13: Purchased from J. A. Gamble Esq., 44 Taunton Avenue, Belfast 15 |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9311002 |
| Date | 16/10/1890 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by C McK., 02:11:199 |
| Word Count | 1031 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: Thomas Hall, Eden Cottage, Loughall [Loughgall?], County Armagh, Ireland, From: Maggie Black (nee Hall), 342 Winchester Avenue, Chicago, U.S.A. 342 Winchester Av [Avenue?] Chicago, 16th Oct 1890 My Dear Dada Please excuse the note paper but I am quite out this morning and as it is raining heavily I do not care to go for some-- Well we were glad to get your letter on Tuesday morg [morning?] not five minutes before the postman came I said to Florrie I wonder if grandpa is never going to write me when Edna came with the letter she said "speak of angles [angels?] and you will hear their wings" but if that were true we should have a letter or see some of you every day at some time or other we are talking about you or the others -- we so often talk & speculate about Mama & you coming to see us & just at breakfast this morg [morning?] we were planning how you & she could best avoid being as tired as we were coming from New York. We have decided it will be for you (sic) only to travel by daylight & rest at night & so break the long railway journey!! I suppose you have not these matters arranged for yourselves yet but you see we are not so slow!! We are glad to know that gaunt famine is not staring you in the face as regards potatos [potatoes?] 3 [d?] per st [stone?] does not look like famine prices, you never heard such a cry out as there is here about poor Ireland & its woes we are so often asked about many things concerning it they seem to know nothing except this papers (sic) & too often the reports given cannot be relied on I often wish I had you to refer some of the folk to for an answer they seem to be in sympathy with the Irish people but have no great love for British rule they consider it such an extravagant thing to keep up the Queen Royal family and her court-- I hope you shall be able to dispose of all your stock of cattle to advantage. If we have to pay for potatoes & #PAGE 2 vegetables we can get meat from 8 cents per lbs up indeed we got some corned beef as low as 5 cents so putting one thing against another we can live cheap enough as regards food. I got some tea yesterday at 16 cents per lb! Lytle brought me a sample to try from Mr Peterson's and I find it as good as what I have been paying 40 & 50 cents for of course it is at cost price to Mr Peterson his profit and his customers has to be added before it would come my way were I to buy it at any of the stores -- after a little we mean to get our flour oatmeal tea & some other groceries direct from the [next page of letter missing] to have him [and?] he was anxious to hear our mind on the matter he wanted to keep Tom as he says he is an awfully good boy!! we at once decided to let him remain where he is. he will get a rapid promotion and be better looked after than any other we know in the city at present besides Mr Rodgers is a christian man & member of our church superintendent of S.S. [Sabbath School?] &c and we prefer having Tom under his influence Tom wants to stay with him too it is very satisfactory to find he is giving his employer satisfaction & I know you will be pleased to hear this report of him I hope he will not disappoint any of our hopes in a large city like this it is no easy matter for young people to escape the snares & temptation that are every step almost. God's grace however gives strength and protection & I trust he shall have that to shield him-- we all need it as well as he! Now I have written such a lot & still seem not satisfied not having written myself last week I fancy it's a long time & so much I want to say Och I wish I could get talking instead of writing! Florrie's knee is better she is at school this week. I am better of my cold too. I was very poorly all last week & was getting low spirited but feel all right these days. We shall soon have to prepare for winter we must put a stove in the room the gentlemen are in. it is all stoves they use here we have only one grate in our house a great many of the houses are heated by furnaces in basement (sic) of house the hot air passes thro' [through?] gratings in the floors and causes such a nice comforrtable warmth all thro' [through?] this is not heated in this way so we shall have to get one or two stoves. it will make it expensive for this winter but it seems they cannot be done without. if you saw all he men here on a wet day with their "rubbers" on as they call those gutta-percha overshoes we used to wear in winter they have everything to suit the seasons & strong gloves on #PAGE 3 teamsters & milkmen are well protected from the weather. all wear such light shoes Mr Anderson is away since last week travelling in Michigan Mrs A [Anderson?] was over on Friday he & she are very friendly with us but we do not impose ourselves on them much we try to do as much as possible for ourselves. The Dobsons never called on me. I think it rather strange Lytle sometimes sees Mr Dobson but we do want for friends even tho' [though?] they do not call I really must stop except I send a regular "newspaper". Thanks for "News Letter" we were glad to get it. I hope all are well tell the girls that any bits of gossip are thankfully received by us from the old country. please give our united love to all and we hope all are well & are doing well like us Americans!! I am dear Dada your loving daughter Maggie |
