| Title: | William Porter Chicago U.S.A. to Parents [Desert?] Co.Down. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2158 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Porter, William/16(2) |
| Year | 1851 |
| Sender | Porter, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | works for someone |
| Sender Religion | Presbyterian |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Co. Armagh? N.Ireland |
| Recipient | |
| Recipient Gender | |
| Relationship | son-parents |
| Source | D 1152/3/2: Presented by Mr. Charles Best, Mullaghglass, Bessbrook, Co. Armagh. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9612190 |
| Date | 21/07/1851 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 03:12:96. |
| Word Count | 1692 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Chicago July 21 1851 Dear Father and Mother I adress [address?] you once more from this foreign land hoping that these few lines will find you all as well as the [they?] leave me at present thanks be to the giver of all good for his mercies to me a poor unworthy creature I never enjoyed as good health since I was born as I am doeing [doing?] for the present although this gets the name of not being a healthy place I had no reason to complane [complain?] since I came here I have been very uneasy for the last six weeks thinking every day that I would have had a letter from some of you but not one can I get So I have finaly [finally?] concluded to write you another as I dont know whether is was you did not get my last one or that I don't get yours the last letter I received from Ireland was dated feb [Feb?] 19th and the last I wrote was to Joseph the first of May and to which I am always expecting an answer as there was a great many things that I wrote to him that I would like him to answer me upon as to whether he would like to come out here or not and how he was doeing [doing?] about certain things that mentioned in some of his letters to me I do think that this is the place that you all should be if possible for the longer that I am here I like it the better and so would you all if you were here we have one of the pleasantest summers you could wish neither so warm nor so dry as it was last summer but just like what it would be in Ireland still it is what the [they?] call a wet summer here on the 4th of July which is the national day here I went out about 50 miles to see how the country would look and every thing looked well as I thought especialy [especially?] wheat I have been thinking for some time of going out to the country for a week to see how every thing looks but I don't like to quit the work to spend money as 9 dollars a week is very tempting so I like to hold on I left the man that I was with when I wrote last to you because he could not pay me on saturday nights and went to another where I am as well and has no trouble I whish [wish?] you were all equally as well fixed as what I am at present I also left my boarding house in May went to board with people from from Ireland and I feel quite as well as if I was at home and I would be happy if I could see you all but especially my poor little children for the [they?] will get alienated from me which grieved me very much in fact it is the worst grief that I have but I hope that the lord will mark them with grace and keep them for himself when time shall be no more and that you will both be spared to train them in the way that the [they?] should go I would be glad to have them here if I had any way of taking care of them but I know that the [they?] are better there than with me I hope that the [they?] never will trouble you as much as what I have done god forgive me as I hope you have done I thought that perhaps Joseph and his family would perhaps come out here and bring them allong [along?] but if not I purpose to go home myself after some little time and see you all and fetch them myself for I intend to make this country my abiding place whilst in this world not but my heart wanders back to my native soil with all the ties of friendships there with associated which I never can have here but then there is a great many things here would endear one to this country you have a chance of rising in the world here which you have not there and the fear of want is not always staring you in the face as it is there but still you are not to suppose that every thing is got for the lifting far from it but what I mean is that people enjoys the fruits of there [their?] labours here what the [they?] cannot there but with what capital you all could fetch here you could be quite independent by what you are there for what you would have you would have it but then it is next to impossible for you all to be here I would like you to write to me what prospects you have of times there or whether you expect them to mend or how you manage to hold your place at present or whether you think your getting better or worse at present in your circumstances for the papers gives awful accts [accounts?] of the situation of Ireland at present saying that [stained] that can get away I would like to know how all my Brothers and sisters is doeing [doing?] how Jane and her affairs is getting on how Thomas Brown and family is how Andrew and his missis [Mrs?] is or if you are all living together yet or if any of you would incline to come to this place I would like to know what kind of crops you expect to have this or whether the potatoes has failed or not I would wish to know the children is and how the [they?] are getting on at school and if any off [of?] you lives in Ryan or if is desolate looking once more and all the particular that you could think of and whether Thomas Ward is married yet or not I have not heard either one accquants [accquaintance?] or another since I had your letter in March and it makes me feel so miserable to here [hear?] from no one nor have no person that I am acquaint [acquainted?] with here I have not heard from the glennys family in 3 months and you never sent me the directions of some of my friends here that I wrote to you about especially Samuel Sloan for if ever I would think of going into canada I would go to see him for it would be on my road home from here and I would like to see his [stained] if I would go that way I have not [stained] move in particular to mention nor can I think of any thing At present for I have as I have said been waiting for Joseph's answer to the last letter that I wrote and if he has got it tell him to be sure to answer me on the subjects it contains I would like if each of you all would send me a letter once in a while it would keep me from thinking so much long to hear oftener from home and if there was anything that any of you wanted to know that I could tell you I would doe [do?] it I would like to have a letter from Jane if she would spare the time to write to me every thing she could think of I hope brother Andrew and wife is well and that by the time that this reaches you the [they?] will have had an addition to the family but I am only thinking at random the [they?] will forgive me I send you here with [herewith?] a [stained] [dollar?] or piece of gold and I want [Mar-----?] to keep it on her das [dad's?] account that when she sees it she will mind who it is from for god only knows whether ever we will see [t'other?] in this world or not but if not I trust we will all meet in the next where this world cease from troubling us you will try it and see if it would pass there or what the [they?] would give for it there it is worth « a guinea of your money and you will let me know you mentioned that my last letter was torn in Newry but you did not say whether what I sent was in it or not you only said all right I mean to write soon again to Robert and then perhaps I will send Sarah Jane and Joseph one dollar a piece to help them in mind of me I hope the [they?] are all learning well but I would not want them kept too close to school for it will Doe [do?] them more harm than good to be as close confined all the time I cannot think of any thing more at present that you would wish to know but since I began to write the above I hear that there has been [?] or three cases of Colera [cholera?] here but it is [stained] much dreaded as the health of the city [stained] not been so good in a number of years as at the present time there is not as many deaths an [in?] a week as was last year this time in one day I am still to work and gets 12 per day which [is?] the highest wages going here at present but still have a notion of going further west and comencing [commencing?] business for myself but all the business no matter what is done in partnerships and I cannot meet the kind of a partner that I would like so that keeps me as I am for the present you will write so soon as this comes to hand for I will think great long to I get word from you when you write Direct to 116 Wells St Chicago Illanois [Illinois?] give my respects to any enquiring friends and I will remain your affectionate son William Porter P.S. the name of the people where I stop is Kirkpatrick from the County Derry to Mr Joseph Porter Dysart |
