| Title: | James A. Smyth, Ontario to J.J. Smyth, Castledamph |
|---|---|
| ID | 2784 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, James Alexander/49(2) |
| Year | 1899 |
| Sender | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | summer job as salesman |
| 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 |
| Doc. No. | 0410277 |
| Date | 18/08/1899 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 29:10:2004. |
| Word Count | 864 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [No envelope] Mr James A Smyth Essex, Ontario, Canada Essex, Ont. August 18th/99 Dear Parents, I suppose you people are all as anxious as I was to find out whether I passed or not and I am pleased to inform you, if you have not already received the paper, that I have passed again. I sent you a "Globe" on Tuesday last and you shall find my name there. All IV form students passed our [sic] with honors. I was out camping at Ceadar [Cedar?] Beach a summer resort on the shores of Lake Erie, last week and I got the paper in Kingsville a town about four miles from there, so I went to the camp in a hurry and we had a hot time over the results. I bought two papers and posted one to you immediately. came back to Woodslee on Wednesday and spent yesterday on the excursion to Detroit and came up to Essex from Woodslee this morning. I had a shower of congratulations yesterday and got a stack of post cards to the same effect this morning. However I am pleased at getting through all right [alright?] again. I must tell you about the excursion yesterday It was a Band Convention held in Detroit. Bands were there from three or four states and from Canada. The Essex Band got up an excursion on the Michigan Central Railroad and there were 550 persons left here and a similar crowd from the other stations along the line. People came in to [into?] Detroit by steamboat railway and all other ways and by the time all the Bands were ready to play you could hardly find standing room on the streets over 900 musicians were all marching together and playing the same tune together. It was a grand sight. It was the most compact crowd that I have been in for a long time. The crowd was so thick it stopped all traffic on the streets and even the streets (sic) cars could not move. There was some fine music given by a few of the Bands in the afternoon at Belle Isle Park. I dont [don't?] expect to see as many musicians together in a long time again. I suppose I should tell you something about 8 days tenting at Ceadar [Cedar?] Beach. There were four [of?] us and we had a canvass [canvas?] tent, done (sic) our own cooking, washing dishes, making beds and everything in that line. When we were not cooking etc, we were in the lake bathing or boat racing or some amusement in that line I must say we had a gay time, of course, we were not alone there, as Essex people have some [ten?] or [twelve?] cottages there and stop there during the summer months. There are about sixty persons there now. It is a fine place for fishing, bathing and boatriding [boat-riding?] but not so good for other accomodations [accommodations?]. It took about $3 each to keep us in food while we were there and this includes our other expenses. I must work full time [full-time?] now at my canvassing in order to have a good deal done by the first of the month. I thought I would be the better for having a weeks [week's?] holidays before I begin my Modal [model?] school term. It is nice to have a months [month's?] holidays without anything to do or bother about I intend going to Modal [model?] School which opens about 5th of September by so doing I am then qualified to begin, teaching by start of December providing I pass the examination which held [sic] about the 10th December. It may be possible that I would require some more money to help pay my way through Modal [model?] school, as I may not have enough myself. I notice in our daily papers that there is considerable rioting [rioting?] in Derry. I see in yesterdays [yesterday's?] paper 17th that it is not settled yet. A methodist church was stoned by Catholics and the Catholics [Catholic's?] Church battered by protestants wild Ireland and I suppose wild Irishmen. My aunt has not been very well for some time and the last week or so she has been confined to bed but she is improving somewhat all the other folks are in good health. I am going down to Woodslee tomorrow again I came up here to day [today?] to canvass around this place but I spent good part of the day in town. I sent an Essex paper to Miss [Dunn?] today it only give [sic] the results for for [sic] the County. Just let all my friends and foes as well know that I came out on the right side in my examination I am sure Jas [James?] Houston will be pleased to learn of my success and there is none who are any more pleased over it than myself. The two boys with whom I boarded have both failed. I am waiting patiently for a letter during holidays and I have neither received very many nor sent many. Well I finish of [off?] the news in this letter very cheerfully owing I suppose to my success Hoping you are all in good health James A Smyth |
