| Title: | John D Reid, New York to Thomas E Reid, Ireland |
|---|---|
| ID | 2268 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Reid, John D/46 |
| Year | 1898 |
| Sender | Reid, John D. |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | clerk |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | New York, USA |
| Destination | Armagh, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Reid, Thomas |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | son-father |
| Source | D 3014/3/7/3: Deposited by Mr H. H. Reid |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9103121 |
| Date | 07/08/1898 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by B.W. 04:01:1993 |
| Word Count | 627 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: Mr Thos [Thomas?] E. Reid 17 Dobbin St. [Street?] Armagh Ireland From: John D Reid 55 Macdougal St. [Street?] N. Y. [New York?] Aug 7 '98 [1898?] My Dear Father:- I was very glad indeed to hear that you are all well & doing well. Bertie & Bill seem to be carrying off the honors & I am proud to hear of their successes. For the past ten months I have been employed by the Co. [Company?] which publishes the N. Y. [New York?] City directory, mostly on piece work, making out trade lists & such for advertisers. They keep all the Directories published in the U. S. [United States?] & from these the lists are made as ordered. It is poor work & poorly paid but I have been fairly successful as I have developed into a very rapid writer & plain writing is what they want. I have averaged $9 per week at it for the last three months, but just now there is absolutely nothing doing & no prospects before next month. August is the dullest month in the year here. However I am not worrying any as I am thoroughly determined to avoid drink & I have #PAGE 2 a good front, that is, good clothes &c. If I had been steady since I came here I would be making $30 per week easily. A rolling stone gathers no moss, However I have got the bottom in me & will succeed yet. The difficulty about getting a good situation is want of introductions to good people. Everything is so crowded that there is no show for an outsider. Every foreman puts his own friends in I hope & believe you have influence enough to come out on top of the heap when the new County Councils bill gets in operation. Dont you folks ever have any photographs taken. I would very much like to take them. I have the family group neatly framed in my bedroom, but, would like the individual ones as well. You did not mention Robert particularly Is he well? I have given up hopes of ever hearing from him. I suppose he thinks I am a disgrace & that there is no good in me. I'll convince him to the contrary yet. I guess the war with Spain is now over. It did'nt [did not?] amount to much anyhow as the U. S. [United States?] did'nt [did not?] need to exert themselves much #PAGE 3 to do what they did. You have no idea of the patriotism & power of Americans There is no power on earth today could whip them & their inventive genius is such that they are always ahead on the machinery of warfare. Tom & Bill seem to be matrimonially inclined & if I was in a good steady job I think I would settle down myself. The comforts of home appeal to me strongly just now & I am willing to face the discomforts & responsibilities if I was in a position to keep up a home. Perhaps the feeling will pass away. (dont pay any attention to this rubbish) My cuffs are down to my knuckles whch accounts for this scrawl. I may have to get out & hustle for a job before long & If so I will try Mr Holland's friend Boyd, I think the name is. They are working for a firm of merchants but what positions they hold I have not found out. Love to all & my congratulations to Bertie when you next write her. Every word from you helps to cheer & help me along & I hope before the year is out to be able #PAGE 4 to tell you that I am holding a good position & doing well. I am thoroughly alive now to the necessity of sobriety & steadiness without which smartness & ability are nowhere. Love to all from Your affectionate Son John D Reid |
