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Title: Robert and Mary Ann Porter, Chebanse, Illinois, [U.S.A.?], to Robert Ledlie and James Browne and others in [Mullaghglass?], [County Armagh?], [Ireland]
ID2143
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FilePorter, Robert L/2
Year1875
SenderPorter, Robert L. and Mary A.
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationfarmer
Sender Religionunknown
OriginChebanse, Illinois, USA
DestinationMullaghglas, Co. Armagh, N.Ireland
Recipientunknown
Recipient Genderunknown
Relationshipwrites to family
SourceRobert and Mary Ann D 1152/2/6: Presented by Mr Charles Best, Mullaghglass, Bessbrook, Country
ArchivePublic Record Office, Northern Ireland
Doc. No.711004
Date04/02/1875
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument Added by JoeMullan, 05/11/2007
Word Count1451
Genre
Note
TranscriptTo [Family, Mullaghglass, Country Armagh?]

From Chebanse
Febu [February?] the 4th1875

Dear Freands [Friends?]
as this is the Coldest
day we have had since we came to
this Cuntery [Country?] and as I am not much out
of doors I avail Myself of the opportunity
of writing these few Lines in
answer to Robert Ledlie & James Browne
letters which I promased [promised?] to answer as
soon as I Could spare time which I
must say has been very Limited Owing
to Me having so much hauling of the
Crop & Chattles [Chattels?] 8 miles I drove twise [twice?]
a day to Chebanse six miles with from
30 to 35 hundred weight every time
for 16 days and I have been 3 weeks
hauling to our new place & I have
about 6 Load of Straw to haul yet
we moved on to our new place on the
21 of January and got the finest day
we could desire as it was as warm
as a summer day in Ireland though
it has not ceased to freese [freeze?] for the
last 3 monthes [months?] and the frost is
more then [than?] 3 feet in the ground at present
and we have not had as much Rain since
Last month if it was all put together
as I seen falling there is a week about
one or two days in every 2 weeks or 3
we do have a Cold snap with sharp
wind but in general it is very fine
the remainder I can get on top a Load
of hay and ride 8 miles without ever
getting off I hope that it will be the
Last move we will have to we go to
our Long home for I must Confess
It is not very easy for one to get
Settleled [settled?] In a home to there mind
However so far as I can Ju[d?]ge [Judge?] we have
got settleled [settled?] in a very suatable [suitable?] place
convenient to a good School just across
the Road from our Land & within 10 parches [perches?]
of our house and we are 1 1/2 miles from the
Town of Chebanse and 7 from Kankikee [Kankakee?]
a Citty [city?] with all kinds of Factories it
is situated on the banks of a
River as Large as the Banwatter [Bann Water?]
we can see it quite plain from our
house there is all kinds of Churches
in it Episcopalian Presbiterian [Presbyterian?] Methodist
Congregational Baptist Luthern
Roman Cathlic [Catholic?] & Infidel I never
have went to hear any of them yet but
Mary Ann & Children 2 miles to
the School House once a fortnight to here [hear?]
a Methodist Minister preach we mean
God willing to Join the Presbiterian [Presbyterian?]
Church in Kankakee as soon as the warm
weather Comes but it is not easy going so
far in winter there is no presbiterian [Presbyterian?]
Church in Chebanse but one neerly [nearly?] similar
Called Congratinal [Congregational?] but I dont like some
of there [their?] forms of worship but If spared this
Sum[m?]er [Summer?] I mean to Try the Spirits & more
of this again sometime Now I mean
to Let you know som[e?] [some?] thing of how
we are fixed we Have a very nice Cottage
House all seeled [sealed?] and Papered and painted
Inside and out side as white as snow
with a Cistern that holds 40 Bar[r?]els [Barrels?]
of rain water and pump 55 feet Deep
with good water all the year round a thing
not very eas[i?]ly [easily?] found aroung [around?] here a Corn
Crib that will hold 3000 bushels a stable
that holds 5 horses & a greanery [grainery?]
that would hold 1000 bushels of grain
it has a Oasage [Osage?] Orange Heage [Hedge?] around
the half of it that is neerly [nearly?] old enough to
Turn Cattle but there is no fence on it
to keep Cattle yet there is ods [orchards?] of 100 Ap[p]le [Apple?]
Trees & 50 Cery [Cherry?] trees there is a Peach trees
& goose berry curent [currant?] Blackberry Raspberry
& stawber[r?]y [strawberry?] past count and grape Vines
and flowers The gentelman [gentleman?] that had
it is going to the State of Indiana
to a larger farm he gott [got?] this farm
by the wife and she did not like to
sell it there is just 22 acres Lies
between us and the Railroad that
If I could buy it I would have a
good fence all Round and the woman
that owns it has got Peralizes [Paralysis?] and
and [sic] wants to sell it but I have
En[o]ugh [Enough?] on hands for the present
now I will Let you know how we
attend we give 27 hundred & 50 dollers [dollars?]
for it we payed one Thousant [Thousand?] dollers [dollars?]
down and got a forever dead & has
to pay 250 dollers [dollars?]a year with Intrust [Interest?]
for seven years so you see that if
the Lord Spares us for that time with
life & he[a?]th [health?] & blisses [blesses?] our Indavers [Endeavours?] we will have a very nice home but should
any adverce [adverse?] Providence hap[p?]en [happen?]
us it will be all the other way for
we had to give a Murguage [Mortgage?] that
will deprive us of all Should we not
be able to meet our payments or any of
them he can foreclose the Murguage [Mortgage?]
sell out and we have for Cash and that
is very Scarce in this cuntery [Country?] I mean cash
there is Two kinds of People that can
do well in this Contery [Country?] that is a man
with a good Capital that Could
buy out a farm for Cash & have
no Intrust [Interest?] to pay as money is
hard to get & runs from 10 to 15 & 20 per
cent Intrust [interest?] & second a man
or boy that is good to work with
horses & not up for short hours there
is a great many that I am aquented [acquainted?]
with that came here 10 & 15 years ago
that had nothing when the[y?] came here
that has now 320 acres of land all
payed [paid?] for the fine Houses and Independent
& I k[n?]ow [know?] of plenty that is
selling there [their ?] places now and going
to Town to Live Privite [Private?]on the[i?]r [their?] money
The most Industrious and good
farmers around here is eather [either?]
duck men or deans as the[y?] [they?] are
great fellows to work there is none
worse then [than?] the Irish I must now
bring this to a close hoping this may
find all our freands [friends?] in Ireland
enjoying good health with Happiness
united In the prayer of us all we
remain your affecined [affectionate?] Freands [Friends?]
Robt [Robert?] & Mary Ann Porter
PS we are all well and so is all our
freands [friends?] here at present

My Dear Friends I now
imbrace [embrace?] the opportunity of writing
to you these fiew [few?] lines to let you
know how we are all getting
along Sarah J. and Marget [Margaret?] is
at school the[y?] [they?] come home
every day at noon for dinner and
Robert J. to[o?] [too?] we dont let William
to go yet as the weather is rather
cold Sarah J is in the 5 reeder [reader?]
and Mary A. is in the 4 reeder [reader?]
S.J. is always talking of writing
to her cousoons [cousins?] the[y?] [they?] be often
talking about them all it
is Just 2 weeks this day since
we came to our new home
I like it very well as it
is situated in a very pleasant
place - we can see the trains
pass along 5 or 6 in the day and
I can see the Children from the[y?] [they?]
leave the house so the[y?] [they?] go into school
Uncle John and Aunt Ann
Porter came to see us the
sabbath day after we came
hear [here?] we are very near each
other now I can get along
verry [very?] well hear [here?] wanting a
Girl I believe I never was
more comfortable than now
without any strangers but our
one [own?] family Martha A. is growing
very fast I hope Mr and Mrs
Erwin is very well I hope
Eggy and Jane and Sarrah [Sarah?] A.
and Marthe [Martha?] is all very well
I hope Aunt Ledlie and
Aunt Brown is in the good health
enjoyment of good health
and husbands Dear Friends
write as soon as convenient
and let us know all particulars
in the mean time I must
conclude with kindest regard
to all enquiring friends, I remain
your affectionate S, [Sister?] Mary A Porter

I mean this as a general Letter to you
all in Answer to Robert Ledlies
and James Brown Robert
Porter



Transcribed by PaulaTracey