| Title: | James Housten, Ireland, to, Mr James A Smyth, Ontario. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1482 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Houston, James/73 |
| Year | 1897 |
| Sender | Houston, James |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | construction worker |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Eden, Illinois, USA |
| Destination | Essex, Ontario, Canada |
| Recipient | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth |
| Doc. No. | 503020 |
| Date | 27/01/1897 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 726 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of Envelope] Mr- James -A- Smyth Essex Essex County Ontario Canada [Stamped 3 times] NEWTOWNSTEWART PM 10 0 JA 27 97 [Written on Front of Envelope] Ans [Answered?] [Back of Envelope] [Stamped] PLUMBRIDGE JA 27 97 ESSEX FE 5 97 ONT. [Page 1] Eden January 27 1897 Dear James After a long delay you must excuise [excuse?] me for not answering your kind letter I was always going to write I had to [too?] much to do and put it off to [sic] knou [now?] I hope you are well and in good health and that you are getting along well with you [your?] education I am at my old trade Willie is staying at home I have been very busy [Page 2] at my old trade plastering and cementing Willie my brother is doing midling [middling?] the old [Smudling?] Company above us is broke up the year and that is a good thing for it was not nice to see it so near us he is working well only he inclines Some times [sometimes?] to the drink and that spoils any body [anybody?] that indulges in it I be over in your father [sic] regular [regularly?] We had a grand Soiree I think we will have no more ball danses [dances?] the Soirees is [sic] far [Page 3] the best for the [there?] are no Spirits and the [they?] are conducted beeter [better?] without the drink [We?] have got a fine young women in Alex Houston [sic] I suppose you heard that Willie of Lisnacraigh [Lisnacreaght?] has got Married to a Miss McCullough of [Colvehillion?] Perhaps you know nothing about her and poor big Eliza only got a days warnig [warning?] and that was midling [middling?] Sharp on her to leave after been so long in it [Page 4] the [They?] are going to have a Soiree in Gortin I am invited over to take part in the Programme I was speaking to your uncle Charlie on Sunday and he told me sure to be over he looks well and in good health Matilda Jane Duncan you will be surprised [surprised?] to hear of her death on the nineteenth we are not sure of our life in this world it is like a vapour it is always [sic] good to be prepared as death come [sic] like a thief in the night she could sit up untill [until] the rear he [her?] heart was infected and that caused her death [Page 5] Dear James we have not much snow this winter Willie has thirty two head of Sheep at Drumquim [Drumquin?] he was up seeing them at Christmas and the [they?] are doing well as he had always a great conceit in the Sheep he has got a big Sheep dog [sheepdog?] that can kill rabbits and hares the dog followed him out of the July fair of Gortin and we still have him yet [Page 6] I got ten rabbits in the time of the snow the [there?] are lots in Robert McFarland’s land but I could not venture on it Willie takes a [sic] odd shot after night [nightfall?] but he does not get many the [there?] are [sic] no improvement on your cousin Alex Duncan drinking plenty of Wiskey [Whiskey?] and doing very little work as for the rest the [they?] are just the same as when you left neither better nor worse Alex has been out three Sabbeths [Sabbaths] in the snow [Page 7] with his dog an [and?] gun so us [you?] see that is Sinful to be [lead?] at such a rate as to go to desolation altogether as the people that breaks Sunday at such a rate What do the [they?] expect at the end I send you a newspaper to let you see some news about the old Country As Ireland is not improving much Old Doctor [Connor?] is just about to die he is not expect [expected?] to mend and he will be misted [missed?] when he will go as the [there?] might not [Page 8] be [sic] as good one as he was how is you [your?] fried [friend?] Sarah Ann getting along I suppose she is earning a great Salary again this time and Willie John do you get any letters from him I would like to know what time you would be able to take a situation as I would be glad to hear how well you would be and that you will be spared you [your?] health all ours [sic] folks sends [sic] their best respects to you and hops [hope?] that you will come out right dont forget to write as Soon as you can I remain your friend James Housten [Houston?] Transcribed by Elizabeth Prentice |
