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Title: William Porter Chicago U.S.A. to Parents [Desert?] Co.Down.
ID2158
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FilePorter, William/16(2)
Year1851
SenderPorter, William
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationworks for someone
Sender ReligionPresbyterian
OriginChicago, Illinois, N.Ireland
DestinationCo. Armagh? N.Ireland
Recipient
Recipient Gender
Relationshipson-parents
SourceD 1152/3/2: Presented by Mr. Charles Best, Mullaghglass, Bessbrook, Co. Armagh.
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, N. Ireland.
Doc. No.9612190
Date21/07/1851
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 03:12:96.
Word Count1692
Genre
Note
Transcript Chicago July 21 1851

Dear Father and Mother
I adress [address?] you once more from this foreign land
hoping that these few lines will find you all as well as the
[they?] leave me at present thanks be to the giver of all good
for his mercies to me a poor unworthy creature I never
enjoyed as good health since I was born as I am doeing [doing?]
for the present although this gets the name of not
being a healthy place I had no reason to complane [complain?]
since I came here I have been very uneasy for the
last six weeks thinking every day that I would have
had a letter from some of you but not one can I get
So I have finaly [finally?] concluded to write you another
as I dont know whether is was you did not
get my last one or that I don't get yours the last
letter I received from Ireland was dated feb [Feb?] 19th
and the last I wrote was to Joseph the first
of May and to which I am always expecting an answer
as there was a great many things that I wrote to
him that I would like him to answer me upon
as to whether he would like to come out here or not
and how he was doeing [doing?] about certain things that
mentioned in some of his letters to me I do think
that this is the place that you all should be if
possible for the longer that I am here I like it the
better and so would you all if you were here we
have one of the pleasantest summers you could
wish neither so warm nor so dry as it was last
summer but just like what it would be in Ireland
still it is what the [they?] call a wet summer here on
the 4th of July which is the national day here
I went out about 50 miles to see how the country
would look and every thing looked well as I
thought especialy [especially?] wheat I have been thinking
for some time of going out to the country for a
week to see how every thing looks but I don't
like to quit the work to spend money as 9
dollars a week is very tempting so I like to
hold on I left the man that I was with when
I wrote last to you because he could not pay
me on saturday nights and went to another
where I am as well and has no trouble I whish [wish?]
you were all equally as well fixed as what
I am at present I also left my boarding house
in May went to board with people from
from Ireland and I feel quite as well as if
I was at home and I would be happy if I could
see you all but especially my poor little children
for the [they?] will get alienated from me which
grieved me very much in fact it is the
worst grief that I have but I hope that
the lord will mark them with grace and
keep them for himself when time shall be
no more and that you will both be spared
to train them in the way that the [they?] should
go I would be glad to have them here if I
had any way of taking care of them but I know
that the [they?] are better there than with me I hope
that the [they?] never will trouble you as much as what
I have done god forgive me as I hope you
have done I thought that perhaps Joseph and
his family would perhaps come out here and
bring them allong [along?] but if not I purpose to
go home myself after some little time and
see you all and fetch them myself for I
intend to make this country my abiding place
whilst in this world not but my heart wanders
back to my native soil with all the ties of
friendships there with associated which I never
can have here but then there is a great many
things here would endear one to this country
you have a chance of rising in the world
here which you have not there and the fear
of want is not always staring you in the face
as it is there but still you are not to suppose
that every thing is got for the lifting far
from it but what I mean is that people
enjoys the fruits of there [their?] labours here
what the [they?] cannot there but with what
capital you all could fetch here you could be quite
independent by what you are there for
what you would have you would have it
but then it is next to impossible
for you all to be here I would like you
to write to me what prospects you have of
times there or whether you expect them
to mend or how you manage to hold your
place at present or whether you think your
getting better or worse at present in your
circumstances for the papers gives awful accts
[accounts?] of the situation of Ireland at present
saying that [stained] that can
get away I would like to know how all my Brothers
and sisters is doeing [doing?] how Jane and her
affairs is getting on how Thomas Brown and family
is how Andrew and his missis [Mrs?] is or if
you are all living together yet or if any of you
would incline to come to this place I would like
to know what kind of crops you expect to have this
or whether the potatoes has failed or not
I would wish to know the children is and how
the [they?] are getting on at school and if any off
[of?] you lives in Ryan or if is desolate looking
once more and all the particular that you could
think of and whether Thomas Ward is married
yet or not I have not heard either one accquants
[accquaintance?] or another since I had your letter
in March and it makes me feel so miserable to here
[hear?] from no one nor have no person that I am
acquaint [acquainted?] with here I have not heard
from the glennys family in 3 months and you never
sent me the directions of some of my friends
here that I wrote to you about especially
Samuel Sloan for if ever I would think
of going into canada I would go to see
him for it would be on my road home
from here and I would like to see his [stained]
if I would go that way I have not [stained]
move in particular to mention nor can I think
of any thing At present for I have as I have
said been waiting for Joseph's answer to the
last letter that I wrote and if he has got
it tell him to be sure to answer me on
the subjects it contains I would like
if each of you all would send me a letter once
in a while it would keep me from thinking
so much long to hear oftener from home and
if there was anything that any of you wanted
to know that I could tell you I would doe [do?]
it I would like to have a letter from Jane
if she would spare the time to write to me
every thing she could think of I hope brother
Andrew and wife is well and that by
the time that this reaches you the [they?] will
have had an addition to the family but
I am only thinking at random the [they?] will
forgive me I send you here with [herewith?] a
[stained] [dollar?] or piece of gold and I want
[Mar-----?] to keep it on her das [dad's?]
account that when she sees it she will mind who
it is from for god only knows whether ever we
will see [t'other?] in this world or not but
if not I trust we will
all meet in the next where this world cease
from troubling us you will try it and see
if it would pass there or what the [they?] would
give for it there it is worth « a guinea
of your money and you will let me know
you mentioned that my last letter was torn
in Newry but you did not say whether what
I sent was in it or not you only said all
right I mean to write soon again to Robert
and then perhaps I will send Sarah Jane and
Joseph one dollar a piece to help them
in mind of me I hope the [they?] are all learning
well but I would not want them kept too
close to school for it will Doe [do?] them more
harm than good to be as close confined all
the time I cannot think of any thing more at
present that you would wish to know but since
I began to write the above I hear that there has
been [?] or three cases of Colera [cholera?]
here but it is [stained] much dreaded as the health
of the city [stained] not been so good in a number
of years as at the present time there is not as
many deaths an [in?] a week as was last year this
time in one day I am still to work and gets 12
per day which [is?] the highest wages going here
at present but still have a notion of going further
west and comencing [commencing?] business for myself
but all the business no matter what is done in
partnerships and I cannot meet the kind of a partner
that I would like so that keeps me as I am
for the present you will write so soon
as this comes to hand for I will think great
long to I get word from you when you write
Direct to 116 Wells St Chicago Illanois [Illinois?]
give my respects to any enquiring friends
and I will remain your affectionate
son William Porter
P.S. the name of the people where I stop is
Kirkpatrick from the County Derry
to Mr Joseph Porter Dysart