| Title: | William Porter, Chicago, U.S.A., to "Dear Brother", Co. Down. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2153 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Porter, William/11 |
| Year | 1860 |
| Sender | Porter, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | builder/farmer |
| Sender Religion | Presbyterian |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Co. Armagh? N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Porter, Robert L. |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | D 1152/3/15: Presented by Mr. Charles Best, Mullaghglass, Bessbrook, Co.Armagh. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9612192 |
| Date | 06/03/1860 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 03:12:96. |
| Word Count | 1192 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Chicago, March 6 1860 Dear Brother I now adress [address?] you a few lines and I would have written sooner but I was waiting for the reception of the box of seeds that you said in you letter of December you sent and I am affraid [afraid?] that the [they?] are got lost or mislaid by the way you did not mention how the [they?] were sent to New York and I dont know where to enquire about them I had a letter on the 3rd for Joseph from Thos [Thomas?] Ledlie and newspaper also for Joseph I have not heard from Andrew since November last he wrote me that he was coming to see us and the country but he did not come Joseph and his family is well at present although Joseph was not well for some time I am expecting to be able to build out there this summer if God spares me although it is very hard to get money here just now I am building a house now for a widow woman from Belfast for less than half what I would got 3 years ago and then I have to wait a year for 200 dollars of the price This is what we call election Day that is electing officers of the city such as Mayor & aldermen and there was the greatest kind of excitement between what is called here Democrats & Republicans Just what there would be protestant and catholick [catholic?] all catholicks [catholics?] here is Democrats or for slavery and all Republicans is prodistants [protestants?] or not for slavery but it is not known yet which will beat the Irish the most furious of all worse than ever you saw them for the meanest one of them here has a vote if he is here 5 years and I wish you seen some specemins [specimens?] that will cast a vote as good as the best man in the land but I suppose you will take no interest in this rigmarole. I will now write a little about myself and in the first place I am doing all I can to get a good crop on the farm this year and you will think it strange when I tell you that I have bought an old country iron plow [plough?] that was made in Belfast by [Gracey?] the great plow [plough?] maker and I bought her for 16s of you money only the [they?] has no coulter on her and I made a harrow like the one I made my father the only one in the country like it self the [they?] have all sorts here you could think of some that revolves round and cross harrows at the same time it end harrows So now we have more utensils and stock than any of our neighbours that has been there many years and we are determined to try the old country plan of farming for in past there is no farming here that could be called such and still the [they?] will raise wonderful crops I hope to be able to gave [give?] you a good act [account?] of our labour for we posses [posess?] some advantages that not many does and if we were a little abler to do all at once that we need but it is the worst time since I came here to [come?] for if Joseph had come 2 or 3 years sooner then I had 50 dollars a month of rent and now I have 16 so that is a wonderful change but with God's help we will soon be better than ever we could expect to be there Joseph has 3 cows & 2 is milking and one we bought of [off?] the Glenys is soon to calf & I have one that will soon calf which cost me 50 dollars or 10 guineas of your money a good cow but not worth so much [torn] half only that it was all I could get for a bad Debt. There is a new school house to be built this summer down the village where our farm is and we expect to get the building of it and that would keep us the most of the summer I am making plans for it now after a scetch [sketch?] I made some time a go [ago?] it will be 42 feet long & 30 wide to answer the double purpose of school & church some one wanted to know if there was a church near the place there is one within 10 minutes walk of where Joseph lives but the [they?] are Methodists the only kind that is in the country nearer than 8 miles but to say the truth Joseph does not incline to any church & if I go down there to live it is hard to say what I may think for I have belonged to the covenanters or Reformed Presbyterians here and I am sorry to say that I am fast loosing [losing?] confidence even in them for I find some double dealing and also some views in there [their?] doctrin [doctrines?] that I cannot give sanction to in short the [they?] preach one thing and practice [practise?] another which I believe all does to some extent you are more happy in spiritual affairs there than we are here for many reasons and first you are brought up in one church and seldom thinks of change but all here is change and no one or thing is steady which creates a [torn] complication spirit maybe time I think of [stain] [remarks?] I heard my uncle James making once that America would be the princephal [principal?] seat of the gospel yet as well as freedom of laws but if he was to be all here I think he would change his mind and there is this much I will say if you dont [don't?] get them in there [their?] purity there dont [don't] come here for to find them; not but there is such a thing but money corrupts all and there is a stronger love of it here than there I have run on at a fooish rate but you will excuse me for I got in the train of thought W Porter I hope all my Brothers and sisters in Mullaghglass is well I seen there [their?] families encreases [increase?] in number may they also grow in grace I have forgot to say we are all well I was not so for many years the wife says I am 4 or 5 years younger than Joseph I hope that father and mother is well and that the [they?] will cease fretting about us here for we are just as well and better than if we were there and I believe that the Lord has appointed our lot here or we would not be here and that makes me resigned to his sikle [sickle?] I have quit taking any kind of medicine for I believe that doctors is the greatest curse in this world and we do rong [wrong?] in applying to them for we should trust in God. |
