| Title: | William Porter, U.S.A. to Robert [Porter?], [Ireland?] |
|---|---|
| ID | 2165 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Porter, William/26 |
| Year | 1859 |
| Sender | Porter, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | Presbyterian |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Co. Armagh? N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Porter, Robert L. |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | D 1152/3/14: Presented by Mr Charles Best, Mullaghglass, Bessbrook, County Armagh. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9011013 |
| Date | 04/11/1859 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by B.W. 06:12:1993 |
| Word Count | 825 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: Robert [L. Porter?] [Desert, County Down?] From: 63 Pearson St [street?] Chicago Nov 4 1859 Dear Brother Robert I am ashamed to begin to write to you it is so long since I should have done so seeing you were so kind in sending me the money you did in your last for which I am much oblidged [obliged?] to you and I hope you will never want but I would have wote [wrote?] to you long before this but so many reasons & the first was I was waiting for an answer from Andy but he did not wite [write?]to me since I sent him yours so I do not know any thing how or what he intends doing and now I will let you know what Joseph & myself is doeing [doing?] well to begin we have had some troub [trouble?] and a few deaths here Joseph had two of his children died within one day of each other William & Johny the[y?] took something in there [their?] throat and could not be cured and in fact the[y?] were all bad but the 2 girls Joseph had something like Colera [cholera?] and ann had the Ague but there [they're?] all well Now thank God Well now for myself Sarah was confined the last of August but was delivered of a fine boy but it was dead born for she had to be delivered by a surgeon with instruments and in consequence the child was dead for which she felt very sorry the other children is all well Joseph is going on to school and is getting a fine big boy Mary ann is with a lady taking care of a child for which she gets 12 S a week and a very good life Sara Jane is working at her trade and has 16 S a week and board with us and my own health #PAGE 2 is Just the same one day in every week in bed with headache Sara and I was down to where Joseph is last week seeing them she never was there before and I helped him to build a house for his cattle 30 feet long and 14 wide that holds 8 cows & horses and now he has the best set of Houses on his farm of any one within 10 miles of where he is he has a house 20 feet wide 24 feet long with a cellar the same size that will hold all his Potatoes and such things from frost and keep milk in sum-er [SUMMER?] his House is Divided in four apartments Just so and well finished inside so he is pretty well considering and he has another +-------+-------+ car house as you would call it 12 by 20 | Bed | Bed | that holds a wagon plow [plough?] Harrow +-------+-------+ and a machine for cutting hay and | Dining|Kitchen| corn for which I paid 135 dollars +-------+-------+ and is drawn by 2 horses and 2 oxen he cut about 40 tons of hay and would have got more only for the spell of sickness the[y?] all had I went down and cut one week myself but I could not stay as we were not certain what time Sarah would be taking bad well now I am trying to get a house put up for myself in the village which is 1/2 a mile from him and then I will move to it where we will be nearer each other for sick as I be I could beat him on a farm yet but if the Almighty is pleased to spare us for a few years I think we will make an independence that is we will not be afraid of the landlord I have been working a little at some Stairs but there is nothing doing at building like what there was And now there is one thing I would request of you seeing you have been so good that is if you would get McBlain to put up as much seeds as what a tea chest or other box the same size well packed and directed #PAGE 3 to me of all the following kinds turnips of all kinds for there is none pure here and cabbages with some curleys a little beans a few peas not many a little english grass seed and 10000 thorn quicks and a little whin and broom and a little oats & wheat seed you will think I am troublesome but maybe I will do as much for you some time I will send the way you can direct them inside of this and McBlain could forward them to New York and now I pray God this may find you all well both Father and Mother sisters and Brothers as the[y?] leave us all at present Sarah would wish if you could hear any word of her folk for the[y?] dont write any more you would let her know I remain as ever your Affectionate Brother William Porter |
