| Title: | Ewart [?] Kansas City, to "My Dear Sam" |
|---|---|
| ID | 1015 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Ewart/5 |
| Year | 1923 |
| Sender | Ewart |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | looking for a job |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Kansas City, Kansas, USA |
| Destination | N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Sam |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr. Frederick W.Brown, 10 Brookfield Drive, Ballywalter, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT22 2QW |
| Archive | Centre for Migration Studies. |
| Doc. No. | 210001 |
| Date | 3/12/1923 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 14:05:01. |
| Word Count | 1544 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | $$H98 Part of the Frederick Brown Catalogue$$H Monday 3rd Dec 23 3706 Prospect Avenue Kansas City MO [Missouri?] My Dear Sam, Many Many thanks for letter and you bet. I was glad to get same, & would have answered it sooner but with one thing and another it went past. you will have got my letter and Pc [Postcard?] before this. in regards to our journy [journey?] out, it is quite enough in a life time. if you & Mr Evans had only have seen me at Boston from the background with the cumstoms [Customs?] at 11 oclock at Night with only shirt and pants on working getting trunks untied & gone through and lashed up again I never did work harder in my life. I was a wainboy. but it is all over & I hope for the best. Well Sam as Johnston said you must be Born over again. when you come out here, not one thing is done in the good old country still, oh such feeds thank goodness we got the griddle. it will take us some time to get used to everthing, but the Boys will not be long. It is a big change for Lizzie & myself. This is the place for work. Fred Robert & Taylor goes out at six oclock in the morning as it takes them 1 hour in the train to get there they all go in different ways 30 minutes for lunch & 5/30 [5:30p.m.?] [they?] stop at & it [is?] 6/30 [6:30p.m.?] when home for dinner. so by the time the [they?] get washed & there [their?] dinner over it is 7/30 [7:30 p.m.?] & they are tired. it is a long day & everyone is the same, work eat & sleep 4/30 [4:30 p.m.?] on Saturdays no half holyadays [holidays?] here. if you get money you earn it & it is go on from you start till you quit. House rents is the worst thing we find. every thing else is cheap as at home. but you can not get any British good [goods?] here. the U S A people look after there [their?] people. no dumping here. it is a wonderfull [wonderful?] country & we like it for so far. & every one the same the best man on top. The Ennis boys have got on well. all of them, & they have all been more than kind to us in every was [way?]. Robert is a great man here. he is in the estate work. goes all over "America" he is presedent [president?] of Kansas City this year, & is a very nice fellow. I would rather have him as any one of them. he is called Robert by every one it is not Mr here & no dofting [doffing?] of hats and bowing to the - (sic) no mater [matter?] the higher up the simpler they seem to be & in the offices &c [etc?] all is called Fred, Sam, & the [they?] take an interest in all there [their?] employes [employees?] & it is a pleasure not a trouble. I have been in a lot of places, & it opened my eyes. it would do Charley [Charlie?] a lot of good out here he would find there was more in the world than himself no spats here were [wear?] what you like & do what you like & no talk about it no telling of tails [tales?] &c [etc?]. We have had lovely weather up till last Thursday. when we had a big fall of snow but it is all away again. I have seen Stock Yards they are great but I would not care to work in them. This is the worst time of Year for work. I have not got started yet, but hope to soon. We have taken a house for six months furnished untill [until?] we see where we will all be placed & try & get into center [centre?] to suit every one of us. when you think it is 18 miles from East to West & from North to South 12 miles. it is just 12 miles from where Robert works till where Fred is so we are in the center [centre?] & 4 miles in a different way where Taylor goes. they all go to a [--stant?] point & branch off. you can go from one end of Kansas to the other in the train for 3 1/2 [dollars?] and if you go 50 yards it is just they [the?] same it is a wonderfull [wonderful?] sistem [system?]. every thing is done in a very big way here. Fred is liking his job with Coffie they started him on the Tuesday after we came here. as the [they?] had kept the place open for him. so if he keeps his health he will be all right there. it is a great tread [trade?] here they do a far greater trade than I had any Idea. Robert is in Witties Engine works. started at 12 dollars a week so he got a rise on Saturday to 15 dollars & 79 cents & hops [hopes?] to get another rise before long. Fred has 12 dollars & will get a rise soon & they intend to put him through the hole [whole?] place. Taylor is working in a big Drapery Store doing something there for the firm as the Building trade is slash [slashed?] untill [until?] the spring & one must take what you can get to start & look out for better. but it requirs [requires?] all to work here, as you [your?] rent comes once a Month. Light &c at the 1st of each month all combined costs about 100 dollars per month. so that in £21s5 d0 so it is great, but as I said this is the dearest. do not say what we pay to any one or what the Boys are earning this country would teach us many things. Well Sam I see the place is not sold yet. I had a letter this morning from Willie & Charley is still [mebling?] I hope & trust he will never set in it. I have tryed [tried?] hard not to think of old times, but it is impossible. I often long for a talk on the lain [lane?] but that is gone I am afraid for ever. for the others sake I never say a word. I hope & trust many more of your peopele [people?] will be here yet. Tell all my old true friends I send them my best respects & will drop them a not [note?] from time to time. Tell Mr Garrett I will write him soon & hope to here [hear?] from all old friends. You cannot think what only a line means to me & often we talk about the happy but sad night we spent in the hotel before we left. There is not a Watch like mine in Kanas City nor did any one see one like him here. I never look at the time but my mind goes back so far far - that I am often lost in a dream land. I was helping George Little last night to get his potatoes up down the long field. Willie is at school and likes it fine he got licke [licked?] by one of the boys the first morning but he is able to take his own part now. Every night he wonders what Fred & Nessie is doing. I only wish you heard him talking through the Phone he can call up as well as any one of us nearly every night he and Margret [Margaret?] Ennis has a talk before the [they?] go to Bed. through the phone last night we were in fits at him you bet & all the rest was part of his [twaching?] she was giving him. Lizzie is just getting like her self now & I am fine. while I write I can picture you all & what you are doing. I hope you had a good crop of Potatoes up the we [wee?] road, & I here [hear?] that the price will be Better than we thought at first. I hope & trust that you will all have better years to come & tell H Ralston & George Baines & David I was asking for them. Have you heard how Hastings got on. often I do wonder we did not see him at Boston, it was a dreadfull [dreadful?] place. I will close up & will write you soon again tell Mr Evans I was asking for him. I hope Mrs Brown is a1 & Lizzie will be writing her soon of this day. I only wish you could have a peap [peep?] on us about seven oclock, we are 6 hours & 5 minutes behind you. I did not change my watch untill [until?] I came here but put [Willus?] on the other side and it was great to watch the change in time. We live right on the Train track & it is a lovely place & bright House all day long. Good Buy [bye?] old man & with all the best I can wish you & yours from my heart. from your sincere Friend Ewart Burn this. Hoping to here [hear?] often from you. Even all mistakes. |
