| Title: | John Shanks, Chicago, Illinois, USA to "Dear Cousin". |
|---|---|
| ID | 2426 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Shanks, John/40 |
| Year | 1870 |
| Sender | Shanks, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | works on a ship |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Destination | Co. Down, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | unknown |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | D2709/1/86: Presented by Miss Shanks, Ballyfounder, Portaferry, County Down. |
| Archive | Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9307054 |
| Date | 01/01/1870 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by S M, 06:07:1993. |
| Word Count | 645 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Sch. de Medora Chicago Dear Cousin I write to you again but perhaps you have not got the first letter if not you will be thinking I have deserted you all. It is a long time since I wrote so that I am axious [anxious?] to hear from you & [and?] how you are getting along I hope the mistress is better & [and?] going round & [and?] the children also Lizzie is able to talk by this time I would like [torn] to send her a present from America with Willie Gowan who is here at present but will leave New York on the 20th August I may not see him before he goes home. I had only one letter from your Brother Nicholas since I left I heard you met a serious mistake of the burning of the stable & [and?] barn you may be afraid to let me know about it which is a great loss had it not been for that you would have been able to get along all wright [right?] I don't know how it is with you now so I cannot give you any substantial advice on the matter as I am here & [and?] you in the old country when I was there I tried to do all I could to help you along when you write tell me how the crops are doing I hope everything has done well. I am still in the Ada Medora I had not an hour sickness since I joined her I have seen a good part of America but would like to see more still I like it more & [and?] more We had not Uncle Willie with us last trip as he stopped ashore with Willie Gowan. We were on a trip to Kingstown Canada with wheat it is a nice place too You will perhaps say I am telling lies when I tell you that in going to Kingstown we go over the side of a mountain You know that there is now [no?] outlet from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario but the Niagra so that Lake Erie is higher by 350 odd feet than Ontario & [and?] across 28 miles 14 miles of a level & [and?] the rest is a gradual descent of 26 locks & [and?] a guard Lock. The locks are 270 feet long & [and?] 14 feet water on sill at a level it takes a full day to go through it is about 1300 mls [miles?] from Chicago to Kingstown when clear at Kingstown we went 8 miles further down the St. Lawrence to Grindstone Island & [and?] loaded granite blocks for Chicago to pave the streets where the tram cars run each block is about 6 inches long & [and?] 4 by 3 inches thick 80 for 3 tons Grindstone Island is in the State of New York - When we were Locking up the canal on the 11th July I saw a self-binder cutting wheat & [and?] she done it in godstyle [good style?] the wheat was as heavy as an average year in the old country but the ears are not as large [stained] pickle either. If I was in the old country I would fill no more seaweed I would make the horse do it it is quite simple when we were coming up the Detroit River we were about 6 mls [miles?] from Wallaceburgh where Nicholas Savage is he has got a farm there I am going to see the Niagra Falls the first time we are in Buffalo it will only cost 50 cents on the train your #PAGE 2 brother William is doing well he is getting the vessel around fast I only seen him once since I started & [and?] he came to see me 6 mls [miles?] of a lock from where his vessel was lying Pardon this scribble John Shanks 3028 Main Street Chicago |
