| Title: | John Kerr to James Graham |
|---|---|
| ID | 6225 |
| Collection | Ulster Migration to America. Letters from three Irish Families [R.A. Wells] |
| File | ulsterm/28 |
| Year | 1847 |
| Sender | Kerr, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unemployed |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | New York, USA |
| Destination | Newpark, Co. Antrim |
| Recipient | Graham, James |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | nephew-uncle |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1342 |
| Genre | prospects, emigration, advice |
| Note | |
| Transcript | From: New York Date: 12 June 1847 I wrote a letter to you last week which was to go by Packet (Sailing Packet) on Monday last, wishing you to send out David, if he will come, as soon as possible; but as letters by the sailing packet are sometimes lost and often detained, I sit down to write to you again in the same subject, and will dispatch this one by the Steamer Hibernia which sails from Boston on the 16th of this month. It may reach you before the one I wrote on the 5th. I can get David a place, I have no doubt, to learn a trade, I believe in the city. Since I wrote last week there was a boy wanted to learn the pattern making business; but here no one would wait so long as would require him to come here. I stated that I thought a Ship Carpenter a good trade, but I have been down looking at them and I must say that it is a very labourious business, and requires one to be out of doors generally summer and winter. So that it would require a strong frame and a person inured to the climate to stand this. The wages of Journeyman Ship Carpenters have been higher this year than usual, two dollars per day, that of Pattern Markers or Machinist is 1 dollar 50 cents and then the latter work in a shop all the time or at least but seldom out of it. If David comes he can choose when here. I wrote a letter to William along with the one to you. I did not just bid him to come and 1 held out no particular inducement, but I know he can do as well here as I am doing, or as I have done, and I would not exchange my chancee here for the situation of a policeman in Ireland. If I were in William's place, I would embark for America. I may perhaps get a situation in this city before David gets here and perhaps not. If I cannot and if David does not wish to live here without me living in the same town, we can start for St. Louis in the Western country, where he can learn his trade and where I think I can get something to do either there or in the neighbourhood, so that we can see each other occasionally. If neither David nor William comes I intend to go to sea, on a Whaling expedition, more for my health than anything else; altho[ugh] I could make 3 or 4 hundred dollars by the enterprise. My health is however getting better than it was. For a while after I came here I was weak and I was beginning to fear Consumption; but i am getting strong. If William intends to come now let David wait for him if he can come in a month or even more; if not send David on. I will remain in N. York until he comes or until I know he is not coming. If William wishes to come now he can easily give a month's warning and have everything ready at the expiration or that time to start with David. Let him know, however, that I cannot insure him a situation when he get here or even after it He must take his chance as 1 have done, as I am doing, and I am neither afraid nor discouraged. If I cannot get one thing get another. I am not afraid of starvation or even or becoming in [straightened?] circumstances, neither need William if he come here, beside there are chances here not in Ireland. I am stopping now with Mr. Wright who [is now?] preaching in N. York. He thought I could get a situation here if I would come, but I have not as yet been successful and I don't know that I shall be here. My principal object in coming here however was that David could come here and I would be at the ship when he would arrive, so that he would not be liable to be robbed, or imposed upon by the thousands who live here by extorting from emigrants all they can. I informed you in my letter last winter what kind of clothes David ought to bring. I likewise mentioned these things in my letter of the 5th June. Try to get a vessel sailing from Belfast with few or no pasengers; but don't wait on a vessel there, for you will Find trading vessels sailing everyday from Liverpool. [Don't lake his?] passage in Belfast but go to Liverpool,-and avoid if possible an emigrant passenger vessel, for every one of these coming here was 40 or 50 bad in [he ship fever, a bad kind of typhus. There are now 13,000 sick in this fever at the quarantine ground near the city. So you see what a risk it is to come in one of these. There are vast numbers of emigrants coming here now; more than was ever known before. It would be as well for David to bring with him what money he has, for he might need it now more than at any time hereafter. When he will have learned his trade, there will be no fear of him; he can get work then anywhere almost in the United Stales. He may bring plenty of shirts and socks, both linen and check shirts and woollen and cotton socks. As for other clothes he need not bring many, for he will grow larger and they will not fit him. If he will bring me a dozen of woollen and a dozen of cotton socks, pick large ones, and half a dozen of linen shirts pretty fine, and keep an account of the price, 1 will pay him. There is no duty upon things of this kind. They will pass the Custom House officer as your clothing. Beside I send in this my measure for a coat which you can get made at Magee's in Belfast or from any other good tailor there. You will get it cheaper at a merchant tailor. He is a merchant tailor and by just giving him the measure and choosing the cloth in his own shop, he will furnish the coat at whatever price you want. If, however, he does he does not understand the measure which may differ from his method, he need not make it. I think however he can make it by this measure. I want the coat an invisible green or invisible blue rather dark. Price #2 or 25s. I would not care much if it should go#2 10s., but #2 will do. Let him make it as coats are generally worn in Belfast, pretty full in the skirts. If you are in a hurry he will make it in a day; such a coat would cost here 15 or 20 dollars, so I will save something. I think this is all. William knows what to bring. When you have engaged the passage, write me and let me know the name of the vessel and when she will sail, and I will look out for her. David must drink gruel when he is sick, and when better eat light food and sparingly for a while. Take a little salts every day from the first. Bring molasses and use them. Give the old cook a shilling now and again. Bring oat bread and little biscuit. Plenty of eggs. They will keep. Lend the sailors a hand now and again in pulling a rope but don't venture aloft except on a calm day. Have your name on your trunks, and watch and keep them always locked. Keep yourself clean and stay on deck a good deal in the air. Direct all your letters 62 James Street, New York. I must close. Give my respects to all, tell David to play the man and go ahead. John Kerr |
