| Title: | James A. Smyth, Ontario to Bella M. Smyth. Co. Tyrone |
|---|---|
| ID | 2689 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, James Alexander/4 |
| Year | 1897 |
| Sender | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | school teacher |
| Sender Religion | Protestant (Methodist) |
| Origin | Essex Co., Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Smyth, Bella M. |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge. |
| Doc. No. | 0401012 |
| Date | 18/01/1897 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 08:01:2004. |
| Word Count | 995 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of envelope] Miss Bella M. Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co. Tyrone, Ireland [Stamped] ESSEX Jan 1 [97?] ONT [Back of envelope] [Written across] arrived January 22nd 1897 [Stamped] HAMILTON 8 JA 97 ONT [Stamped] WINDSOR JA11 97 [ONT?] [Stamped] NEWTOWNSTEWART AM JA20 97 [Page 1] Essex, January 18th /97 Dear Father Mother Brothers & Sisters I received your letter yesterday and I see by it, that you had a good time at the soiree. I am glad to know this and that everything passed off quiet for I suppose that there are some people who would like to have had to talk over disturbances, however [these?] hopes may have vanished. I am also pleased to know that they are well rewarded for their trouble and as it was for a charitable purpose it will help those who are in distress. I was reading the other day one of the 12 July celebration papers and I think it was Mullen in a speech that said that if each one in (Orangeman) [Tyrone?] gave 1s they would have £350 yearly to-wards the orphan fund and if every one in Ireland would gave [give?] 1s they would have £4000 Now this is a subject that should require special attention from all orangemen and they should all subscribe towards a charitable institution such as this. If they did the orphan children would be looked after and many other good uses would result from this giving [Page 2] To pay this small amount which the speaker at that time said would only put a large majority of the orangemen in the small inconvenience of using one half pint of whisky less per year and this should not be looked upon as a very hard task. I received a newspaper and a programme from home last week, the programme was signed M.D I suppose from Miss Dunne I have been looking over it and I think I would not have much trouble in passing [11din?] [11?] class and I think with a short while study in the subj [subject?] could take [1 dir?] It is not as high a standard as they have here. What did they think of the [curriculm?] that I send (sic) you. It contained the list of subject (sic) for study here I see by this programme that by being a teacher formerly has a good deal to do with getting a higher certificate It makes no difference here, if you cannot pass the examination, you would never get a higher certificate no matter if you taught twenty years. I sent a letter to [W?] [Gilkison?] a short while ago a [and?] told him to let you know I got the money all right. I got it here next day after Xmas We drove of then for for (sic) a sleigh ride. School started here again on the Fourth. We had nomination of offices for our Lyceum entertainment. Election takes place Wednesday. I think we will have some fun this time three of the boys are running for president and the school is pretty well divided I think it will be a close contest I am working for one of the boys and trying to gain him some votes [Page 3] Now J.C. may get himself into trouble by taking out a fish. I dont see what was the use in him [fishing?] with it when it was dead. I think I told all of them once to keep away from the water altogether and I think John might have sense enough to neither meddle with dead or living fish - if he did that John he would get himself into less trouble. It makes me sick & tired of alway (sic) hearing of some law affair. Does John play the fiddle if so you must have kept it quiet because I never heard it before I think if the boys & you girls got a few instruments you could get an orchestra that is when John & Mary can both play you would only require one or two more instruments in same key and the boy could learn them. If you had this you would have much better music at you [your?] soiree etc. I am sorry to hear of the surveyor being so sharp it is too much money to loose [lose?] especially when one has to do the work. All Woodsee [Woodslee] people are well Annie was up at Xmas I am not going down until Friday. We had a little skating last week I had not my skates up from Woodslee so I did not have the fun In reading over some of the old papers Feb 22nd 96 I read that story which some of you marked (please read this story) it is about a wedding when a man (Hammond) suddenly stopped it. I suppose you remember it all. I usually read a book per week from the library. Your Brother James A Smyth [Page 4] Guess at the rest Did you see that McFarland who was to home [come?] from Hamilton yet He told aunt he was going to see you people I expected he would be home for the soiree. What (sic) the matter with all my correspondents over there I receive no letters from anyone except Wm [William?] Gilkison & you Chas [Charles?] McCullough James Houston & Uncle Chas [Charles?] & I think I wrote one to Uncle John and no [none?] of them has answered Happy New Year to all My letters are few and sometimes like hen's teeth far between. I would to be kept up with all Irish news both social and otherwise. I think I write good long letters & not much waste of paper either. You know some of you could put a line between each of them and thus safe [save?] paper and one postage stamp would do. How is Willie John I am waiting for that letter so Hurry up, let me see it. One of the girls is playing "rest come sure & soon" on the piano so I think I will take a rest, hoping you can read all this Good Bye underlined word is Irish I was afraid you could not make [it out?] there may be more, not time to look over it Transcribed by Alan Houston |
