| Title: | Maher, Jeremiah to Coogan, William, 1879 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6350 |
| Collection | Carlow-Coogan Letters |
| File | coogan/38 |
| Year | 1879 |
| Sender | Maher, Jeremiah |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | student |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Rush Medical College, Chicago |
| Destination | Harlem, NYC, USA |
| Recipient | Coogan, William |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 580 |
| Genre | jobs, becoming a medical student |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Rush Medical College, Chicago Nov. 24, 1879 My Dear William: I got your letter some days ago, and would have answered it immediately but for the pressure of business. I shall, for the little time at my disposal go straight to what I think you would like most to know, leaving all side issues for other occasions. I shall tell you the main facts, just as they occur to me without any fine arrangement. You will remember I left New York October '74. Arrived in Chicago, I went to work in a freight house, rolling a truck. I rolled away till near Xmas, when, business slacking up, I went to the country (seventy miles s.w.) to see my uncle Tom. I stayed all winter, had a "bully" time, and came back to Chicago in spring of '75. My next work was with Am. Express Co., first trucking, next checking freight, and at last running as messenger to Detroit, Mich. and sometimes as far as Buffalo, N.Y. This last job, however, being both dangerous and irregular, I did not want to keep, so I gave it up. It being now so far in the season & as nothing else offered, I thought I would take a diarrhea and go to an hospital for a couple of weeks. On getting out of there, I was very naturally "a little mad," and so determined to leave Chicago altogether, I didn't know to where next, but anywhere. I went to Milwaukee, Wis., stayed three or four weeks, "burrowing." Next St. Paul, Minn. It was now the 1st of Dec. '77. Now, come back a little. When I came to Chicago, I availed myself of some opportunities to find out a little about dollars & cents to first see where this came in. Two days after my arrival at St. Paul I was teaching school in a country village (St. Anthony) on the "F?ather of W?aters," with a class of sixty, all ages and sexes, and probably nationalities. When summer came again, I was receiver at the door of a wholesale grocery in St. Paul. Winter (last) again saw me among the same crowd; but as I could not keep the youngsters from spanking at recess, I was dismissed last spring with indignation. My next step was an important one, for good or evil. I resolved to become an M.D. and with that object put myself under the fostering care of a Yankee quack from Syracuse, who came out here for the good of his health, and then turned to practicing. I met him deer hunting, we liked each other, and struck a bargain. I studied all summer, came to Rush Med. College Chicago the 1st Sept., and here I am. Now besides what I have already told you I took a turn at a variety of other things. I was a reporter, a rail road engineer, a sailor on the lakes, a coachman in a private family, and a tinker's apprentice. I could not think of telling you of the influence which turned me in the various directions--some other time. I am right well. Hope you are all so. Tell me about everybody & ask me plenty of questions. This letter you see is all about myself. My next will not be so full of I's. I have not seen L. Bryan since I came back here but have heard he is hunting sniper Brennan's daughter to death. Your fond Cousin, Jer Maher |
