| Title: | William Porter, U.S.A to Robert Porter, Ireland |
|---|---|
| ID | 2152 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Porter, William/10 |
| Year | 1871 |
| Sender | Porter, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | Presbyterian |
| Origin | Chebanse, Illinois, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Co. Armagh? N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Porter, Robert L. |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | D 1152/3/22: Presented by Mr Charles Best, Mullaghglass, Bessbrook, County Armagh, Ireland. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9011024 |
| Date | 07/08/1871 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by B.W. 06:12:1993 |
| Word Count | 1008 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: Robert L. Porter [Desert, County Down?] From: Chebanse August 7 1871 Robert L. Porter Dear Brother I now sit down to write a few lines to you and all my friends there through you to let you know how things is going on here with us at present and I hope this will find you all in good health there for it is more than I can say of my friends here we have had what may be called misfortunes here that is Josephs family has been sorely visited with deaths son in law and daughter on the 13 April and Joseph himself on the 23 of July with colera [cholera?] morbis he was in his usual health on friday at work and come home at night complaining of pains in his bowells [bowels?] and he got a doctor and got worse all night with cramps to [until?] the[y?] sent for me on Saturday morning that he was dying but after I went there he got a little better and got another doctor to we thought he would over it and I went home and at 3 oclock in the morning there Came another message for me that he wanted to see me so when I got there he was past all hopes and he died in my arms at 8 oclock on sunday morning 23 of July I am not well myself and it affected me very much for I have not seen any one departing this life since my Wife in Croan [County Down, Ireland?] him and I was in Chicago a few days before trying to settle up the son in laws affairs and he was just talking of having an insurance that he had on his life for 1500 dollars changed into an anuety [annuity?] so that he could have the benefit himself in his lifetime but now he has left all behind and Ann will be better with him dead than alive he was killing himself paying premiums on insurance for them that can look well with the benefit she will receive about 2000 dollars by his death forby all he had before made over to her he did not own himself 20 dollars worth in the world but his tools I did not know that to #PAGE 2 now Well now I will tell you something of my own affairs which is not very good either in the virst place I would have wrote before now but was not able since the day of the funeral as I said before I was sick and to make matters worse I fell that evening after coming off my horse and he stood on me with both his hind feet one on my left leg above the knee and the other on my stomach and cut me across just under the breast bone and broke 4 ribs in my left side so I did think I would survive long after Joseph but there was longer days for me I am now recovered so far as to be able to take care of the cattle and things we have just got done making hay and now there is no one but our selves two we had two men at it the[y?] put up about 70 tons and the[y?] left on yesterday so we will not have anyone now to the corn Husking I may also tell you that I have come to a very serious loss since I wrote you and that is by loosing [losing?] 48 acres of land worth 2000 dollars it has been in law for the last three years and I beat him still but he carried it up to the Highest court before 7 judges and beat me takes the land and I must pay all the costs but still it wont Hurt me bad for I bought as much property last year as that so I am just where I started a year ago I had a letter from Samuel Hoans wife and they are all well she is now living at a place called pekin [Pekin?] in this state I dont mind [remember?] if I wrote to you before that Samuel was dead he was a helpless creature for two years before he died with a perlatick [paralytic?] stroke he got my daughter Mary Ann is not in good Health for some time Sarah and her husband is well and so is Joseph the last letter I got from him he is on a rented farm 60 miles from here we are having very warm weather here at present Corn looks good but wheat and oats was a complete failure eat up with chintz bugs something similar to what eat young flax but I had nothing for them to eat for it is all corn and Hay I have this year I did plant about a rood of potatoes but there is another bug here that eat them all up so soon as they #PAGE 3 come above ground so if frost keeps off I will have plenty of corn but if it come too soon I wont have anything but I have as much old corn and oats as will do another year anyhow everything that a farmer has to sell is very low in price just now lower then [than?] for many years I will send you a paper with this that will tell you the prices in Chicago I got 2 lately from you full of oraneism [Orangeism?] it is transfering [transferring?] its fights to this country now I hope Mother still retains her memory good and you may tell her that Joseph died trusting in the blood of Christ to work out all his sins I hope all my friends in Mullaglass [Mullaghglass?] is well you will not be able to read all this for I am not very fit to write good at present this is wrote outside of the house in the shade for the flies and heat is too many for me inside I now close for I dont think of anything more at present and I remain your affectionate Brother William Porter Chebanse direct P.O. Box 46 |
