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Title: James Smyth, Ontario to John J Smyth, Co Tyrone
ID2705
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileSmyth, James Alexander/10(3)
Year1903
SenderSmyth, James Alexander
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationschool teacher
Sender ReligionProtestant (Methodist)
OriginEssex Co., Ontario, Canada
DestinationCo. Tyrone, N.Ireland
RecipientSmyth, John James
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipson-father
SourceCopyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, Castledamph@btinternet.com
ArchiveMr & Mrs J Smyth
Doc. No.0605019
Date18/03/1903
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
Log
Word Count1081
Genre
Note
TranscriptMr John Jas [James?] Smyth,
Castledamph,
Plumbridge,
Co, Tyrone,
Ireland

[Printed in top left corner]
Return in ten days to
THE ABERDEEN.
T.J. COLLINGE, Prop.
ESSEX, ONT.

[Postage Stamp]
Canada Postage
Two Cents
2 2

ESSEX
MR 19
03
ONT.

[Back of envelope]

[Stamped]
[NEWTOWNSTEWART?]
[--?]
[--?]

[Hand written sideways]
Rob
Mr J J Smyth
Castledamph
Passengers
are specially
Plumbridge
Desired not to alight
until the train
stops
Penelty [Penalty?]
40s & costs
J C S [John Charles Smyh?]

[Page 1]


[Witten on headed notepaper]

The Aberdeen
F J Collinge, Prop.

[Pag
Essex, Ont., March 18 1903

Dear Father,
As you will see by
the heading on my letter
papers, I am staying at the
Hotel this week. In fact I
have been here two week [sic] now
For this reason it is quite
easy while in the reading
room to use paper, and
etc, and send a letter
often [sic] than one otherwise
would had they to go and
get paper and other
[perquisitives?]
I have been sending a
fair supply of papers this
last week. This is due
partly so that you may

[Page 2]
read the speeches in parliament.
I mean the provincial
parliament of Ontario as
the Dominion parliament
is also in session now.

The Ontario Government
is run by the Reformers led
by Mr Ross - a former public
School teacher whom I had the
privilege of hearing. As
a man he may be allright [alright?]
but I am not a supporter
of his. I cast my first vote
last 29 May, and I cast it
for the Conservative party
led by Mr Whitney.
The Ross government as
it is called has been accused

[Page 3]
many times of political
corruption ballot-box stuffing
and what not Yet they have
managed to hold office. They
came out of the election in
May with one of a majority.
But with protests and bye
election etc he now has
five Well this is sufficient
introduction. You will see
some scare headlines in
those papers I sent you about
a man named [Gawey?],
who was supposed to have
turned over to the Reform
side of government. He
pretented [pretended?] to
turn for a purpose. The
second day he sprang such a
disclosure in the floor of
the [sic]

[Page 4]
that they have not yet quite
regained their equilibrium.
This charge was that
of bribery against the
Provincial Secretary. Mr
Stratton A motion for
Investigating these charges
as made by Ross,
The discussion which followed
and are not finished yet
are as to whether they shall
be tried before a committee
of the House; or before
a Royal Commission,
Let Master James and
Andrew Ballantyne read
these accounts and give
me their opinion of their
conclusions.
You may come to the


[Page 5]
conclusion that politically
our Country is rotten,
There is certainly some
strong speeches given this
last day or two. I have
just now finished reading
the Globe and Mail & Empire
The latter being the Conservative
and the former the Liberal
organ, hence each paper
naturally favors its own
political party. I am
going, before I go to bed
to fold these and forward
them also yesterdays and
Mondays so that you
will not lose the thread
of this debate Now the
comical part to this

[Page 6]
scandal is that [Gawey?]
followed the seconder of the
address from the [Throne?]
who had stated in such
glowing terms the purity
nd honest etc all of the
Ross government.
I need not say no more
as the paper [sic] are full of it.
You will also find in
to-days papers quite a lot
of St Patricks day talks.
Mary has gone to board
at Halls $3 per week. The
Wigle family have, or are
leaving town I have not
seen her today. as we
will not be in the same

[Page 7]
house now I will not see
her every few minutes.
She will learn more now
as I never liked the way
in which Mrs Wigle kept
house not particular
enough. hence Mary was
never any too particular
either I am going to try
and get a room somewhere
before the end of the week,
I may take my meals here
as I have been doing this
for the past two months.
My board now costs
me and cost me $4
per week, thus between
the two of us we are
paying 4s 2d. per day

[Page 8]
alone notwithstanding
other expenses. However
its a nuisance to be
boarding. I have been
at it now for nearly
eleven years and I am
about tired of it. The
small-pox scare in town
is not settled yet.
There are about five cases
in town now. All pupils in
school are compelled to be
vaccinated. Of course with you
it must be done in 3 mos
[months] after birth I think
The doctors in town
are reaping a fair harvest
50 cts [cents] per head for
vaccination.

[Page 9]
I was vaccinated on
Friday. Mary some day
last week while in Woodslee
I think I wrote last
week was informing
you of my increase in salary.
I asked for a raise and if
I had not got it I intended
to go somewhere else. We
could live some other place
as cheap as here and there
are many places where Mary
would have a better place
to attend school. This school
is good enough as far as
studies are concerned but
for culture and sociability
there is not much of it.

[Page 10]
It is a kind of a farmer
school. Many things have
I learned in the last few
years and one is if I had
known what I know now
I would have gone to some
more important institution.
The better class of people
those who can afford it send
their children to other places,
I am thinking if they
had to pay $3 or $4 per week
like me they would be
sending them at no greater
cost to some ladies’ college
where they would learn
many things beside Arith
[Arithmetic?] and Latin
declensions, well it is now 15
mins [minutes] to 12.P.M and
the electric lights go out

[Page 11]
at 12. So I must hurry
or I will have no lights.
I still have forgotten
to write Master James.
I wrote to Uncle John
the other day to see what
he will say, I also wrote [sic]
Lizzie Hay, Gortin
They have not answered
my last letter yet I sent
Lizzie another.
Regarding what Master
James says about work
in school teaching here
I know it I am know [sic]
what I have to do and
if I were through at
4'o clock it would be
allright [alright?] but
the half the night sometimes

[Page 12]
marking papers. Everybody
knows what Ontario is
as far as education is
concerned and for salary
they [sic] not as much as
a good digger. But I don't
intend to remain in the
profession very long. There
are other places equally as
renumerative
yours
James A Smyth

NB
You may call this
a political letter,
and written in a hurry
at that. J. A. S
[James Alexander Smyth?]




Transcribed by Greg Floyd