| Title: | Robert and Mary Ann Porter, Chebanse, Illinois, [U.S.A.?], to Robert Ledlie and James Browne and others in [Mullaghglass?], [County Armagh?], [Ireland] |
|---|---|
| ID | 2143 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Porter, Robert L/2 |
| Year | 1875 |
| Sender | Porter, Robert L. and Mary A. |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Chebanse, Illinois, USA |
| Destination | Mullaghglas, Co. Armagh, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | unknown |
| Relationship | writes to family |
| Source | Robert and Mary Ann D 1152/2/6: Presented by Mr Charles Best, Mullaghglass, Bessbrook, Country |
| Archive | Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 711004 |
| Date | 04/02/1875 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document Added by JoeMullan, 05/11/2007 |
| Word Count | 1451 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To [Family, Mullaghglass, Country Armagh?] From Chebanse Febu [February?] the 4th1875 Dear Freands [Friends?] as this is the Coldest day we have had since we came to this Cuntery [Country?] and as I am not much out of doors I avail Myself of the opportunity of writing these few Lines in answer to Robert Ledlie & James Browne letters which I promased [promised?] to answer as soon as I Could spare time which I must say has been very Limited Owing to Me having so much hauling of the Crop & Chattles [Chattels?] 8 miles I drove twise [twice?] a day to Chebanse six miles with from 30 to 35 hundred weight every time for 16 days and I have been 3 weeks hauling to our new place & I have about 6 Load of Straw to haul yet we moved on to our new place on the 21 of January and got the finest day we could desire as it was as warm as a summer day in Ireland though it has not ceased to freese [freeze?] for the last 3 monthes [months?] and the frost is more then [than?] 3 feet in the ground at present and we have not had as much Rain since Last month if it was all put together as I seen falling there is a week about one or two days in every 2 weeks or 3 we do have a Cold snap with sharp wind but in general it is very fine the remainder I can get on top a Load of hay and ride 8 miles without ever getting off I hope that it will be the Last move we will have to we go to our Long home for I must Confess It is not very easy for one to get Settleled [settled?] In a home to there mind However so far as I can Ju[d?]ge [Judge?] we have got settleled [settled?] in a very suatable [suitable?] place convenient to a good School just across the Road from our Land & within 10 parches [perches?] of our house and we are 1 1/2 miles from the Town of Chebanse and 7 from Kankikee [Kankakee?] a Citty [city?] with all kinds of Factories it is situated on the banks of a River as Large as the Banwatter [Bann Water?] we can see it quite plain from our house there is all kinds of Churches in it Episcopalian Presbiterian [Presbyterian?] Methodist Congregational Baptist Luthern Roman Cathlic [Catholic?] & Infidel I never have went to hear any of them yet but Mary Ann & Children 2 miles to the School House once a fortnight to here [hear?] a Methodist Minister preach we mean God willing to Join the Presbiterian [Presbyterian?] Church in Kankakee as soon as the warm weather Comes but it is not easy going so far in winter there is no presbiterian [Presbyterian?] Church in Chebanse but one neerly [nearly?] similar Called Congratinal [Congregational?] but I dont like some of there [their?] forms of worship but If spared this Sum[m?]er [Summer?] I mean to Try the Spirits & more of this again sometime Now I mean to Let you know som[e?] [some?] thing of how we are fixed we Have a very nice Cottage House all seeled [sealed?] and Papered and painted Inside and out side as white as snow with a Cistern that holds 40 Bar[r?]els [Barrels?] of rain water and pump 55 feet Deep with good water all the year round a thing not very eas[i?]ly [easily?] found aroung [around?] here a Corn Crib that will hold 3000 bushels a stable that holds 5 horses & a greanery [grainery?] that would hold 1000 bushels of grain it has a Oasage [Osage?] Orange Heage [Hedge?] around the half of it that is neerly [nearly?] old enough to Turn Cattle but there is no fence on it to keep Cattle yet there is ods [orchards?] of 100 Ap[p]le [Apple?] Trees & 50 Cery [Cherry?] trees there is a Peach trees & goose berry curent [currant?] Blackberry Raspberry & stawber[r?]y [strawberry?] past count and grape Vines and flowers The gentelman [gentleman?] that had it is going to the State of Indiana to a larger farm he gott [got?] this farm by the wife and she did not like to sell it there is just 22 acres Lies between us and the Railroad that If I could buy it I would have a good fence all Round and the woman that owns it has got Peralizes [Paralysis?] and and [sic] wants to sell it but I have En[o]ugh [Enough?] on hands for the present now I will Let you know how we attend we give 27 hundred & 50 dollers [dollars?] for it we payed one Thousant [Thousand?] dollers [dollars?] down and got a forever dead & has to pay 250 dollers [dollars?]a year with Intrust [Interest?] for seven years so you see that if the Lord Spares us for that time with life & he[a?]th [health?] & blisses [blesses?] our Indavers [Endeavours?] we will have a very nice home but should any adverce [adverse?] Providence hap[p?]en [happen?] us it will be all the other way for we had to give a Murguage [Mortgage?] that will deprive us of all Should we not be able to meet our payments or any of them he can foreclose the Murguage [Mortgage?] sell out and we have for Cash and that is very Scarce in this cuntery [Country?] I mean cash there is Two kinds of People that can do well in this Contery [Country?] that is a man with a good Capital that Could buy out a farm for Cash & have no Intrust [Interest?] to pay as money is hard to get & runs from 10 to 15 & 20 per cent Intrust [interest?] & second a man or boy that is good to work with horses & not up for short hours there is a great many that I am aquented [acquainted?] with that came here 10 & 15 years ago that had nothing when the[y?] came here that has now 320 acres of land all payed [paid?] for the fine Houses and Independent & I k[n?]ow [know?] of plenty that is selling there [their ?] places now and going to Town to Live Privite [Private?]on the[i?]r [their?] money The most Industrious and good farmers around here is eather [either?] duck men or deans as the[y?] [they?] are great fellows to work there is none worse then [than?] the Irish I must now bring this to a close hoping this may find all our freands [friends?] in Ireland enjoying good health with Happiness united In the prayer of us all we remain your affecined [affectionate?] Freands [Friends?] Robt [Robert?] & Mary Ann Porter PS we are all well and so is all our freands [friends?] here at present My Dear Friends I now imbrace [embrace?] the opportunity of writing to you these fiew [few?] lines to let you know how we are all getting along Sarah J. and Marget [Margaret?] is at school the[y?] [they?] come home every day at noon for dinner and Robert J. to[o?] [too?] we dont let William to go yet as the weather is rather cold Sarah J is in the 5 reeder [reader?] and Mary A. is in the 4 reeder [reader?] S.J. is always talking of writing to her cousoons [cousins?] the[y?] [they?] be often talking about them all it is Just 2 weeks this day since we came to our new home I like it very well as it is situated in a very pleasant place - we can see the trains pass along 5 or 6 in the day and I can see the Children from the[y?] [they?] leave the house so the[y?] [they?] go into school Uncle John and Aunt Ann Porter came to see us the sabbath day after we came hear [here?] we are very near each other now I can get along verry [very?] well hear [here?] wanting a Girl I believe I never was more comfortable than now without any strangers but our one [own?] family Martha A. is growing very fast I hope Mr and Mrs Erwin is very well I hope Eggy and Jane and Sarrah [Sarah?] A. and Marthe [Martha?] is all very well I hope Aunt Ledlie and Aunt Brown is in the good health enjoyment of good health and husbands Dear Friends write as soon as convenient and let us know all particulars in the mean time I must conclude with kindest regard to all enquiring friends, I remain your affectionate S, [Sister?] Mary A Porter I mean this as a general Letter to you all in Answer to Robert Ledlies and James Brown Robert Porter Transcribed by PaulaTracey |
