| Title: | John Hall, Pennslyvania to Thomas Black, Chicago. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1317 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Hall, John L/73 |
| Year | 1890 |
| Sender | Hall, John L. |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Scottdale, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Destination | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Recipient | Black, Tom |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | uncle-nephew |
| Source | D 2041/13: Purchased from J. A. Gamble Esq., 44 Taunton Avenue, Belfast 15. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9311009 |
| Date | 09/11/1890 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by C McK., 02:11:199 |
| Word Count | 674 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: Thomas Black, 342 Winchester Avenue, Chicago, U.S.A. From: John Hall, Scottdale, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Scottdale Westmoreland Co Pa [Pennsylvania?] 9th Novr 1890 My Dear Tom Your letter dated 29th Oct (which only reached me yesterday) was indeed very welcome as I had been looking for one for the last couple of weeks & had begun to think I had made some mistake in your address; but was satisfied when yours reached me I am glad to learn by your letter that you are succeeding so well with your employers, and that you like the business, and must congratulate you on your progress with the type-writer and your orthography and grammar are very creditable for a boy of your age & I hope you will still keep improving. I suppose your Papa is busy "hustling" every day Is he engaged in the flour business? I think he wrote me once to that effect. What is your Mamma about these days? Does she have the headaches as frequently as she used to have? Probably the change of this country may improve her health. Tell her that I am expecting a letter from her and a long one with a [all?] the news of nine States and make Florrie write me a good big one too. I suppose if I met you on the street we would not know each other -- you must have grown so tall and I am got so thin my nose is as long as a snipes bill, but I feel in better health than when I was like Father McIlvogue -- my "corporation" is away & I am as gentile as looking as a lady. You say Tommy Cherry called with you Did you mean to infer when you said he left "home" that he had been over to the Old Country? I heard he was to have gone last summer but did not know whether he had gone there. I would like to have seen him -- he was to have paid Ada & John Keenan a visit on his way #PAGE 2 home; but did not hear anything more about it as I have not been to McDonald since February last and only saw John Keenan once since, but I hope to be able to go & see them about Christmas. My employers both went to Pittsburgh yesterday morning & will not return till some time of next week so that I am "running" the Renovating apparatus myself and am kept pretty busy, but I would rather be moving than lying around. The weather here has been very wet & unpleasant for some time until the last few days which have been very agreable [agreeable?] & almost balmy -- You say it rained cats & dogs in Chicago - well it must have rained or poured mud here (metaporically [metaphorically?] speaking) for the streets & roads are knee-deep with that compound which in the Irish vernacular is called "clabber" but am not sure if you Americans can appreciate its depth of meaning at any rate it is only with the aid of gum boots and a zig-zag circuitous route from one stone to another that one can worm his way along the roads. I did not hear that your Uncle Tom was paying attentions to Miss Derbyshire - he must have kept it very quiet. I am expecting a letter from Eden Cottage every day. I wrote your Grandmamma early in the last month & have had no reply yet but will likely hear from them in a day or two. I hope to be able to see you all in Chicago about Spring if everything goes right as I am informed by every one I have met who has been there that it is the best city in the States - more like the Old Country than any in this direction. When you write again give me all the items that I can cull on my travels. I think my "budget" is exhausted & will have to close this scrawl for want of "matter" Believe me Dear Tom Your Affect [affectionate?] Uncle John L Hall Mr Thos [Thomas?] A Black 342 Winchester Ave [Avenue?] Chicago P.S. Please excuse the pencil J [John?] L H [Hall?] |
