| Title: | William Porter, [Illinois?] to his sister Mrs Brown, Ireland. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2159 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Porter, William/17 |
| Year | 1871 |
| Sender | Porter, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | Presbyterian |
| Origin | Chebanse, Illinois, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Co. Armagh? N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Mrs Brown |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | D 1152/3/23: Presented by Mr Charles Best, Mullaghglass, Bessbrook, Co Armagh. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9011025 |
| Date | 29/10/1871 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by C.R., 02:12:1993. |
| Word Count | 1020 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: Mrs Brown From: Chebanse, [Illinois?] Oct 29 1871 Mrs Brown Dear Sister I now sit down to answer your kind letter which I would have done before this but I had just written to Thos [Thomas?] Ledlie and I knew you would hear from him how we were all here but since I wrote last there has more of what I call misfortune happened to me but perhaps it is for good after all for many times what we think a great loss is for our good undoubtedly you have heard of the great fire of Chicago for who has not well in that fire I lost 2000 dollars more & with 2000 dollars of land and cost making 4000 or 800£ you will think that I am now reduced pretty low it certainly would break me but still I can live for I have 3000 left and the law leaves me 2000 clear after all if I am worth so much as a Homested [Homestead?] I lost in Chicago 2 Houses on pearson St [Street?] that you will see on the map I will send to Thos [Thomas?] with this letter and my daughters lost all there [their?] concern on Van buren St [Street?] which is also marked I have a house and lot yet in the part that is safe with about 1200$ and that is all I now in Chicago nor will I build there any more I had no insurance I loose [lose?] 400 rent well now I own 40 acres worth 50 dollars an acre where I live a house and lot in Chebanse worth 800 & 2 dollars (sic) lots in Chebanse worth 600 dollars with a house that I bought at 800 yet so I will have to manage with that now and if God spares me it will be enough to keep us yet so this is part of troubles here now I will describe what else I can think of to begin we are all in our usual Health here at present viz here and in Chicago my daughters & there [their?] Husbands is both gone to keeping house again and the [they?] sent to me for a couple of teams so Joseph went with a team of Horses & #PAGE 2 one of the mules to work at clearing out the debris to commence anew to build again but it does leave me without help for Joseph was at Home helping me Husking corn or what you would call Harvesting so now I have no one for it is impossible to get Help for all the Hands is gone to work in Chicago at cleaning out and building up again so I have just to do what I can myself I can gather about 20 bushels a day after Mending the things about the house and at that rate I would be about 40 days but there will be plenty of help by & by You were saying that Thomas was not well but I hope that before this he is got quite well again I wonder very much that Mother stands it so long and her health being always so bad there is not a letter that comes but I expect to hear of her death she must be very frail indeed and not easy to take care of my own health is none of the best although I still get around and work some I still have palpitation of the Heart especially at night with sick headach [headache?] in the morning but now it is so common that there is nothing thought of it you were wishing me to sell out and go home to die in Ireland that I will never do for now I could not live in Ireland at all nor would I if I could for here we are better in every way you also want to know if my brother and his family are all buried together they are all side by side within a gun shot of where Ann lives and within 1/2 mile of my House She is now better off than when Joseph was alive for she has 2000 dollars at interest and gets 12 per cent for some of it and has a good place to live in with 1/2 an acre of a garden you also wish to know about James Duffy and I cannot tell you much about him for he left here a year or so ago and went about 60 miles farther south to work on the railroad as boss or head of a gang of men but he is all right and Heading every toss and will be rich in wordly [worldly?] stuff one of these days You also wish to know where Josephs daughter is She is living with her Husband a few doors from where her Mother lives and has a place of entertainment for those that come to town also my daughter MA [Mary Ann?] She has no more family nor do i think she will for She has been bad sometimes quite ill with some disease in her womb she was here #PAGE 3 lying for two weeks on her way to Chicago from where she was all summer going there to consult a doctor and now she is some better but I did not hear from her since the great fire but that her and Sarah was going to live there for the present we have had great fires all over the County with great loss of life the Season is so dry that everything is like tinder I would send a paper but there is none since the fire for the places were all burnt up I will send this to Thomas Ledlie for I forgot your adress [address?] I will now close Hoping this may find you all well both in Mulaglass [Mullaglass?] & Dysart I remain your affectionate Brother William Porter I will sent a map of the part of Chicago that was burnt 5 miles long an [and?] 1 mile wide with 100 000 people left Homeless more than Newry armagh [Armagh?] dundalk [Dundalk?] and Banbridge contain only think of it |
