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Title: James A. Smyth, Ontario, to Bella Smyth, Castledamph
ID2725
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileSmyth, James Alexander/18(2)
Year1897
SenderSmyth, James Alexander
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationstudent
Sender ReligionProtestant (Methodist)
OriginEssex Co., Ontario, Canada
DestinationCo. Tyrone, N.Ireland
RecipientSmyth, Bella M.
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipsiblings
SourceCopyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, Castledamph@btinternet.com
ArchiveMr & Mrs J Smyth
Doc. No.0604177
Date20/05/1897
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
Log
Word Count753
Genre
Note
Transcript[Front of envelope]

Miss Bella Smyth
Castledamph
Plumbridge
Co. Tyrone
Ireland

[Stamped]
ESSEX
MY25
97
ONT.

[Stamped]
ESSEX
MY 25
ONT

[Postage stamp]
Canada Postage
5 CENTS 5

[Written on left side]
July

[Written upside down on left side]
[Arrived?] Jun 7
97

[Back of envelope]

[Stamped]
NEWTOWNSTEWART
AM
5 0
JU 6
[97?]

[Written sideways on left
Arrived June 7 1897

[Written at bottom]
Arived [Arrived?] June 7 97

[Written at top]
[T?] John James Smyth
Castledamph
Plumbridge
Co Tyrone

[Page 1]


Essex Ontario
May 20th 97

Dear sister
I received your letter
a few days ago so I thought it about
time to answer now,
I have not very much to say
& therefore it should not take me
very long to say it.
I am sorry to know that you people
are having so much wet weather,
It is just in a parallel with what
we have had here during the Spring,
We are having somewhat fair weather
here just now with an occasional
shower which saves the Town people
the task of watering ther [their?] lawns,
I did not go down to Woodslee
to-day, I was down last Sunday

[page 2]
I saw a few of Woodslee people in
the train last evening & they were telling
me that Sarah A Duncan was [sic]
there, There is cheap rates now so I
suppose she came up to spend the.
24th May,
I suppose you all know tomorrow
is the Queens birthday (24th May) so
that is a general holiday in this
Country, You see the Canadian
people are loyal and they have
home Rule i.e. they govern themselves)
We have no school tomorrow. I
intend to go up to Windsor. There
is a celebration in that city
(I will send you a few newspapers
with an account of the proceedings)
a regiment of soldiers known as
"The Queens Own” are coming [coming?]
from Toronto so they will be the
brightest gem in the days programme

[page 3]
as this is the sixtieth year of the Queens
reign, there will be great celebration
[in?] the 22 June, It does not seem
very long since the last Jubilee year,
when our band went away up above
Roberts [sic] Dunn’s, I suppose that
man, you mention as being dead,
Joe Sproule was the one who kept
the standings in the fairs.
I see in last nights paper that
Balfour is for bringing in some news
[new?] Bill for Ireland. I think it is time
something was done for Ireland which
would help to relieve the people out of
the miserable situation in which they [the?]
majority are in, at the present time.
I often wonder when I think how
the poor people live compared with the
poor in this country. They may just
have as much money but the way of
sleeping eating & living in general is
no fit comparison with the peoples
of this country.

[page 4]
I am glad to know that Joe
Gilkinson is getting along so I think
Joe will make a success of his
business yet but he would have
been much better had he another
year or two at school.
All carpenters should have a
knowledge of mensuration and
many other subjects, the value of
which is beyond limit,
I have forgot [sic] to get a list of
the Exam, which I promised
to send in my last letter,
I send you one of our applications [sic]
forms, We had to send them
in this year before the 15th last
they were not required to the 24 May
I had only to pay $5 this year
for both examinations
The reason for this was that
last year ther [there?] were a lot of
complaints that pupils had
to pay to [too?] much so that the result
was no one pays more that [5$?]

[page 5 ?]
I recd [received?] an answer from MD, [Sometings?],
It has rained a few heavy showers
since I commenced this letter, I am
afraid it will spoil the roads for to-
morrows proceedings.
I suppose the boys are busy every
day, Between road work and farm
work I am sure there is no idle time,
Has Mary gave [given?] up school yet if
she has she should think well over it
and not loose four on five year like
I did,

[page torn off here]

[page 6]
I have almost said all that I
think of now,
Six years to-morrow morning
since I landed at Quebec,
How quick the time flies,
It does not seem very long to me,
Yet there has been a great many
changes both at home and
abroad,
I am getting a little thinner
now I weigh 177 lbs = [13st 5lbs?]
I would like if I could get
down to about 150 lbs, I am
all together too heavy yet,
How much do you girls and boys
weigh, I would like to know for
the fun of it,
I think I will
close now Hope you are all
well, is mother in good health
this Spring. I will [write?] next
week again
J. A. [James Alexander?] Smyth


Transcribed by Mohamed Souissy