| Title: | James Smyth, Ontario to Mary Smyth, Castledamph |
|---|---|
| ID | 2787 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, James Alexander/51 |
| Year | 1904 |
| Sender | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | school principal |
| Sender Religion | Protestant (Methodist) |
| Origin | Essex Co., Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Smyth, Mary |
| 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. |
| Doc. No. | 0604045 |
| Date | 25/08/1904 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | |
| Word Count | 1138 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of envelope] Miss Mary Smyth Castledamph Plumbridge Co-Tyrone Ireland [Stamped] Essex SP2 04 ONT [Back of envelope] [Stamped] Newtownstewart 5 am SE 16 04 [Printed] The Great South Western Exhibition and Essex County Fair Essex, ONT Sept 27,28,29 1904 Open To The World. [Page 1] Essex Ontario Aug 25 1904 11 O'Clock pm Dear Sister This time last night we were in the Detroit theatre, now we are 560 miles apart. so this world is small. I have written two letters today already and also have sent this days Essex Free Press posted it as soon as it was from the press for the accomodation [accommodation?] going East. Now notice the difference between this paper arriving home and your self also the difference between it and the one which Brett send [sic] home. It will go out in the morning. I received your telegram about 8 pm. Say it made me feel quite content as happy as a lark. It was rather short of course you know you could have sent ten words for the same account well after getting it at the Drug store [Page 2] I went out and meeting with Arabel Robinson and a few friends from Detroit. I went up to their place. They played some music etc. Then as was coming down town they had to come to [too?] in order to get some cough medicine. So although I decided to send a telegram to you at Quebec yet I did not think of doing it tonight. However when we were in the store I got Roy Bennet and sent one to you at Montreal. You should have gotten it right in your room. It only cost 30 cts. I thought you would like to have a last message so I am just got into my room now and made up my mind to send a little or rather to write a little before returning. I am thinking you are about going to bed on Board the "[Tunisian?]" [Page 3] First nights sleep will surely be steady I almost can form a good imaginary picture of you. Did you take the sleeper? I hope you mention these things in your first letter. I hope you took the sleeper in order to see a first class train as you never were on the 1st class M.C.R. I mean sleeping car. I’ll bet you will think the "[Tunisian?]" a pretty nice steamer. Hope you tell me in tomorrow letters the number of passengers and who your room mates are, of course as you have not travelled much you wont know to do all these things. How handy these telegrams are. It is really wonderful to think that I knew you had landed safely at 8 o'clock. Glad you sent it also Mary as it shows a knowledge of travelling that the ordinary green horn has not got. By the way while [Page 4] we are talking about telegrams. I never get one but I immediately think of that one I sent from Liverpool just ten years ago where the folks at the house were arguing whether it was my writing or not. ah, ah, This is a joke I think of pretty often. By the way I might have arranged it so that we could had a talk on the telephone between Montreal and Essex. No doubt we could had a 5 or 6 minutes talk for 50 cts I missed that for one thing. Well one thing I have not missed and that is writing letters. I certaintly [certainly?] have sent a lot home this last week or two. It is just like now I only intended to write a few lines and here I have finished 4 pages. I will also finish the [backs?] tomorrow I have scribbled this all in exactly 20 mins probably you are reading my telegram. Did Mabel Rorke [Rourke?] meet you? Well I will close and read the papers before [Page 5] Before [sic] going to bed so glad you sent the telegram to be continued. James. Sept 1 1904 When I wrote the above I expected to write a little each night but I have not done so. In the meantime I have sent one to Liza. Just after posting the other I received a letter from you. One from Liza and one from Mabel Rourke [Rorke?] Montreal. This was on Monday. Then on Tuesday morning I got your last letter posted from [Rimouski?] I was up at Sam Green’s that night.(Monday) Grace and [Nell?] had both got back. Stayed there until 11 o'clock. On Tuesday night I was at a small party at Mr T.S. Adams ([Hossies?] fathers) It was not very much none of our crowd were there. Well I could not help but notice their actions. Not near so gentile as when not with other [Page 6] Last night(Wednesday) I was down at W.H. Richardsons a place you never was [sic] I suppose. Ada asked me to come down in the evening I thought there was a party on but when I got there I was the one man present. Edna said she just wanted me down for company for Miss Naylor and Miss [Gracey?] cousin of Ethel Graceys. We had quite a few musical selectons and then we went to the kitchen and under my instructions made what they call "Fudge" Then they served it and cake. You see a plain lunch after which we went home. Tonight I am in my foom. Now 11 O'Clock, Mrs [Brien?] is coming home tonight. I was there a while a go then had an ice cream with Dr Bowie [Keith?] & Walter Cresswellar. [Page 7] Today Sept 1 school opened small attendance one about 200, as I said in the Free press Editorial Column, it was probably due to school opening on Thursday as after tomorrow we will have no school until Tuesday 6 Sept. So really we will not have a complete attendance until Tuesday. I had some trouble classifying today. Miss Stouts room had too many and Miss Millar’s not enough so I told miss that I proposed changing 10 or 12, My she did not like it However she will teach what I say or she can hand in her resignation whichever she chooses I don't intend that any assistants shall dictate to me what I shall do or what I shall not do. [Page 8] There is a new Public High School course put in force now I shall [sic] you one of the books if I can get another copy from Education Dept. It is very full in details Probably you can follow the H.S. changes without much trouble. I expect tonight you are pretty near Ireland. At day rate you should be near landing this time tomorrow night. It is now 11 o'clock our time so that means 4 o'clock Irish time. So this time tomorrow night will mean 4 o'clock Sat morning. And you wont be far from the Emerald Isle then, if you do not be on it what think you of this paper of Jean [Blunts?] account of her trip? This will do for this letter probably write Saturday. J.A. [James Alexander?] Smyth Transcribed by Chris Devenney |
