| Title: | J A Smyth, Ontario, to John Jas Smyth, Castledamph |
|---|---|
| ID | 2749 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, James Alexander/28(2) |
| 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 J. and wife |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | son-parents |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge. |
| Doc. No. | 0310035 |
| Date | 06/08/1903 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 24:10:2003. |
| Word Count | 1057 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Envelope addressed to:- Mr. John Jas Smyth Castledamph Plumbridge Co Tyrone Ireland Postmarked on Front:- ESSEX Au6 03 Back of Envelope:- Postmarked on Back of Envelope:- NEWTOWNSTEWART 10AM Au15 03 WINDSOR Au6 03 Essex Ontario August 6th 1903 Dear Father & Mother It is now half past one at night and I have spent the last hour writing to Lizie [Lizzie?] what I have called a Subjective letter so now I am writing the opposite. In the first place I have now about five week (sic) of my holidays spent and although I have been looking & wishing for a letter or something to keep my mind busy during that time. Yet I never received any. It is in reference to getting a newsy letter and one now and again that keep Willie Gilkinson name fresh in my memory. I really get tired writing home and never get an answer or suggestion in return. I don t be very long in saying either there or here just what I think right or wrong I get it out. Some of them got mad years ago because I made some remarks about mistakes in their letters. It is much better to have their mistakes pointed out by me than laughed at by strangers who they may happen to have correspondence with. Probably Twenty times this Year the assistants (sic) teacher have brought in notes to me written by parents. There were so many mistakes that you would think the teachers would break their sides laughing. I guess it is better to have your mistakes pointed out when young. Bella since her marriage has sent me so many letters that I have failed to answer any of them. It won t surely kill you people to send a few letters especially during holidays. Well I am through on that line. School commences on the first September this year. We are going to have some changes. At last nights board meeting Misses Arnold and Raines resigned. I just wrote out an add [ad?] for the paper to send tonight to publish on Saturday for applications. We had rather quite a [bit?] of [fun?] You know we have promotion Examinations from one Book to another at June. The teacher next me (sic) did not do good work although she was getting the highest salary $400 or £84 about. I reported her work to the Inspector and in the meantime a good many people were complaining about their children not passing. The result will be that the trustee Board will ask her to resign or take a lower room at a salary of £65 about. Of course for my own part I think she can t do the work. Her uncle and cousin are on the School Board but the uncle was not present last night. However the cousin stuck up for her right and left [ie?] the redoubtable Beaman that I have mentioned before. Then a Mr. Francis said in view of my work being so satisfactory he would move that I get an increase of $25. This of course Beaman did not like yet it was carried. It is too bad that he cannot hold up both hands when it comes to vote. However I got the best of him at all times. Now don t for a moment imagine that we fight with each other or call names or anything like that. In fact we speak etc as thought [though?] he was all right. I got the raise in salary got Miss Millar moved from Div 5 to Div 4 and I am pretty sure Miss Pettapiece will get the bounce. So I have manipulated things just to suit myself. Inspector Maxwell sent a nice favorable report as far as my work was concerned. I may ask the Secretary of the Board for the report on the pretense of reading it and copy it down and send it to you so that you can see what he write (sic) like. I am now getting $600 per Year or for the ten month teaching (sic) $60 per month $600 about £125 per year £10.10 a month and two of those monnths [months?] I should be running around the old country. We teach 200 days per year so I get about 10 shillings per day. Nine Years ago I was working for the Michegain [Michigan?] Central Railway Co I have got up in teaching just as quick or quicker than the most of them. Yet I cannot thank anyone but myself. I came here a perfect stranger 8 years ago. Today they have me as principal of their school. Certainly Uncle (sic) influence has never helped me any. In fact they always thow [throw?] out some sneering remark about Essex and it s people when I am down there. No wonder it make (sic) me mad. He could only pay me $125 for a year and work day and night for that. I also hate to see Mary stay so much down there and ignore me and my associates here. If she would stay always at my uncles she and Sara [Duncan?] in time would make a nice pair of old maids. Where I am boarding now the people are gone to visit friends at Niagara Falls. His brothers children who live in the next house have been gone three weeks and just got back. I am taking my meals with them now. They are all going to the Lake Erie where if you remember I camped in 1898. I am also going with them and a few other girls from London. We will be there all August so I will have enough fun and sport without reading or thinking of letters. I was at Woodslee Sunday Charlie and Annie were there and family. What do you think of those pictures? As soon as I am settled at the lake I am going to write Master James and a few others. I must increase my correspondents at home so as to get letters more regular. Well I have written enough tonight. I am going to [bed?] I am not going to re-read this to find mistakes. I think I ll soon begin to count the months to next year. I have not heard Mary say yet what she intends doing. What do you think about her going another year to High School? I would like to see her educated and then I ll guarentee [guarantee?] she wont stay one week at a time in Woodsee [Woodslee?]. J A [James Alexander?]Smyth Transcribed by Elizabeth Prentice Checked by Lorraine Tennant |
