| Title: | James Buchanan, Milford to Robert Buchanan, New York. |
|---|---|
| ID | 410 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Buchanan, James/110 |
| Year | 1891 |
| Sender | Buchanan, James |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Milford, Co. Donegal, Ireland |
| Destination | New York, USA |
| Recipient | Buchanan, Robert |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | D1473: Presented by K. Baxter, Milford, Co.Donegal. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N.Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9705010 |
| Date | 10/10/1891 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | Document added by LT, 01:05:97. |
| Word Count | 758 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Milford Co Donegal Ireland. 10th October 1891. My dear Robert I received your kind letter last week with enclosed P.O. Order for seven pounds, don't send any more money, as I could have got along during the Winter with what I had but now we will be able to live in comfort. I still continue to keep myself busy fixing things about the house and Garden. I am trying to make the house as comfortable as possible for the Winter, I think I have put more putty and paint on it than has been done since it was built. I have had the walls whitewashed from Kitchen to Garret, which is my bed-room where I am now writing, I have had the walls colored a kind of pink color, I have had two good metal Sky-lights put in, the doors and floors painted, and used about seven pounds of putty to fill up the seams in the old boards, I have put up shelving for my books and put a grate in the room, and have now a good turf fire at my elbow while I write. You remember what a dirty uncomfortable room it was, I now have it a clean and comfortable bed-room, I have put pulleys on all the windows of the house and just finished the painting of the windows inside and out for this year. The parlour is now carpeted I had a registered Grate put in and it is now as good a room as is in town. The Kitchen is very white and very clean, I have used a good many barrels of lime, I have worn out two white-wash brushes, one Trowel, and three paint brushes; I put up some metal spouting and a Sky-light at the Kitchen and have three barrels, painted red, into which runs plenty of rain-water. The inner yard has been converted into a regular flower garden, with a Rockery in the Centre, on top of which is the old Knocking-Stone painted White, and Ferns growing out of the hole in the middle. The Outer Yard is now useful, I made it bigger, and built a good stone wall across the garden twelve feet high, from Russels to Hayes, so that a horse and cart can come in, turn, and go out. I have a big turf Stack (about 40 loads) built on twelve feet Posts, which gives us a good Shed under which I have a ton of coal a load of bog fir, and a new barrel of Oil which I have not yet opened, if anything should set fire to the barrel of oil, the fir, and the turf stack there would be such a blaze as would set the whole town on fire, and if no disaster of the kind happens we will have plenty of fire and light for the Winter. My Father continues to enjoy good health he don't drink much whiskey (he don't get it) but he gets good nourishing food, he eats an egg to his breakfast in bed every morning, (today, Sunday we have just had dinner, he eat a leg of Chicken, a slice of bacon, 3 potatoes, a Saucer of apple-dumpling and a cup of milk, and at tea-time he will enjoy his meal, every body says he is much improved since I came home, so he is, he is kept clean and well cared for, I forgot to say we had the last of our Peas to dinner, but we have still plenty of Vegetables, Cabbage and Curleys, and Lettuce and Parsnips an Carrots, for the Winter. Yesterday, I sent to Coleraine for twenty-five goose-berry bushes so that if you came home next Summer, you will have plenty of gooseberries. If business is bad in New York this winter, come home it will be cheaper for you than wandering about out of work. I have good grass and clover in the field and plenty of Rabbits, you can help to snare them during the Winter. James Buchanan. Miss Gilliland and Father join in love Miss G [Gilliland?]- is talking about you all the time & says you won't know the House when you come. The Lamp Wicks never came. I suppose the Papers were opened at the P.Office [Post office?]. I noticed several of your Papers with the Corners torn letter tie them with a string. You put too many wicks in the Paper, they will now open all Papers sent to me. Just put 1 wick for "Student Lamp", put it inside a Paper and address it to Mrs Haslett. |
