| Title: | Theophilus Potts, Mexico, to Meg Potts, Dromore. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2171 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Potts, Theophilus/6 |
| Year | 1907 |
| Sender | Potts, Theo |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | civil engineer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Agiabampo, Sonora, Mexico |
| Destination | Dromore, Co. Down, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Potts, Meg |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | D/3561/A/1/12: Deposited by Dr. E.R. Green. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9806852 |
| Date | 22/2/1907 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 25:06:98. |
| Word Count | 1243 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | T. [Theophilus ?] Potts, C. R. V. & P. R. R.. Agiabampo, Sonoro Mexico Feby 22. 1907 Dear Sis. [Sister ?] Meg, I guess it is last time writing; but I am sure you would like to hear from me; I have no idea of how I am going to mail this letter; but I may have a chance to get it out; I do not know anything of where I am at present; except that I am very close to the sea coast on the western shore of Mexico; I expect to go out close to the above named town or whatever it is. I am in the Sierra Madras Mountains; this is a most wonderful locality; I would like to tell you all about it; but if I live to get this job finished; I purpose [propose ?] writing a book, or an article for the press, and I will see that you have a copy. It is a pity that you do not read much history of uncivilized countries; but if you did, you would think that it was fiction; however the work that I am going to write, will be backed up by proofs, that will leave no room for doubt; I have maps of places of great interest historical and otherwise; I have also astronomical bearings of every place; and the location of permanent Mgjirens [(Landmarks). Have ever you read of the cliff dwellers, perhaps you have, I have been lucky enough, to run across some of their dwellings, it is an established fact, that they lived hundreds of years before the days of Columbus; I was up on the headwaters of the Yaqui making a reconnaissance, when I found the old dwelling; the river at this place flows through a canyon 2000 feet deep; the walls of the canyon is one plumb; and at its lower end is divided in two, there is a slice of volcanic rock, sitting on edge like a slate, I sat astride on it, if I had have fell to either side, I would have fell 2000 ft; to the waters below; at the north end of the canyon, there is a small strip of putankey running up at an angle of 600, up this incline the cliff dweller had cut steps; I walked up it, to the top or summit; at this point, there is a square loophole cut in the rock, apparentely [apparently ?] where the sentry, had stayed; for here, I found several flint arrow heads; the dwelling proper is constructed on a small plateau; the building is of stone and some kind of granuling, it is four story high, and consists of 86 rooms of various sizes; the doors are all high enough to clear a mans head; who would be 7 ft : tall; in front of the house, is a second house, apparentely [apparently ?] used as a softre house; in it there is a bin, made of some kind of cement; it is large enough to hold 400 bushels of corn there is also a very large oyor ( a vessel used to hold water) made of the same kind of cement; the roof of the house resembles a dome, and is so constructed, that the stones are self binding, no rafters are used. the whole place is in a good state of preservation; and presents a very interesting spectacle; both because of its quaint constructure, and its picturesque location. I am pretty sure that never a white man was here before; and I am going back, because I might as well try to locate a church in Heaven, as try to locate a railroad through these mountains. Since I have been in this locality; I have had lots of trouble with scorpions; they are very plenty here; and they are the most dangerous kind; when they sting you, they paralise [paralyse?] the part stung; I saw a native get stung in the back of the hand; he lost power of his two middle fingers; I have had them in my blanket twice; but did not get stung, they never were so plenty, any place, that I have been before; there are lots of leopards & tiger in these hills; they are very pretty; the whole country is full of Coyotes (Jackal), they are very cowardly, but will not run away, they walk. I have never heard from Issac [Isaac?]; I have wrote him lots of times, but I can never hear from him; I dont know if ever he wrote me or not, but I never got his letters; I had one letter from Mrs. Herron; two from Stella Mant; and four from A.J. Huston; this is all the mail I have got from the States; I get Co. [company?] mail from Curral Mex. I wrote Martha, and gave her my address as Panajoa, I am 357 kilometers from Novojoa now, and does not expect to ever be there again; I also gave my address at home, as Alamos; I am twice as far from Alamos; but I have a good chance to get a letter from there; because it is a point on a definite location; I will have the location made to the Fuerte River by the first of may, that is all the far I promised to go, so I have no idea of where I may be after then. I am not tired of the country, and I may continue on location. I hope this finds you very well; I would love to have a letter from you; I miss your lovely letters very much; I very often think of you, also of home, there is never a night, when I am pulling out my blanket, that I do not think of the times, that we used to cruelly, make Mother walk down to fix our bed; I have no bed to fix, now, nor no one to fix it for me; but the life suits me very well; I am delighted with my experience; and hopes to end successfully. I do not know of any way in which you could write to me, except to send a note to some one in the States; I do not know where I will be by the time you get this, (if ever you get it); say by the way; would you kindly write a concise letter to me, and address it to - T. [Theophilus ?] Potts, be sure and spell my name c/o E. A. McFarland C. E., with two ts; if you neatly Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A. address an envelope, as above, and put a 2«d. stamp on it; I will get it all right. I hope everybody at home is very well; it is now nearly four months since I heard anything about home, if you get this letter, will you please tell them that you heard from me, and that I am very well; I hope Martha got my letter all right; tell her that I was asking for her; I hope she is getting [a] along fine. I dont know when I will be home; I would like ever so much to go. but never can gather up enough of money; hard luck, isnt it; well I have no kick coming; I am a first class civil Engineer, and that is as rich as I ever hoped to be. I will close, trusting to hear from you. Good Bye Once Again My Dearest Wee pet Your Loving Bro [Brother ?] Theo [Theophilus ?] Potts. |
