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Title: Earl of Ava to His Mother Marchioness of Dufferin & Ava
ID959
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileEarl of Ava, Archibald/57
Year1898
SenderArchibald, Earl of Ava
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationarmy officer
Sender Religionunknown
OriginBritish Columbia, Canada
DestinationCo. Down, N.Ireland
RecipientHariot, Marchioness of Dufferin & Ava
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipson-mother
SourceD/1231/G/2/130: Deposited by Lady Hermione Blackwood
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
Doc. No.9809024
Date02/10/1898
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 07:09:98.
Word Count384
Genre
Note
TranscriptNelson Club
Nelson B.C. [British Columbia?]

2nd October [1898?]


My dear Mama
I was glad to get the Co. Down news from you. Please
congratulate Alec from me on his success in electing
Mr. Houston. I hope your parties all go off well &
that they enjoy themselves. This place is supposed to
be like a bit of Switzerland. As it is an older town
than most of those out west it is more inhabitable and
has a good hotel & club houses etc. There is boating on
the lake & fishing in the river and good shops on the
main street. Rossland is a rough place with a pretty
mixed crowd in it. There is no comfort and absolutely
nothing to do unless you are engaged in work - It was
raining & snowing most of the time I was there. Everyone
had coughs & colds. Most of the men there have got their
wives & families with them It must be a hard life for
women. They are building a skating rink which will
help them out in the winter. Wages are good as they go
from 2 to 5 dollars a day. One never hears of anything
talked but mining - most of the men about are what they
call "rubber-necks" - i.e. bending their necks over to
hear what someone may be saying to someone else -
probably confidentially - Every other man is trying to get
the best of his neighbour. The American element is pretty
strong too. I go back there after going to Spokane & there
shall go east to Medicine Hat on the main line. From what
I gather the B.A.C. are going to do well. Some say the
shares will go to œ10 They are now œ1. I think I'll come
out again next year in the summer or early autumn. I shall
stay a few days in Ottawa, Quebec, Montreal & Toronto so
shall not be back until the middle of November. I have
forgotten the date of our shoot so would be glad if you
would cable it to Drescel & Morgan I hope Hermie has come
out none the worse for her time in hospital
I remain my dear mama
Yours affectly [affectionately?] Archie
I will write to you next from Montreal as I have so
little news from out here.