| Title: | John M. Orr, Chicago to his Parents, Portaferry, Co. Down. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2024 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Orr, John M/30 |
| Year | 1847 |
| Sender | Orr, John Malcolm |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Destination | Portaferry, Co. Down, USA |
| Recipient | Rev John Orr and Mrs Orr |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | son-parents |
| Source | T 3103/5: Presented by Mrs Margaret Orr Herriot, Co. Down. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9503146 |
| Date | 04/08/1847 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 22:03:1995. |
| Word Count | 2101 |
| Genre | |
| Note | N.B. John Malcolm died in 1851 (Did various jobs and decided to go west where he expected to do some kind of business) |
| Transcript | Chicago, Illinois, 4th Aug. 1847. My Dear Father & Mother, I am now about 5000 miles from Portaferry a long distance you will say, but not thought much of now-a-days, in a very short time three weeks will be sufficient to travel the whole distance, railroads are going on strong here as well as in England, Steamers are on every navigable river and lake, and there will soon be Steamers from New York, Boston and New Orleans every week to England. I left New York with Mr. Lascelles Maxwell, on the 20th ult., on board the Hudson river Steamer, Niagara, for Troy a distance of 160 miles for 1/2 dollar, the Niagara is a good boat. but, not equal to some of the others. I had not an opportunity of seeing the crack boats so I can't say whether they are equal to the descriptions we read of them or not, there are several of them as long and longer than the Great Britain, but they are not more than half as broad and not one third the height, The scenery up the river is beautiful and much varied, hill 1600 feet high rising from the water edges and covered with wood, houses thinly scattered along the banks in most romantic situations, with a field of Indian corn or potatoes in the rear, villages and small towns at which the boat stopped, landing and taking on board passengers, there are no farms cultivated along the river, as farmers prefer a better soil further in the interior. The dry weather had lowered the river a little so we stuck fast a few miles below Albany, a small steamer had to come and take us off, we got to Troy just in time for the train of Buffalo, took our seats for Rochester some 250 or 300 miles for which we paid $9 1/2 about 39/- these roads are only temporarily laid yet, bar of cart showing iron nailed on logs of wood, it is very uncomfortable travelling, the cars hold fifty or sixty people each, there are seats to hold two persons along each side, I got a seat to myself, got coiled up in it to sleep, when I awoke about 3 o'clock I had a twist in my neck, my head on my left shoulder, so that I could not get it straight up for an hour, you might as well ride in an old wheel car without springs. It is amusing to think of the names that the Americans give their towns, in twenty four hours, I passed through Troy, Utica, Syracuse, Rome, Geneva, Waterloo, Carthage, Vienna, with some others with English names, and not a few with Indian names, as difficult to pronounce and spell as the Missionary settlements in India that you get the letters from, regular jawbreakers. We reached Rochester next day about 3 o'clock got dinner and walked about the city till tea time, not many lions there, we took a steam-boat down the Genesso river into lake Ontario and landed next morning at Princetown, I think that is the name, took the Railroad for Niagara, got there in time for breakfast, weather rather cloudy, went out to see the Falls, there is a bridge across the river to Goat Island, for the privelege [privilege?] to pass over to the Island while you remain at the Falls you pay 1/4 Dollar, this is the Island that divides the river and causes the two falls. We went to the Horseshoe Falls first, it is certainly the most sublime sight I ever beheld, such an immense body of water coming dashing down the rapids, you would almost think each wave racing with that next to it, which would first be over the precipice, and down they do come some 200 feet, with a noise like thunder, raising the spray a great height, andmaking the water boil and whirl about at a fearful rate below while admiring this splendid sight and a beautiful rainbow in the spray, down came a tremendous shower which made us run for shelter in double quick time. After dinner we crossed the river to Canada to have a view of both Falls at the same time the sun shone brightly and we had a splendid view of them, the longer a person looks at them the more enchanting they become, you almost feel sorry at leaving them, there is a Museum here with a pretty large collection of curiosities belonging to the guide who conducts you under the falls, he has also got two live Buffalo, that were caught on the Rocky Mountains, Bears, Wolves, Racoons, Golden Black, and White headed Eagles, with others too numerous to mention; to go under the falls you must strip and put on a canvas suit the guide gives you, you wont get much for your trouble, except a shower bath and have to say you were there. We went again and saw them by moonlight, and the sight repaid us well for our trouble, we saw a beautiful lunar rainbow in the spray of the American Falls, I shant forget them soon. I am sorry we did not stay another day, as we would have lost nothing by doing so, as the steamer that sailed 24 hours after us was in 12 hours before us. We started next morning for Buffalo, this is a large flourishing and important town on Lake Eyrie [Erie?]. We sailed that evening on Board the Steamer Superior, we were told she was a good boat, but we found her a most inferior one, we had some sixty or seventy cabin passengers, the weather was beautiful, while sailing up lake Eyri [Erie?], and Lake St. Clair, a little lake between lakes Eyri [Erie?]and Huron, but it came to blow a stiff gale, right a head in lake Huron, so that we had to run about 100 miles back again to St. Clair river, we went into a harbour on the Canada side, this place was swarming with Indians, a number of them miserable looking creatures, they are very lazy, wont work at all. We started sometime that night and at length got as far as Milwaukee about 100 from Chicago on lake Michigan, so I have sailed on all the large American lakes except Lake Superior, Milwaukee is a strange looking place it is about 10 years settled and has a a population of 18000 scattered over as much ground as would hold 200,000, the town is built on a a number of small hills, and in America where this is the case, the hills are always levelled and the hollows filled up, this is not done immediately when the place is settled, they wait till they have leisure and strength enough to do it, this is the case in Milwaukee, you may see one side of a street levelled and the houses on the other side some 10 feet off the street with a step ladder up to the door, when that side is ready for cutting the houses are put on wheels and taken away till their proper situations are ready for them, I saw a house going up a street with the people inside at their work as if nothing was wrong, they take care not to put up a brick house where it will have to be removed, the brick that are made along this lake are the colour of Bath brick, so the brick buildings have a strage [strange?] appearance, you would think they were painted a dirty yellow. I have finished one sheet and as you dont like crossing I am going to give you part of another, although I dont know what to write about, I have so much to say. Well, I'll give you an outline of Chicago, first it is situated on the South Western shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of Chicago river, I think it is some six or eight feet higher than the river, and as flat as a pancake for at least 30 miles, and only a small grove of trees at each side of the town, there is scarcely a stone in the country, there are very few brick houses, and wooden houses are all built the gable to the street. the roads are mere tracks in the prairie unpassable when the frost breaks up in a spring, the streets have got wooden side paths about a foot above the street, there is about six inches of dust on the streets in dry weather folks here wear the legs of the inexpressibles inside their boots when rain comes on, then it would take New York to turn out more religious sects, than is done here, I do think every sect of christians known have a house of worship here, there are two or three kinds I never heard of till I came here, it is 15 years settled has 15000 inhabitants and does a large trade, it is expected to become one of the first business cities in the union, so much for Chicago. There is a striking difference between the towns here and at home, which is easier seen than described, the wooden house, the number of Hotels, and the shady trees in the streets form part of the difference, but if you see an American town from a height it resembles the description given of cities in Asia more than anything else. What we read in Dicken's works about the manner in which the Yankees rush into dinner and devour it off, as if each thought his neighbour was going to eat all on the table and leave none for him, is all stuff as far as New York and the eastern towns are concerned, but just come out West and if you dont find his description realized it's strange, at the Hotels in this country all persons residing or putting up at them, breakfast dine and take Tea together, dinner hour is one o'clock, a little before that hour the reading room is full, the steps of the door are crowded and parties of two, three and four are standing picking their teeth on the side path, to a stranger it would appear as if something momentous was going to take place, then the gong sounds and such a rush up stairs I never did see, about 1/4 of a minute suffices to make the soup disappear then it is really astonishing the rate at which the more solid articles are demolished and afterwards the dessert, I never saw a dinner since I came to America without a dessert 'tis no great wonder that dispepsia is prevalent, from the way they bolt their food, and the quantity of stuff that they eat; the busy season commences in September when I expect to get a situation if I dont, I expect to be able to do without one. I have not got any letters yet and I am getting anxious to hear from you, Mr. Maxwell is to forward any that may come to New York to this place, I hope you are all well, I am I think better than I was at home, the warm weather has pulled me down in flesh a little and I am getting a tolerable Yankee colour. I have written far more than I had any intention of when I commenced, but I cant help going on I must give up now. Remember me to all inquiring friends, how are Ballyburn folk, the papers here have nothing but advertisements in them or I would send some, Jane Ellen must remember me to Mr. Blows family when she writes, I should very much like to hear from Thos. Warnock how is Mr. W. James and Misses W. I hope Miss Margaret is recovering, and Mr. M'Cleery's family are all well, Mrs, Welsh Mr. Donnan, and Mrs S & Mrs J M'K - 'tis a pity Mr. Bowden or Dr. Tom could not make it convenient to get a month's shooting here. Prairie hens a kind of Grouse are very plenty whole cart loads of them are brought to market here, and wild Ducks in any quantity, direct your letter to the care of Messrs George Smith & Co.. Chicago, Illinois. I am Dear Father & Mother Your Affect. [Affectionate?] Son, John M. Orr. P.S., How do you like the Daguerreotype portrait I sent with Capt. Lawrence, I think you would know it, I hope Uncle J. M'C is well, you shall hear from me soon if not by first mail, by the one after. J.M. Orr. |
