| Title: | James A Smyth, Canada, to Eliza Smyth, Co. Tyrone. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2765 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, James Alexander/37(2) |
| Year | 1902 |
| Sender | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | school principal |
| Sender Religion | Protestant (Methodist) |
| Origin | Essex Co., Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Smyth, Eliza C. |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge. |
| Doc. No. | 308001 |
| Date | 21/09/1902 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 13:08:03. |
| Word Count | 831 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Envelope Addressed to:- Miss Eliza C. Smyth Castledamph Plumbridge Co Tyrone Ireland Envelope Postmarked on Front:- - 02 ONT. - T10 - INSUFFICENTLY PREPAID Written on Front of Envelope:- [4?] [Tue?] Envelope Postmarked on Back:- - WINDSOR SP 22 02 ONT. - HAM SEP 22 02 ONT - NEWTOWNSTEWART OC [--00?] - [0-01?] (and unreadable small print) Essex, Ont. [Ontario?] Sep, 21 1902, Dear Sister, I suppose you may think it is near time to write again. It must be a month now since I last wrote. Really since I came back last year I never felt the same about writing working or any- -thing else. I have a fairly difficult school to manage. I often wish to myself that I had not taken the Principalship but I mentioned before the reason. Of course there is more money in it but the responsibility of training up 300 boys and girls is no small thing. Then you have to be so straight-laced even want you to teach Sunday School because you are principal of the School. There are so many things that a principal has to do that it is worth £300 in place of £100. I often laugh when I see the way Mary looks at such a salary and you folks also and I did to some ten years ago. At the end of this month I will draw £11 - the largest salary I ever got. Now I don t think much of it but my ten years ago it would have been an awful sum. While I am talking, on the Money question since I left home with of (sic) a few month s previous to my going back last year I have always been in straitened circumstances. Now you know its will all I can do to keep ends together This year boarding and clothing the two of us. Now I won t have money to bank not likely this year. But I know what it is to have an education not so much book learning as a social education hence that is the reason I am spending it on Mary. It is too bad she is so old. The girl over here, or for that matter any place, who can t play music is not much looked after. If Mary were 13 or 14 years old, there one could have made something out of her. If I had brought her back with me 7 years ago she would have been well on now. But going to school, if she mixes up with the right kind of people, will smarten her up. She is going to take music lessons from Prof. Thompson, Piano, 75 cts per lesson or 3 shillings. She will have her hands full with school work and music. She has a [full?] new dress now. And I got her a hat ($4.00) in Detroit the first of the month so she does not look as odd. I see by your letter That Tillie Mc Cullagh leaves on the 12 Sep, I think the vessel is due to land in New York today. I did intend to write her a letter addressed to the vessel at Sandyhook. Then she would have gotten it and read before she would reached (sic) New York, but when she did not write and tell me she was comming [coming?] I did not bother She came on a poor vessel. Why don t people leaving there select good vessels when they are coming [coming?]? Now if she had come the week before she would have been on the Columbia a first class up to date vessel. New launched this Year. There is a great difference between being on a vessel 10 or 20 years old and one of this years productions. again if I had known in time that she was comming [coming?] I would have advised her what railroad to take. She could have taken the New York Central and Hudson River to Buffalo there the Michigan Central Road to Detroit These roads are abbreviated respectively N.Y.C. & H.R.R. M.C.R.R. This road passes through Essex so she could have stopped off here for a week from Detroit She go on (sic) the M.C R to Chicago. There take Rock Island & Pacific to Denver. this is about the shortest route, It will require 1 ½ days from N York here, 1 night to Chicago and 1 ½ days to Denver. Altogether about 3 or 4 days on train. Denver is a pretty place elevated, mountainous only 15 miles from the famous rocky mountains. I don t think father will feel much effects of a few broken ribs it s only a slight things (sic). Never any serious results after broken ribs. Yes, I remember the time you got that violin as well as yesterday, that very night you refer too, I am afraid that violin teacher is not very good or he would not be at Sion Mills. Probably he is a teacher something like Old Thomas Hay Mary is down at Woodslee to day. She went down on Friday evening. Our Fair is this week, begins on Tuesday. I sent you a list of prizes etc, a year ago tomorrow we landed here. A year ago to-day we were in Montreal; Well this is all at Present, Yours James A Smyth Transcribed by Elizabeth Prentice Verified by Mohamed Souissy Validated by Lorraine Tennant |
