| Title: | Jas A Smyth, Ontario, to John James Smyth, Castledamph. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2743 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, James Alexander/26 |
| 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 |
| Doc. No. | 0604040 |
| Date | 04/07/1897 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | |
| Word Count | 924 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of Envelope] Mr John James Smyth Castledamph Plumbridge Co Tyrone Ireland [Stamped] ESSEX JY5 97 ONT [Written on top left corner] Arrived July 17th 1897 [Back of Envelope] [Written sideways] William Smyth Castledamph Co Tyrone Ireland William Smyth Castledamph Co Tyrone Ireland [Stamped] NEWTOWNSTEWART AM JU 16 1897 [Letter written in red ink] [Page 1] Essex, Ont July 4th 1897 Dear People I now take a few moments to write to You, Just to let you know how, I got along at the examination. The Commercial examination ended Yesterday at 5 o’clock P.M. and I think that I did fairly well on it, I am almost sure that I passed, of course this is my view of it, but I answered all the questions on each paper. In the Bookkeeping paper there was hardly enough time to get the ledger closed, but I closed an account of each kind and told how, I would do the others, I took particular care to make no mistakes like I did last year, I will send you all the paper [sic] of all the examinations [Page 2] next week, about Saturday, If I do as well on the examinations this week I think I will be satisfied and if I do not pass all the [examinations?] I will be further ahead than if I had only studied for one. I expect to get some hard paper during this week as we are supposed to know all about a good many subject [sic] both in theory and otherwise. One thing that is against us in writing is the weather. It is intensely hot, yesterday and Friday the Thermometer stood at 94 [degrees?] in the shade. The School room was very hot. The sweat just rolled down off me, my very coat was wet through. This goes hard with us in writing because we got to keep a - going as five minutes is sometimes very valuable, I wrote on an average ten sheets of foolscap in the time, but we have to look out for spelling and Grammar on all Subjects, as they deduct marks for these mistakes [Page 3] of course you may think it a steady hot Job writing in these examinations but I alway [sic] forget to tell you there is also some fun connected with them. We have a kind of a conference both before and after the exam: 1st it is what kind of questions do you think we will have? Do you think the paper will be easy? Here and there over the room you could [Sic] one looking at, and studying the book which the exam, will be on, anxious to get everything into their heads before the bell, rings Again after the exam, is over you could hear such saying as these How did You do on it? I think it was a fair paper, Oh, now it was hard enough, [Another?] may (say but seldom it happens) I swiped it (that is done everything that was on it,) such is a part of the days work, I was just thinking when the weather is so hot that I would not like to have to work in the fields [Page 4] and so I hope Uncle has all his hay in the farm before next week, If I was home I would have a regular good time during holidays but it is different when away, However if I am well I will take the twelfth of July on Monday next and on Friday there is an excursion to Niagara Falls so I will take that too as it only cost a dollar or two and I have only took one holiday since I came back here, I hope you have a good time on the 12th of July, If I had had time I would wrote before so as You would had the letter about that time, I was talking to the principal about going to School for a second Professional and he said that it would be the best as it was good for life and that it was easier to get a school when you had a second. I rec [received?} paper from you the other day, I think this is all I have to say, If I had had [orange?] ink I would wrote this with it, I Just send this letter to let you know how I got along Jas. A. [James Alexander?] Smyth, [Geography Examination Paper Enclosed 1897] [Written on back of Examination Paper] As my letter is not very heavy I thought I would [Sic] this paper in also, so that you can read this one and answer the Questions on it, if you like until I send the others [No?] 6 Question I did not do a great deal on it as the only map of Ontario, I ever drew was that one at home and that is so long ago that I almost forgot how to do it The inspector said to me after it was over that he supposed I could draw a map of Ireland better, In writing on these [examinations?] the inspector who presides at the exam has nothing to [say?] in examining the paper, The men whose names are at the top are the [examiners?] All papers [on?] the [Province?] of Ontario all go to [Form 1?] to the education department and are examined there, We have all to use the ink paper its provided by the education department and no name or mark is allowed to be put in your answer, Just no [number?] the sheets and put them in an envelope and seal it. Then the examiners dont know whose paper, they are examing [examining?] and so no favor is shown, The inspector keep [sic] your name and a number and the no [number?] is put to your name after all examining is done. Jas [James?][Smyth?] [Written Upside down Top of Exam Page] The results of the examination May be known about the sec, [second?] or third week in Aug, Transcribed by Elizabeth Prentice |
