| Title: | Earl of Ava, Colorado to the Marchioness of Dufferin & Ava |
|---|---|
| ID | 948 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Earl of Ava, Archibald/28 |
| Year | 1893 |
| Sender | Archibald, Earl of Ava |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | army officer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Colorado, USA |
| Destination | Europe? |
| Recipient | Hariot, Marchioness of Dufferin & Ava |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | son-mother |
| Source | D/1231/G/2/103: Deposited by Lady Hermione Blackwood |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9808244 |
| Date | 17/07/1893 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 11:08:98. |
| Word Count | 650 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Colorado Springs 17th July. [1893] Col. [Colorado?] My dear Mama I have not written to you for some time but I have been away on a very pleasant trip through South West Colorado on a private car with some mine owners. I was in good luck as for one thing the mines we went to see are in the finest part of the Rockies of this state, and secondly three out of the four men who were my hosts were the people who opened out this country. They were all good company & had the car stocked with every sort of provision so travelling was made easy. We travelled over 1500 miles altogether over the Manhall Pass & through the Toltee Gorge - past Cap Blanco & other well known places to a western tourist. The top of the mines themselves were 12,000 feet. I must say that the Rockey Mountain scenery has not improved me much & that it comes no where near the Himalayas or even Norway, either in colour or form. The silver question has ruined this state for the time being & every man in the country is hard hit, but they take it pretty quitely. Denver which was the most money making & money spending town in the states is almost ruined & big businesses are going smash every day. Thousands of men are thrown out of work all through the country as most of the silver mines have ceased working, & they dont know what there men will do if silver does not come up again. Colorado Springs is a sort of mixture of a big Indian containment like [Luckwood?] a hill station like [Naimtal?] & a seaside resort like [Frekiston?] with no sea. Most of the inhabitants are silver people & had money & they have built themselves fine houses with every new invention for comfort. I have never seen any place where electric light, telephones, & bath arrangements were so well done. I have been into a good many houses & in every one the bath was a regular luxary - white marble & silver plate etc. Every house has a telephone & they use them a good deal too. There are a great many Englishmen in the place, who mostly came out originally for their health. I go the day after tomorrow by coach to a famous mine called Cripple Creek & when I return go to Denver & on to Ld Dunraven's place Estes Park. The end of the month will almost see me on my way to Salt Lake city but I shall be almost sorry to leave Colorado. I have just seen the number of "Sketch" with the copy of your picture and the account of it. I am delighted that it is such a success & only wish it was our property, but I shall hope to see it some time. I see it is to return to the Salon next year. I also saw in the Illustrated a copy of Fathers picture. The last letter I received from him told me about Godfrey & I was much surprised but I hope it is only the result of over work though I should never have thought Godfrey would have suffered from that. There is a Dr Keating here who you entertained once when you were fishing in Canada. He told me an amusing story of some engineers bathing in the river just before your canoe appeared & how they had to sit in the water with their heads wet while you passed. He has got me a letter from the direction of the [Pennsylvanian?] R.R. [Rail Road?] which will get me a free pass over some of the lines. I am hoping to hear that Mr Davis has settled everything this time & that Ted will have no more difficulties. Am glad you enjoyed Ascot. I remain my dear Mama Your affect [affectionate?] Archie. |
