| Title: | Emma McClintock, U.S.A., to "Dear Emma Alberta". |
|---|---|
| ID | 3770 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | mcclintock, emma/19 |
| Year | 1937 |
| Sender | McClintock, Emma |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | upper middle-class socialite |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Huntington, West Virginia, USA |
| Destination | Ireland |
| Recipient | Emma Alberta (Bertie?) |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | distant relatives |
| Source | D/3561/A/5/1: Deposited by Dr. E.R. Green. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9806326 |
| Date | 30/1/1937 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 15:06:98. |
| Word Count | 652 |
| Genre | |
| Note | (Parents were Charles McClintock and Adeline Richey; lived in the Charles Ritter household with his wife Mabel) Source: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~cabell/genealogy/d160.html |
| Transcript | Jan. 30, 1937 Dear Emma Alberta, Your letter and the inclosed [enclosed?] old ones arrived during the holidays. Thank you very much. What a wonderful penman the elderly lady is. Not a nerve exhibited. I had sent a dollar to the state library at Frandfort, Kentucky, asking the librarian to look up the name Richey [Ritchie?] and should have had a reply long ago, but none yet. Two weeks ago I wrote to Wm [William?] Albert McClintock somewhere in Mississippi, who was born in Ky [Kentucky?] asking him if he knew his ancestry; but no answer from him either. I had waited for these two answers before writing to you. Jan. 9 I began my trip to Florida going by way of Louisville which since then has been and is in a terrible flood, then to Memphis, and across the Miss. [Mississippi?] river to see my brother in a little village in Arkansas. Usually there are good roads. But in Miss. [Mississippi?] the one I was on was a broken concrete one thro [through?] the cotton plantations and the muddy water from the puddles kept the wind shield of the bus dirty all the time. Soon after I left Huntington, rain began and it rained for four days. It had then been raining in the Miss [Mississippi?] valley for a week and I think is still which makes four weeks. That is the reason for the Ohio and Miss. [Mississippi?] flooded sections. We expect high water in the spring following snow melting, but never do we have a warm winter. Last year for weeks there was a temperature in that region of 10ø above zero and much below part of the time. I was in Florida and missed it. Right now it is 80ø here at five P.M. In this part we have the tall Royal Palms, coconut palms, pepper tree with myriads of red berries, papaya, orange, grape fruit, tangerines, lemons, many vegetables, thousands of acres of celery fields, and strawberry fields. To see a grove of oranges partly in blossom while the dark fruit hang artistically on the round trees, in large acreages is a beautiful picture. The other fruit is just the same. King fish is brought in here just a few feet from this hotel by the truck load. It is God's garden spot. Thousands of elderly people come from the cold north to do as Ponce de Leon said, "find a fountain of youth". Sister's grandson drank from the fountain at St. Augustine, as we all do, two years ago, and still says he "wished" that he would never grow old like grand-daddy. It does keep one young. I play on the shuffle-board nearly every day. To go back to the flood. At Huntington, the water is two feet in the business houses and more in some grand homes. We live 300 ft [feet ?] above the city and have water, heat, and light. Eight people went up and occupied sister's big house while she and Mr. Ritter are in Miami. I hope the little children will not damage things. Part of the house had been re-decorated, and new upholstery and draperies. They are young friends that her children asked to go there because of city conditions. Think of not having any drinking water. 500 people are in the armory. Schools and churches are used to house the homeless. The government sent air planes and cruisers to help with the rescue. Much milk and provisions are sent in as that merchants can dispense them free to the refugees. You in Ireland seem undisturbed. Probably because you do more nearly right than most of the world. A cousin Luella Richey [Ritchie?] French sent me this old clipping. It is so old that probably I shall not find any living person. I hope I shall hear from you soon. Mabel and Mr. Ritter are in Miami. Regards to all relations, Emma McClintock. Word count: 652 |
