Home

CORVIZ

Main content

Title: W. Porter, Chicago to His Brother, Co. Down
ID2154
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FilePorter, William/12
Year1855
SenderPorter, William
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationbuilder/farmer
Sender ReligionPresbyterian
OriginChicago, Illinois, N.Ireland
DestinationCo. Armagh? N.Ireland
RecipientPorter, Robert L.
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipbrothers
SourceD1152/3/9: Presented by Mr Charles Best, Co. Antrim
ArchiveThe Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
Doc. No.9505015
Date04/06/1855
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 05:05:1995.
Word Count695
Genre
Note
TranscriptTo: [Desert, County Down?]

From:
Chicago June the 4th 1855

Dear Brother
I received your letter of the
24 of Aprill [April?] on the 24 of May which made
me glad more ways than one I was glad to
Hear that you were all well after so severe
a winter as you had which I understand
was an unusualy [unusually?] severe one which was
the same here more so than for a number
of years and I was also thankful for what
It contained which came in good time
for I had Just Bought a house from
a man that was owing me some
money but not enough to [pay?]
for it So it just made me able to
pay him out without having to go in
debt so now I have a House 24 feet
long and 14 feet wide with 2 rooms below
and 2 above well finished both above and
below for less than half what It would cost
me to build it it will cost me 300
Dollars it is the same size as the one that
I was living in for which I was paying
132 dollars a year of rent so now I will
only have to pay 25 dollars for the ground
of the House and I have a garden that
will be as good as Half that to me It is
Close by where we were so that we
had not far to move so I think if
God spares me health that we will
be able to do better for 2 a month
of rent was pretty hard and everything
is twice as High as it was 3 years
ago I am for the most of this last
year doeing [doing?] nothing but building
Stairs which pays me better than
any other work as on some flites [flights?]
I can made 4 dollars a day and
others 3 but none less than 2 dollars
so only for that I could not manage
to get along at all It is easy work
but very troublesome for it requires
the best kind of work as they are mostly
geomatrical [geometrical?] or winding stairs
you mention about Andy having left
my aunt bells that he had moved on
some place but you could not tell what
kind it was I am sorry for andy tho
He did not come on here he will
never be able to do anything there for
land is high if he wants to [?] and it
is not half so good as it is here
you could labour 20 acres here easier
than one there for it is all stumps
and stones and here there [?] neither
but land Just like a[?]adow
for you to begine [begin?] and [?] if you
write to him tell Him to come
out west and not stop there
Where He will see land that he
never seen the likes before and where
the [they?] can lay rail roads for miles without
removing one foot of soil the ground
is so level I have not write to him yet but
I will as soon as I have time I have been very
busy for the last 6 weeks working from 5
o clock to 7 at night but now I hope to have
more leisure I am also glad to hear that father
and mother is well and that the [they?] in mullaglass
[Mullaghglass?] are so and that Thos [Thomas?] Brown is still
increasing his family I think that Jane
is very wrong for sinking more money
in Mullaglass [Mullaghglass?] I had a letter from
Joseph which I never had time to
answer except on Sabath [Sabbath?] and that
I did not do but I supose [suppose?] that He will
see [?] and I was still glad to have one
from him though it was long a
coming I and no more for it is now
past nine o clock at night and Sarah
wants me to bed we are all well and
I hope that this will find you the same
Your affectionate Brot [Brother?]
W Porter

When you write direct as usual for there is no alteration that
is worth while mentioning W Porter to RS Porter