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Title: From Bob, New York to his mother, Ireland
ID229
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileBob/41
Year1891
SenderBob
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationunknown
Sender Religionunknown
OriginNew York, USA
DestinationN.Ireland
Recipientunknown
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipson-mother
SourceD2480/6/3/1: Presented by Major Perceval-Maxwell, Co. Down
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
Doc. No.9503277
Date16/07/1891
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 27:03:1995.
Word Count693
Genre
Note
TranscriptFriday
July 19/91

Victoria Hotel
Fifth Ave. Broadway & 27th St.
New York
H. L. HOYT

My Dear Mother
I expect you will be at [Luinebroque?] by the time
you get this but if not I suppose they will forward
it. I may as well begin from the time we left
[Queenstown?] & tell you all about the voyage -
The first two days were deliciously calm but
on Saturday we had a nasty swell which lasted
till Monday when we got into a beastly
fog - it was so thick you could'nt see any
distance & the foghorn made such a
row one could hardly stand being
on deck as it nearly knocked the heart
out of your mouth every time it went
off - This went on with intervals of
clear weather until we got right
into New York this morning about eight.
We saw very few ships while we were
crossing (one or two steamers & an old
bark upside down). On the whole
it was a very good passage & the
Steamer made good time, the best
run we had was 390 in 24 hours.
I never missed a meal or felt a bit
ill the whole way which was all
the pleasanter as I had the pleasure
of seeing some of the others looking
very miserable when she was rolling. I
suppose my time will come on the way
back-
There were one or two nice people on
board a Mr. Barry nephew of
Ld [Lord?] [Thevelstoke?] the fellow who
was head of the firm & made such
a smash, this fellow I believe was not
in the business he has travelled
a good bit and shot & camped out
a good deal in British Columbia, he
says he knows some of the country
we are going to & thinks we ought
to have good sport.
I also met a fellow called Laugley whose
people are settled in B.C. he knew
the Musgraves out there & tells me
Dick is engaged to a Miss Jessie Dunsmere
out there- very nice & young & rich- I dont
know whether Langley knows anything about
it but he seemed to know all the Colonial
Musgraves well-
They told us it would be very
hot here & so it was
two days before we got here
but though fairly warm today
its nothing unbearable.
I probably leave this on Monday &
hope to get to Chicago on
Wednesday where I dont think I shall
stop long perhaps a night & then on
to the lakes where I expect it will be
delicious-
I shall call at the P.O. for letters
before I leave but I dont think
any of yours can catch me- the best
place you can write to now is
Amhurst Isle.
One thing about New York it dont
matter much what one wears most
people go about in flannels now
and it's lucky they dont wear much
for what you do cost a good penny-
3 dollars or 12s/- for a straw hat
I was asked but of course did'nt
buy & a man coming over told me
that you could'nt get a decent
dress shirt in New York under œ18
or œ20 (100 dollars)
I heard plenty of the almighty dollar
coming over a lot of
Yankees & English Com. [Commercial?] Travellers
played Poka [poker?] the whole way except
when they were eating sleeping or drinking
There was one fellow amused us (the English)
awfully & we all marked him down as a
regular Yankee, one day I heard him
give out that his home was famous
as the burial place of St. Patrick, he
was a Downpatrick man, lots of cash
but a regular Commercial Traveller I
think he must travel for some of the
Belfast houses-
I must go & have lunch now, no more
news - I hope to hear from you
anyway by the time I get to Amhurst.
Very best love to all
Y. [Your?] affate [affectionate?]
Son
"Bob"

P.S. On reading your
let [letter?] over which I found
on board at Queens town [Queenstown?]
I have decided to send
this to 10 [nevern?] Rd.
Please thank Nan for
hers I will write to
her next at [7?] broque.