| Title: | James Smyth, Ontario to John J Smyth, Co Tyrone |
|---|---|
| ID | 2705 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, James Alexander/10(3) |
| Year | 1903 |
| 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, John James |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | son-father |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, Castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth |
| Doc. No. | 0605019 |
| Date | 18/03/1903 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | |
| Word Count | 1081 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Mr John Jas [James?] Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co, Tyrone, Ireland [Printed in top left corner] Return in ten days to THE ABERDEEN. T.J. COLLINGE, Prop. ESSEX, ONT. [Postage Stamp] Canada Postage Two Cents 2 2 ESSEX MR 19 03 ONT. [Back of envelope] [Stamped] [NEWTOWNSTEWART?] [--?] [--?] [Hand written sideways] Rob Mr J J Smyth Castledamph Passengers are specially Plumbridge Desired not to alight until the train stops Penelty [Penalty?] 40s & costs J C S [John Charles Smyh?] [Page 1] [Witten on headed notepaper] The Aberdeen F J Collinge, Prop. [Pag Essex, Ont., March 18 1903 Dear Father, As you will see by the heading on my letter papers, I am staying at the Hotel this week. In fact I have been here two week [sic] now For this reason it is quite easy while in the reading room to use paper, and etc, and send a letter often [sic] than one otherwise would had they to go and get paper and other [perquisitives?] I have been sending a fair supply of papers this last week. This is due partly so that you may [Page 2] read the speeches in parliament. I mean the provincial parliament of Ontario as the Dominion parliament is also in session now. The Ontario Government is run by the Reformers led by Mr Ross - a former public School teacher whom I had the privilege of hearing. As a man he may be allright [alright?] but I am not a supporter of his. I cast my first vote last 29 May, and I cast it for the Conservative party led by Mr Whitney. The Ross government as it is called has been accused [Page 3] many times of political corruption ballot-box stuffing and what not Yet they have managed to hold office. They came out of the election in May with one of a majority. But with protests and bye election etc he now has five Well this is sufficient introduction. You will see some scare headlines in those papers I sent you about a man named [Gawey?], who was supposed to have turned over to the Reform side of government. He pretented [pretended?] to turn for a purpose. The second day he sprang such a disclosure in the floor of the [sic] [Page 4] that they have not yet quite regained their equilibrium. This charge was that of bribery against the Provincial Secretary. Mr Stratton A motion for Investigating these charges as made by Ross, The discussion which followed and are not finished yet are as to whether they shall be tried before a committee of the House; or before a Royal Commission, Let Master James and Andrew Ballantyne read these accounts and give me their opinion of their conclusions. You may come to the [Page 5] conclusion that politically our Country is rotten, There is certainly some strong speeches given this last day or two. I have just now finished reading the Globe and Mail & Empire The latter being the Conservative and the former the Liberal organ, hence each paper naturally favors its own political party. I am going, before I go to bed to fold these and forward them also yesterdays and Mondays so that you will not lose the thread of this debate Now the comical part to this [Page 6] scandal is that [Gawey?] followed the seconder of the address from the [Throne?] who had stated in such glowing terms the purity nd honest etc all of the Ross government. I need not say no more as the paper [sic] are full of it. You will also find in to-days papers quite a lot of St Patricks day talks. Mary has gone to board at Halls $3 per week. The Wigle family have, or are leaving town I have not seen her today. as we will not be in the same [Page 7] house now I will not see her every few minutes. She will learn more now as I never liked the way in which Mrs Wigle kept house not particular enough. hence Mary was never any too particular either I am going to try and get a room somewhere before the end of the week, I may take my meals here as I have been doing this for the past two months. My board now costs me and cost me $4 per week, thus between the two of us we are paying 4s 2d. per day [Page 8] alone notwithstanding other expenses. However its a nuisance to be boarding. I have been at it now for nearly eleven years and I am about tired of it. The small-pox scare in town is not settled yet. There are about five cases in town now. All pupils in school are compelled to be vaccinated. Of course with you it must be done in 3 mos [months] after birth I think The doctors in town are reaping a fair harvest 50 cts [cents] per head for vaccination. [Page 9] I was vaccinated on Friday. Mary some day last week while in Woodslee I think I wrote last week was informing you of my increase in salary. I asked for a raise and if I had not got it I intended to go somewhere else. We could live some other place as cheap as here and there are many places where Mary would have a better place to attend school. This school is good enough as far as studies are concerned but for culture and sociability there is not much of it. [Page 10] It is a kind of a farmer school. Many things have I learned in the last few years and one is if I had known what I know now I would have gone to some more important institution. The better class of people those who can afford it send their children to other places, I am thinking if they had to pay $3 or $4 per week like me they would be sending them at no greater cost to some ladies’ college where they would learn many things beside Arith [Arithmetic?] and Latin declensions, well it is now 15 mins [minutes] to 12.P.M and the electric lights go out [Page 11] at 12. So I must hurry or I will have no lights. I still have forgotten to write Master James. I wrote to Uncle John the other day to see what he will say, I also wrote [sic] Lizzie Hay, Gortin They have not answered my last letter yet I sent Lizzie another. Regarding what Master James says about work in school teaching here I know it I am know [sic] what I have to do and if I were through at 4'o clock it would be allright [alright?] but the half the night sometimes [Page 12] marking papers. Everybody knows what Ontario is as far as education is concerned and for salary they [sic] not as much as a good digger. But I don't intend to remain in the profession very long. There are other places equally as renumerative yours James A Smyth NB You may call this a political letter, and written in a hurry at that. J. A. S [James Alexander Smyth?] Transcribed by Greg Floyd |
