Home

CORVIZ

Main content

Title: O'Brien, Thomas Emlyn to O'Brien, Joseph Sinton, 1842
ID6135
CollectionThe Transatlantic Letters of an Irish Quaker Family_1818-1877 [B. Jackson]
Filequaker/143(1)
Year1842
SenderO'Brien, Thomas Emlyn
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationstudent
Sender ReligionQuaker
OriginCollins, Lake Erie, NY, USA
DestinationNYC, USA
RecipientO'Brien, Joseph Sinton
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipsiblings
Source
Archive
Doc. No.
Date
Partial Date
Doc. Type
Logunknown
Word Count1722
GenreGrandfather's box, weather, news of family, friends and neighbours, the farm
Note
TranscriptCollins 11 mo 25 1842

I must acknowledge the receit of thy letter dated no matter when it is so long ago. I am at present and hav been
for nearly a week, now Jo I feel as tho I would not rite one, but it has bean so long since I hav rote enny. I am not verry well today and thee must excuse me of evry thing. Jo, That Box of things A Luis brou[ght from] Buf the other
day and I got it last night and we had a real feast with it. I think thee would of thoght that something had broke
loos if thee had seen us. I think I need not mention what was in it, for I think thee must [k]now as well as I, for
we found things that came from there in with the other things. That paper thee sent me, I am verry much oblige
to thee for it. This letter [is] one sheet of it.
We hav verry cold weather now: the snow is about 1 ft deep - it makes good going. I went to the senter [Collins
Center?] yesterday and got 3 papers - the journals. I stad at school on my way back - I think it is the best school
that we ever had hear: he has so menny different ways of reaching than I ever seen. I should like to go to school
this winter. (The Milliner [?] has gone back to Lodi to finish her trade!!!) Ala Lair has taken the school in S[tephen]
Conger D [District?] ... for this winter. H. [Henry] Candy has taken the school thare by H Tucker. N. [Nehemiah]
Candy has no school yet and he ses he will not take one this winter. They hav got Dr[usill] Allan at Pontiac for
this winter. Eber [Candee], Anise [Annis?] and I got to talking about thee yesterday. He sed he should like to
see thee [?]. He sends his respects to thee. A Starks sends his also and wants thee to remember him in thy prayors
and [he] will also.
The cattle bock well. Old Pomp feels as well as I ever see him; when I went to the Senter yesterday I [did] not
[k]now but he would run away with me. I had a little jumper and he would run a long, well he went as fast as I
want to ride - nothing could go by me if I was in a little jumper. It would of pleased thee if thee could have seen
me. I think I will try him again tomorrow. I took a colt the other day to harnes and to ride and we had no trubble
atall. She is only a yearling but she is as big as a too year old, and she is as hansome as she is large.

11 mo 26.
Today is a verry cold day: it blows and snows and is the coldest day we hav had yet. The snow fell most last night
and it lays around the[e?] in stumps and logs, &c. I think of going to Pontiac as soon as the storm is over. Thare
is a grate alteration in Pontiac since thee left: a man by the name of Van Wormer, in the first plase he bought half
F Smiths property and then he bought him all, and then FS bought back the house whare he lives and a little land
and half the mills, so he has to stay that yet. F.S. has giv G.S. $100 and his board for one year and he has gon in
Co[mpany?] with V W in the store and have [?] are asking and G.S. gathers the ashes and VW is the storkep
[storekeeper] - G has got to be almost a merchant!!!
E South[wick] is studying with Dr Nois. I do not no what will cake plase next. I hav not bean [to] Bufo sinse
Maria has gon thar but I think of going soon with the man I am at work with. F C [Candee] invited me verry
strong to come and see them when I come out there. I have not been but very tittle this fall. I have been at only
one paring bea hear and to one quilting and to one party but 1 had as much fun at those three as I had in all
that we were at last fall: I think I will go to another quilting before long. I think now that I will quit Pontiac [in]
2 or 3 months for thare is a man that wants me that lives at Silver crick. He is a shou peg maker: he has a
young man that works with him that is a going to leave him in the spring and wants me to come a awhile before
he leaves: he gives that fellow S12 per month. He did not say what he [could?] afford to give me but I think he
will giv me a good price. What dose thee think of my going there. Maria cold me she would cry to gee me a plase
in Buffalo but I think I would do better in the country, for I think it would be better for me: which would thee
think would be the best for me. (The storm increases).
The mill is just as thee left it and I think it will remain so unless he can let it out to some one for a share in it:
if not, thee and I must try and get it finish it. Father thought some of hiring out the farm: thar has been 2 men
to look at it. I wish he would let it and work at his trade. Charts C Sherman had his barn burned [e]lection day
night. It was supposed to be set on fire by going in to with a light - the loss was supposed to be $300 for which
he has had the loss about made up again. I think thee must have heard of the storm on the Lake: the worst storm
that was ever now [known] - a grate many vesels war lost and a grace menny lives to[o]. Captain Woodason thay
have not heard from yet. He was not at Buffalo in the time of the storm. The storm lasted 3 days: we could hear
the lake roar just as tho it was coming over us.

11 month 28
A verry fine day. We have harnessed our colt again to day and she went verry nice. The sleighing is not verry good
now, it beine verry much drifted. I think of going to the senter this after noon and of going to Pontiac to morrow.
Tomorrow being forth day, father thinks he will go to meeting with me and I will go die rest of the way with A
Varney. John [Howard] McMillen boards at H M M and gose to school up ease. He commensed this morning: he
says he will go to A Lues school when she begins which is in a week from next day. He was at homburgh [Hamburg]
the day before yesterday and he seys that Christian [Christina McMillan?] was quite in the same way I do be: that is, she spits blood from her lungs. But he ses she is agoing to begin her school again soon. She is better but I told
him that she had better not try again this winter, for that she will make herself down sick agin. She has been sick
twice so that she had to quit her school: I think that [she?] will hav to quit for good before long. I have to quit this
for today.
I have comensed again to try to finish this letter. I have bean at Ponciac since riting above and stade thare from
forthday till firstday. C C [Cortez Candee] came from Buffalo for to fetch his uncle out to his fathers and went back
first day morning; and I went with him and stade thare till forth day noon and then I came home with father. He
came out third day. I hav not been well for a week or too and I thought that I go out to Buffalo when I had so good
a chanse. C C left uncle at his Fathers - he is going to the west... visit to collect from western merchants (he came
from NY). I had a verry good time in Buffo: I went all over and see almost everything. Now I should like to go to
N York and see thee and every thing else that was to be seen. (We have verry good going now).
I must must tell a secret. In the first thee must promise not to tell any one lease [else]. We ware requested not
to tell enny one - I think thee will not tell enny one that will soon heat and spread the nuse. The sectet is W.
Starks was married last evening to a girl that thee never new - I believe her name is Nansy Simans [Simons]!!!
She kept school in the school hous below us last summer. She livs in Concord. Thee must mind not to tell enny
one fot it would make a talk-Thee nose that it would make it verry bad ...
I hardly now what more to rite. Thee mus rite soon and rite about evry and what thee dose. Maria tote a letter
to thee whille I was in Buffalo and CC and I went to the post office with it. Matgritta thinks some of going to
Buffalo to work with a mantumaker and learn the trade (S Candee is to work at the same place). Father thinks
she had better go (Maria will board her). Maria is comeing out hear before long and they will talk it over and if
she gose she is to go soon, for that woman wants bet as soon as can get ready to come. I do not now as I have
ennything more to rite about, as I think I shall leave the rest for mother, for she wants to rite. So I must dose. Thee
excuse riting and spelling and so I will close by saying farewell to thee. [I] remain

brother Tom