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Title: James Smyth, Ontario to Mary Smyth, Castledamph
ID2787
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileSmyth, James Alexander/51
Year1904
SenderSmyth, James Alexander
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationschool principal
Sender ReligionProtestant (Methodist)
OriginEssex Co., Ontario, Canada
DestinationCo. Tyrone, N.Ireland
RecipientSmyth, Mary
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipsiblings
SourceCopyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, Castledamph@btinternet.com
ArchiveMr & Mrs J Smyth.
Doc. No.0604045
Date25/08/1904
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
Log
Word Count1138
Genre
Note
Transcript[Front of envelope]

Miss Mary Smyth
Castledamph
Plumbridge
Co-Tyrone
Ireland

[Stamped]
Essex
SP2
04
ONT

[Back of envelope]
[Stamped]
Newtownstewart
5 am
SE 16
04

[Printed]
The Great South Western Exhibition
and
Essex
County Fair
Essex, ONT
Sept 27,28,29
1904
Open To The World.



[Page 1]
Essex Ontario
Aug 25 1904
11 O'Clock pm


Dear Sister

This time last night we were in the
Detroit theatre, now we are 560 miles apart.
so this world is small. I have written
two letters today already and also have
sent this days Essex Free Press posted it
as soon as it was from the press for the
accomodation [accommodation?] going East.
Now notice the difference between this
paper arriving home and your self also
the difference between it and the one
which Brett send [sic] home. It will
go out in the morning. I received your
telegram about 8 pm. Say it made me
feel quite content as happy as a lark.
It was rather short of course you know
you could have sent ten words for the
same account well after getting it at the Drug store

[Page 2]
I went out and meeting with Arabel
Robinson and a few friends from
Detroit. I went up to their place. They
played some music etc. Then as
was coming down town they had to
come to [too?] in order to get some cough
medicine. So although I decided to
send a telegram to you at Quebec
yet I did not think of doing
it tonight. However when we were
in the store I got Roy Bennet and
sent one to you at Montreal. You
should have gotten it right in
your room. It only cost 30 cts. I
thought you would like to have a
last message so I am just got
into my room now and made up my
mind to send a little or rather
to write a little before returning.
I am thinking you are about going to
bed on Board the "[Tunisian?]"


[Page 3]
First nights sleep will surely be steady
I almost can form a good imaginary
picture of you. Did you take the
sleeper? I hope you mention these
things in your first letter. I hope you
took the sleeper in order to see a first
class train as you never were on the 1st
class M.C.R. I mean sleeping car.
I’ll bet you will think the "[Tunisian?]"
a pretty nice steamer. Hope you tell me
in tomorrow letters the number of
passengers and who your room mates
are, of course as you have not travelled
much you wont know to do all these
things. How handy these telegrams
are. It is really wonderful to think
that I knew you had landed
safely at 8 o'clock. Glad you sent it
also Mary as it shows a knowledge
of travelling that the ordinary green
horn has not got. By the way while

[Page 4]
we are talking about telegrams. I
never get one but I immediately think
of that one I sent from Liverpool
just ten years ago where the folks at
the house were arguing whether it was
my writing or not. ah, ah, This is a
joke I think of pretty often. By the way
I might have arranged it so that we could
had a talk on the telephone between
Montreal and Essex. No doubt we could
had a 5 or 6 minutes talk for 50 cts
I missed that for one thing. Well one
thing I have not missed and that
is writing letters. I certaintly
[certainly?] have sent a lot home this
last week or two. It is just like now
I only intended to write a few lines
and here I have finished 4 pages. I
will also finish the [backs?] tomorrow
I have scribbled this all in exactly
20 mins probably you are reading my telegram.
Did Mabel Rorke [Rourke?] meet you? Well
I will close and read the papers before

[Page 5]
Before [sic] going to bed so glad you sent
the telegram to be continued. James.

Sept 1 1904
When I wrote the above I expected
to write a little each night but I
have not done so. In the meantime
I have sent one to Liza. Just after
posting the other I received a letter
from you. One from Liza and one from
Mabel Rourke [Rorke?] Montreal. This was
on Monday. Then on Tuesday morning I
got your last letter posted from
[Rimouski?] I was up at Sam Green’s
that night.(Monday) Grace and [Nell?]
had both got back. Stayed there
until 11 o'clock. On Tuesday
night I was at a small party at
Mr T.S. Adams ([Hossies?] fathers)
It was not very much none of our
crowd were there. Well I could not
help but notice their actions. Not
near so gentile as when not with other

[Page 6]
Last night(Wednesday) I was down
at W.H. Richardsons a place you
never was [sic] I suppose. Ada
asked me to come down in the evening
I thought there was a party on
but when I got there I was the one
man present. Edna said she
just wanted me down for company
for Miss Naylor and Miss [Gracey?]
cousin of Ethel Graceys. We had
quite a few musical selectons
and then we went to the kitchen
and under my instructions
made what they call "Fudge"
Then they served it and cake.
You see a plain lunch after which
we went home. Tonight I am
in my foom. Now 11 O'Clock,
Mrs [Brien?] is coming home
tonight. I was there a while a go
then had an ice cream with
Dr Bowie [Keith?] & Walter Cresswellar.

[Page 7]

Today Sept 1 school opened
small attendance one about
200, as I said in the Free press
Editorial Column, it was probably
due to school opening on Thursday
as after tomorrow we will have
no school until Tuesday 6 Sept.
So really we will not have a complete
attendance until Tuesday.
I had some trouble classifying
today. Miss Stouts room had
too many and Miss Millar’s
not enough so I told miss that
I proposed changing 10 or 12,
My she did not like it However
she will teach what I say or
she can hand in her resignation
whichever she chooses I don't
intend that any assistants shall
dictate to me what I shall do or
what I shall not do.

[Page 8]
There is a new Public High School
course put in force now I shall
[sic] you one of the books if I
can get another copy from Education
Dept. It is very full in details
Probably you can follow the H.S.
changes without much trouble.
I expect tonight you are pretty
near Ireland. At day rate you
should be near landing this time
tomorrow night. It is now 11 o'clock
our time so that means 4 o'clock
Irish time. So this time tomorrow
night will mean 4 o'clock Sat morning.
And you wont be far from the
Emerald Isle then, if you do not
be on it what think you of
this paper of Jean [Blunts?]
account of her trip?
This will do for this letter probably
write Saturday.
J.A. [James Alexander?] Smyth

Transcribed by Chris Devenney