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Title: W. J. Muir, Fresno, Cal., to [Dear Annie?]
ID3284
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileWeir, William J/71
Year1890
SenderWeir, William J.
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationunknown
Sender Religionunknown
OriginFresno, California, USA
DestinationMichigan, USA
RecipientWeir, Annie
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipcousins
SourceCopyright Retained by Mrs. Linda Weir, Tirmacscird, Lack, Co. Fermanagh, BT93 0SA
ArchiveUlster American Folk Park
Doc. No.9905083
Date26/10/1890
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 18:05:99.
Word Count922
Genre
NoteN.B. William and Annie were engaged at intervals
TranscriptFresno, Cal. [California?] October 26th 1890

Dear Annie
Its with pleasure I sit down to answer
your ever kind & welcome letter which I received
yesterday & very glad to know that you are well the
Boys is playing cards in the sitting room to
amuse themselves so I thought I would amuse
myself by answering your letter I had a bushel
of luck yesterday I recieved [received?] 3 letters besides
yours all three from Ireland too I had from home
& 1 from my Brother in law & the other from my Uncles
folks at Tempo & one from my Brother Roby
the day before he is still at the detective business
yet he talks of going home at Christmas my Fathers
ones are giving me a strong invitation to go home
in every letter they say they dont know what there
is for me out here but I know Bella answered
that letter at last she said she was sick
with the malaria you seem to think that
Bella stole my heart when up to Stockton but
I think you will find out different when you
come out here if you do come I like Bella
well enough as a friend but you know very
well I never liked her as well as you, now you
wanted to know if I had any objections to your
keeping company with an honourable young
man I say I have no objections & any time
you get a vacation go & enjoy yourself I think
it would be very unfair in my part if I did
knowing that your work is so monotinous [monotonous?] &
confining if I did not have faith enough in
you to trust you that far we had better dissolve
friendship right away we are having beautiful
weather here now we have five companies
of Firemen & Engine co.s [company's?] 2 Hose
co.s [company's?] & 1 Hook & ladder co. [company?]
about 140 men in all & out of that number there is
only 8 men drawing a regular Salary 5 Drivers at
$65-00 each 2 Engineers at $75-00 each & 1 watchman
at $60-00 the rest of the men is volunteers mostly
mill hands & mechanics of all kinds around town
they risk their lives & get their clothes wet for
nothing but glory I had a little of it for 6 of
8 months before I got the job of driving
& I know what it is. I agree with your
idea of sunday work & the sooner we
get rid of it the better how different
it will seem to us when we get united to
have Sunday to ourselves to go to church or visit
Friends & so forth I dont think that I ever
told you that I had my life insured for œ800-00
of $15 per week if hurt if I should have the
bad luck as to get killed you would have to
put in your claim as your late Intended
I told the Insurance agent I had a sweet heart
back in Michigan that I wanted to get a share
but I dont suppose you would want it that
way except that English man steals your
heart the English is pretty hard to shake off
I used to go with an English girl when I was
back in Liverpool her name was Annie you
know I am stuck on Annies but she
worried the life out of me to buy the ring
she did not believe in waiting any longer
I used to have to take her to new Brighton
Beach & South port we always went on an
excursion every other sunday & she would blow
me in for Oysters & Ice cream but I thought
it was more genteel for a young lady to wait
to be proposed to than to propose
She was a staunch church member she might
have made a good Boy out of me if would have
married her I guess it was not our lot
I had my mind bent on roving at the time
I thought I had not seen enough of the
world but I have seen more of it since
I never hear anything much about the Wilsons
any more I heard they were getting very
high toned I except Roby is getting as
straight as a bulrush by this time I just
fancy the time I could have out of them
folks now it youst [used?] to do me good to get
in & tell them yarns when I was in Liverpool I
belonged to the volunteers & I took my uniform
home once when I was on a visit I put it on &
went over to Wilsons I had the red jacket helmet
& all I walked in & went up & turned my back to
the fire there was not one in the whole house
spoke [for?] about 3 minutes Roby drew a long
breath & swallowed his spit & old ned says wont
you be seated Seargent [Sergeant?] I had like to
die laughing they were so scared now Annie I suppose
you will be getting tired of this ramble but
you know it is the same old willie as
used to be in the Island I remain your
Sincere Lover
To Miss
Annie Weir W. J. Weir

Tell that girl if she dont quit
directing my letters I will have to make
a [mash?] on her you thought you would
scare me [again?] but I was on to the trick
ps write soon Good Bye for a while