| Title: | [?], Philadelphia, to "Dear Mother". |
|---|---|
| ID | 3931 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | 1831-40/8 |
| Year | 1832 |
| Sender | unknown |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | linen trader? |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | unknown |
| Source | The Belfast Newsletter, Tuesday, 1 May, 1832 |
| Archive | The Central Library, Belfast |
| Doc. No. | 9805136 |
| Date | 18/03/1832 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 08:05:98. |
| Word Count | 430 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | EMIGRATION. EXTRACT OF A LETTER LATELY RECEIVED IN BELFAST. Philadelphia, 18th March, 1832. DEAR MOTHER - You mention the times being hard with the trades' people in Belfast, but I can assure you that they are very little better here. Such a winter as the last has not been these 25 years, on account of the severity of the weather; and although this is a spring month, yesterday evening was nearly as severe as any that was this winter; there was a snow storm in the afternoon, and it froze intensely through the night. The stove in our room was hot till ten o'clock last night; there was a pitcher of water stood upon it, and this morning the ice was one-fourth of an inch thick. The river was frozen over the most part of the winter; the wood rose to an enormous price; what was sufficient for one fire for five weeks, cost seven dollars (1, 11s. 6d. British) - and provisions were higher than common; potatoes, at present, 62« cents (2s. 9 3/4d. British) per bushel of 32 quarts; butter has been from 25 to 37« cents (1s. 1«d. to 1s. 8¬d. Brit.) per lb. all the winter; eggs have been as high as 75 cents (3s. 4«d. British) per dozen; flour and fish were higher than usual, but groceries continued without variation. By retail, beef has been higher, and mutton could hardly be got. - Dear mother, there are no doubt but the times are hard on the poor in Belfast, but although this is Philadelphia, in one of the finest States of the Union, there are here hundreds of people with or no employment, that would have starved for want of victuals, and frozen for want of fire, if it had not been for the charitable contributions of those whom the Almighty has supplied with the means of relieving their fellow beings. The weaving has been very poor this winter, and even at present it appears worse. There was employment for most hands through the winter, at some price, but the spring sales have been bad as yet, and several manufacturers have stopped entirely, and their weavers have to seek their fortune in the country, or pay their board in town, with the expectation of employment as soon as the public works commence, such as canals and rail-roads. - I have the good fortune to be kept in employment as yet; and in the house where Charles is, there were four looms stopped, and the other four kept in employment - he happens to be one of that number. He was in good health, and working hard all winter. |
