| Title: | James A Smyth, Canada, to John J. Smyth, Co Tyrone. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2714 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, James Alexander/14 |
| Year | 1897 |
| Sender | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | student |
| Sender Religion | Protestant (Methodist) |
| Origin | Essex Co., Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | writes to his family |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge. |
| Doc. No. | 308020 |
| Date | 19/04/1897 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 28:08:03. |
| Word Count | 1358 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Envelope addressed to: - Mr John Jas. [James?] Smyth Castledamph Plumbridge Co Tyrone Ireland Postmarked on Front: - LONDONDERRY MY [May?] 5 97 Postmarked on Back: - NEWTOWNSTEWART MY [May?] 6 97 Handwritten in ink on back of envelope: "arrived May 7th 1897" South Woodslee April 19th 97 Dear People I received your letter of April 1st on the 14th and I am pleased to know that you are still enjoying the benefits of good health, I am rather surprised to hear, of A McClelland (sic) sudden Start to America, but it just surprises me just as much, if not more to know that his sister would press him so hard for a few pounds as to cause him to leave. This state of things should not exist, all members of a family, I believe if at all possible, should help each other on the journey of life and aid in making life as comfortable as possible. Now then as you speak about songs and when I am giving an advise [advice?] I will go a little further, but I wish it would reach the maker of such rhymes These things only advocate strife & encourage unfriendly feelings towards neighbours even if there is no harm in the song or rhymes. In regard to the composing the author has very little knowledge of the laws of poetry & they have conformed to neither the measure in poetry its a mere "happy-go-lucky" way of writing. I wish these poets would write on some sensible theme and give us an idea of the poetic genius, then it would afford some pleasure, I hope such nonsense will end and that the people will learn more knowledge & rise above this level, You can tell Conroy I got the Shamrock & I [------?] I wore a little bit & divided the rest among some of the others. Well now I am sure you are often asked what I am going to be for as a rule people usually want to know more about other peoples business than they know about their own & that may be all right. If they asked me that question I could not answer it alone you, Dont make nobody sure after July either it is hard to say whether I pass yet or not This is a pretty hard examination to get through and I have only been in preparation a little over a year, However I will do my best when the day comes & that is all anybody can do. I think the examination will last for about 14 days & I also have to write on the same one as I did last year. However I will try & get through it sometime. I have to study up those subjects which I tried on last year as I find I have forgot part of them I think I will give you some other news now This is the nineteenth of April and very little appearance of Spring yet, not a bud hardly on the trees grass scarcely started to grow and today is cold & freezing. No farm work commenced yet so I think it will be a late Spring I suppose you people have most all your crops in by this time I am sure the look of the country is more pleasant than this country I would think the fields are pretty green now I received your daffodil all well and also all the other books and papers you sent ------------------------------------------------ P.S. As I close this there is a funeral going past of a young Woodslee boy Weaver by ----- His sister died about a month ago He is the eight dead in the family with consumption ---------------------------------------------------- When Is John Charles going to write again? I expect he will in the meantime be getting all the big words in the dictionary for me That's right John display your command of vocabulary If you were in composition exam, There is 20% allowed [for?] that alone You may need a good composition yet; so practise it up & dont go out much nights since you will be benefited thereby Last night( Sunday)I heard the Evangelist Hunter speak here in Woodslee (I suppose you have all heard of him & Crossley) His people live in Woodslee & he was [there?] spending Easter; I am at Woodslee this week Easter Holidays we have untill [until?] Monday 26th inst, not a very long holiday but then it is long enough when one has no place to go, If I was spending a week holidays at home, the days would pass away very soon, as I would have so many people to see & visit, but that is different here, so on that account I dont value holidays much, I would not care if there were [none?]; I expect the boys are busy attending to their sheep about this time as it is the time for young lambs, Uncle has quite a few sheep this year, There are seven has lambed & they have eleven lambs but some as usual died, He does not attend to them as well as your boys do and for this reason fortune does not favour him as well, Some of the cattle calved the other day (Saturday) back in the woods, and he brought up cow & calf but today, when he was back he found another calf & whether that cow had two or it belongs to some other one he does not know yet, But anyhow the calf was in the woods for a day & night. I give you, this incident to illustrate how stock is attended to here as compared with an Irish farmer. Yet the [they?] get along here with good result which proves that a good deal of the work and sitting up nights is unnecessary. I read some time ago in "Tyrone Constitution" about a man that had a horse living in the same house with him Dr Given was the health officer I think' (why I mention this is for this purpose|. I hid that paper for fear any Canadian would see it,, as they dont really believe that people do have animals in their house If they ask me I tell them "no" 'The same thing with regard to wakes & wiskey [whiskey?] & tobbacco [tobacco?] [etc?] at [them?] They say "is it really true that they have all fun & wiskey [whiskey?] etc at an Irish Wake, in this age of Christianity" I say "no that used to be so long ago but not now" I often wonder what some of these Americans & Canadians think when they visit some of the poverty stricken part (sic) of Ireland. I see the boys are busy threshing I Suppose they think I have a fine time: If they do they are badly mistaken There is no fun in going to school now like it was when I went to Castledamph Where you have a lot of lesson to get up and an examination waiting for you in the future there is not much fun in it, How is all the folks Is Mother in good health, this spring, How are the Liverpool people? Asking about the people brought to my mind an item I might forgot; (sic).'I weigh now 192 lbs,, I am so big none of my clothes fit me with any shape. I dont suppose there is many in Castledamph can be at that We had a High School entertainment last week expenses were $46.30 proceeds $30 savings $3.70 large amount wasn't it? I think [rather?] I have given you much news or not I have written enough Good Bye Yours James A Smyth Written across Page 5 [Have?] W. Gilkinson's letter, so I will soon answer it. How is Joe getting along glad to know that he will be successful, Does John stay home? I suppose he keeps on the road. How do you people like working the road now Do you think it pays. Is Uncle James going To stock his own hill this year, as I understand he has it [wired?] I am waiting for that letter of W. John. It is a long time [arriving?] What about you We [Do?] sets here about him I will give it to him when I go back Well good Bye to all give all news next time J.A.S. [James Alexander Smyth?] Transcribed by Jim Buchanan Verified by Mohamed Souissy Validated by Lorraine Tennant |
