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Title: James A. Smyth, Ontario to "Dear Sister"
ID2726
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileSmyth, James Alexander/18(3)
Year1899
SenderSmyth, James Alexander
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationstudent
Sender ReligionProtestant (Methodist)
OriginEssex Co., Ontario, Canada
DestinationCo. Tyrone, N.Ireland
RecipientBella M.? Eliza C.? Mary?
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipsiblings
SourceCopyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com
ArchiveMr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge.
Doc. No.0410152
Date05/03/1899
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 27:10:2004.
Word Count585
Genre
Note
Transcript[No envelope]

Essex, Ont
March 5 1899
Dear Sister
I received your
letter and paper last week,
I suppose you did not know
what that [Dublin?] letter was
for, Well in writing some
time ago to get information
concerning examinations,
The Principle [Principal?] Kingsmill
[Moore?] sent me some
particulars and also said,
as the time was almost
up for sending in names
for examinations he sent
in mine, I told him
what school I attended in
Ireland so In case I wished
to write he sent in my name
Therefore that paper was
sent to Castledamph to
state optimal subjects but
as I am not going to be in
Ireland at Easter I do
not need to answer it,
anyhow I do not know much
about vocal music [either?]
[---?] [----?] or staff.
I may write on [their?] exam
[1st?] time I am in Ireland.
So now you have the
whole substance of the
letter.
If I were going to try that exam,
it would be necessary for me to
fill this out and return it
stating which subject I should
select; As you mention about
Mary and you sewing & making
so much money that is all right [alright?]
But there should have been
more of you got a better
education or learned some
trade. Everybody should learn
a trade when they are young
no matter whether they intend
to stay at it or not. Milliner
is a good trade and it is
not only that but you
get out in the world & see
something, I don t care
about harping much on
education. Perhaps there
are too many in that line
now for (sic) to be a paying job,
but there are lots of other
openings which a fair educat [education?]
is necessary to carry on,
As far as myself is concerned
all I have got yet is only fitting
me for teaching and I have
no idea what trade or
profession I shall adopt,
and it is about time I did
know pretty soon Our principal
gave his annual entertainment
to pupils last night We had
a good time at School on
Friday eve [evening?], in having a
mock Parliament I was
on the the (sic) opposition. The gov
[government?] side
brought in a few bills,
one of the teachers was the
gov. [governor?] general. We have
another Lyceum on 17 Mar [March?]
perhaps we may make it
partly Irish, being St Patrick [Patrick s?]
Day, or as they say here the
17 of Ireland, I shall send
you a few papers today
and a clipping or two
I see now ocean fares are
reduced saloon passages
to £10 so that's almost what
I paid last year I crossed for
a second class.
We have a lot of snow today
but I don't think it will
last long. I don t know of much
other information I would
not pay much attention to valentines
There is nothing in this worlds [world?]
which shows a person's ignorance
more fully than indulging in
silly [trash?] like sending valentines
It show [shows?] the kind of society the
sender belongs to and also exhibits
their character in a marked degree
I read that piece about the [mournes?]
very [well?] got up Barness' gap
in it also, made me think of
a few snowy nights I came through
it I am pleased to know C.
McCrenor [McCreanor?] is well and all
other [others?] who may be enquirers
after my wellfare [welfare?] This
is all for the time (sic)

J A Smyth



Transcribed by Greg Floyd