| Title: | R. Rothwell, U.S.A. to W. J. C. Allen, Belfast. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2344 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Rothwell, Richard Jr/8 |
| Year | 1866 |
| Sender | Rothwell, Richard Jr |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | mechanic |
| Sender Religion | Protestant |
| Origin | Jeffersonville, Indiana, USA |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Campbell Allen, William J |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | nephew-uncle |
| Source | D 1558/1/1/315: Papers of William John Campbell Allen. Deposited by F. D. Campbell Allen. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9802465 |
| Date | 23/02/1866 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 09:02:98. |
| Word Count | 598 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Jeffersonville, Indiana. Feb 25 1866 Dear Uncle You will doubtless wonder at my not writing to you before this, and I have no excuse to make for not having done so, and can only say that I will [----?] [stain] negligent again. You are well aware that, since my leaving Canada I have been rambling about W. States considerably and you will readily think that I ought to have settled down and tried to raise myself from a mere mechanic to something better, but I was not disposed to do so until I had seen something of the country I was living in, and although but a short time here I have been through a considerable part of it, and not only gained a small knowledge of the country, but also of my business, as I have worked in a number of shops, and among all classes of locomotives and on all parts of them, I have also although so young always had the highest money paid to journeymen in the shop. I am now working in the Jeffersonville & Indiana RR [Railroad?] upon the rods for the engine it is all new owrk and pretty tiring but I do not care for that as the money is pretty good three dollars and a quarter per day for my Board I pay a week five dollars so that at the end of the month I have quite a little sum left but clothing is very high more than double what it is in Canada I have only been here a fortnight and cannot call myself settled as I do not know but what I may go the southern states as I hear thats there are good chances there for mechanics they are paying 5.00$ per day, a good inducement for me to go. When I paid a visit to Canada last November I saw Mr Eaton and from him I got that case of books you sent me, and sincerely thank you for them, they were just the books I most wanted. and I think I shall be able to gain a large amount of information from them that will be useful to me. Mr Eaton advised me read them carefully, and to copy those plates, as it should be good practice for me but the latter advise I have not been able to follow out, but I have read them carefully, and should I pay a visit to the old country in the course of another year I hope to show you that I have made good use of your present. Although I am thinking of paying a visit I do not think I should come to stop for any length of time for I like this country much better there is not superiority manifested from the employer to his workmen that there is at home. I should like to get into a draft office for a year or two as I think it would be as great benefit to me in fact I can now see that it is an absolute necessity to my further advancement in my business. In the west there but few of the master mechanics that are good draftsmen, they have just enough to get along and that is all that can be said of them. Indeed they have in some shops to get the workmen to make out the drawings for any engine that they may wish to rebuild. I do not know of anything more that would be at all interesting to you. And with best wishes to all at Faunoran & Gortalea I Remain your affectionate Nephew R.Rothwell |
