| Title: | Moore, Sarah to Pettit, John, 1873 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4185 |
| Collection | Argentina - Pettit |
| File | pettit/25 |
| Year | 1873 |
| Sender | Moore, Sarah |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Destination | Melbourne, Australia |
| Recipient | Pettit, John |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 846 |
| Genre | yellow fever, decease, family |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Buenos Aires, April 21st, 1873. My dear cousin John, It is a very long time now since I have written to you and longer still since I have received a letter from you, the last of which was of January ‘71. I cannot think what can be the reason of your long silence. I answered that letter I think about the month of June of the same year, and sent you a pamphlet with an account of the terrible scourge we had just passed, the yellow fever, long to be remembered in Buenos Aires, it was supposed that 26 thousand persons died in a few months, thanks be to God our family escaped this time. At present the same plague is in Monte Video, there are about ten deaths daily from Yellow fever, there is a strict quarantine on all vessels coming here from there, but as the cold weather will soon set in now, people are in hopes that it will soon pass away. Since my last letter to you one of our cousins, Margaret Murphy, a sister to Fanny who was a nun, died, it is supposed of disease of the heart, she had had the fever and remained delicate afterwards although up to that time she enjoyed very good health, on the fifteenth of last July after hearing mass and receiving Holy Communion, and to all appearances quite well, she fell down dead, she uttered some sound as she fell but the sister who happened to be near her did not catch the word, she had not completed her twenty-fifth year, she was the fourth of Uncle Michael’s children who has died since his death, and of nine that he left only five remain. Fanny is in the camp at present she is well. I believe she got tired expecting a letter from you as also Kate and Patricio Moore you are in debt to all of us. All our family are well excepting John Murphy, he has been suffering from attacks of blood to the head, the doctor says that there is no danger but he is very much frightened himself, he takes it like a fainting fit and when he gets over that he raves for some time and then gets better for some days when he takes it again. My mother gets good health considering her age. She suffers a good deal from pains in her shoulders but otherwise she strong. My brother John is married and has a son since I wrote to you, I think that I told you before that when we sold our house in Parque we bought some land in the camp, it has turned out most advantageous purchase, 850 squares of ground, we paid 350 dollars a square for it and we have sold it at 3,500 dollars a square, lands especially near town have gone up so much that we thought it better to sell and buy land further out for my brothers Robert and John, as yet we have not bought, they are looking for some suitable place, the place that we bought to live in has also gone up so much in value that we would not give it for twice what we paid for it, so my dear cousin without knowing how we find ourselves in the possession of riches. God gave it I hope that He will give us the grace to use it well. Uncle James family have also done well lately in one purchase of land they made one million of dollars, beside they made a great deal on buying and selling sheep, I hope my dear cousin that you too have been prosperous, and that you have got over your difficulties in the new house of business of which you wrote me and of which we were all so sorry, write and tell us all about yourself although we have not written don’t think that we have forgotten you, we often think and talk of you, and expect a letter from you, but in vain. Your cousin Margaret Roach is quite well we heard through her that you were well, she had received letters from home in which they mentioned that you were well. The families of Mrs Patrick and Lawrence Browne are well but poor Mrs Bookey is nearly dying of consumption she has been sick this long time all the other members of the family are well. When you write again please to direct to McLean and Moore’s Calle de Cangallo, 89 1/2, Patricio has opened a grocery store in town in company with a friend of his the position is good so we are in hopes that he will succeed, he did not like living in the Camp. I will send you some newspapers with this letter. My mother joins me in love to you no one else knows that I am writing, my sister is not at home or she would join us. I hope soon to receive a long letter from you soon. Your affectionate cousin Sarah Moore Mr John Pettit |
