| Title: | W. L. Kennedy, Weldon, Ca., to James Gilmore, Mayfield, Co. Down. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1606 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Kennedy, W. L/4 |
| Year | 1879 |
| Sender | Kennedy, W.L. |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | businessman |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Weldon, Ca., USA |
| Destination | Mayfield, Co. Down, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Gilmore, James |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | D3561/A/18: The Papers of E.R.R. Green, presented by Dr P. R. Green. |
| Archive | Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9307073 |
| Date | 03/02/1879 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by S M, 06:07:1993. |
| Word Count | 843 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | From: W.L. Kennedy Weldon Post Office To: James Gilmore Esq. [Esquire?] Kern County. Cala Mayfield [California?] County Down Ireland Feby [February?] 3d [rd?] 1879 My Dear Cousin It is I presume many and many a long day since you have heard anything of me and I know it is 35 long years since I was last at your nice little cottage home - to think since I were there you may have soons [sons?] who now may be grandfathers how time flies. whether WE count the sands of time or not - the old fellow will count it in the white in our hair and the wrinkles in our cheeks - I have not had a letter from home now - from any one of our family for more than a year - Isabella used to correspond with me regular untill [until?] lately and I fear very much either she has been very sick or is dead - the latter I fear, do Cousin James on receipt of this letter - write to adress [address?] at head of this letter (Cal means California) and let me know if Isabella is alive or not she stuck to me through thick and thin in sickness and health - I would like to know if Cousin John Gilmore is living and his adress [address?] I presume if living he is a very rich man in Australia - also I would like to know Robert and Alexander King's adress [address?] in Australia - I heard some of them boys were at England & [and?] America on their return home with the Australian Cricketers It would be almost useless for me to attempt to give you an account of my wanderings since I left home - I remained for 4 years in New York City and its vicinity and then came to California (by sea) in the early days of the Arganous and here I am and it is very doubtly [doubtful?] I shall ever leave the Pacific Coast except temporarilly [temporarily?] - There is so much excitement here on business that a person accustomed to it as I have been for nearly 30 years can never exist hardly any where else - My success has been varied enough to say I have made severall [several?] very respectable fortunes since I have been in America but I assure you it is harder to keep money than to make it - I possibly may go this spring to the Territtory [territory?] of Arizona if you look on recent maps it lays [lies?] on the Western sid [side?] of the Gulph [Gulf?] of California and north and the west side of the Colorada [Colorado?] River (of the west) the southern Pacific Rail Road are extending their line on toward the Texas frontier and opening up an immense extent of Wild unexplored country and a district known to be immenselly [immensely?] rich in Mines of Gold and Silver - I have mined so long now I am hardly good for anything else - and have lived for so long on the frontiers I can hardly live #PAGE 2 any where Else - I know James Kennedys adress [address?] - but him and myself have had very little to say to on [one?] another since I left home - nor never will - He has turned out to be a Miser - Give my kindest regards to any and all of our old Neighbours and friends in your vicinity. Alas they must be nearly all dead Robert Jones son Richard I hope is living yet at old Moydalgan _ I will see it yet before I die and the two old sycamores - and the well and the Garden and the old School house and Woodford and some of my old school mates and where is John and James Boyd and Baxter who used to live at the Dromara Mill dam. if they are alive and you know their adress [address?] let me have it - I suppose my old schoolmaster John McMurray is dead before now. how much good it done me to send the old Gentleman American Newspapers - and our old friend Bob Kingans family are I presume scattered - and the Waugh family are all scattered also - Dear old Kind hearted Mrs Waugh I would travel 500 miles on foot to spend on [one?] day with her as good and kind a lady as ever lived Oh dear oh dear how I can look back and see all the old familar places and faces and imagine myself back there a boy hen going to school with my old School mates - bare foot running races on the green grass and wading in the Lagan in the afternoons coming from School. oh dear oh dear those times will never come back to me - but I will see all the old places, once more before I quit this world - I wish very much to hear from you and of sister Isabella and if you will write me will promise to give you longer and pleasanter letter than this one and wishing you and your family all happiness possible both here and hereafter remain Your affectionate Cousin W L Kennedy |
