| Title: | James A Smyth, Ontario to “Dear Father” |
|---|---|
| ID | 2797 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, James Alexander/58 |
| Year | 1898 |
| Sender | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | student |
| 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. | 0604146 |
| Date | 10/10/1898 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | |
| Word Count | 1265 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [No Envelope] [Page 1] Essex Ontario, October 10 1898 Dear Father I have recieved [received?] your letter to-day and am pleased to know that you people are all in good health notwithstanding the amount of work the boys have to do. I suppose when the five years are up none of them will be anxious for another term of it and I would think in the same way. I have got over my sickness and, am feeling pretty well again I did not take part in any games except throwing the stone and I lost in that by six inches I threw (16lbs) 28ft 8in, [Page 2] of course I am not as strong for that work as I was when on the farm, although I am just as big. Some of the boys made a good thing out of it, one took five first prizes value for about $16; but very [sic] of the boys joined in the games it was all left to two or three I don’t feel quite satisfied with school work this year I wish now I had gone to Modal and began teaching At Xmas by so doing I would had a whiles rest four books and also saved you a lot of expense, I stared [started?] on the science course but I changed that about ten days ago and now I am taking French and German instead by this last method I only intend [Page 3] to try for part 1 of First class of Form iv and I was also intending to pass on the French and German to finish out matriculation the exam on these two subjects would be the same standard as the French & German papers of Form III which I sent you last year (98) The Form IV exam, is divided into two parts thus Part 1 Algebra, Trigonometry, Euclid, English and Ancient History, Composition Literature, Part two includes Physics, Chemistry, Biology Latin French Greek German, which is in the following options (a) Physics, Latin Chemistry Biology (b) " " French German (c) " " Greek German (d) " " Greek French [Page 4] or Chemistry or Biology can be substituted for either one of the languages in [L, C [r?] d?] now either part I can be taken at one time and Part II at some future time or both can be taken together to make up Form IV. I was thinking of only trying [one?][part?] [one?] and also passing on German & French for full Matriculation, and if I thought so pass on the Part II at some future time taking either as my subjects Physics Latin French & German or physics Latin Chemistry & Biology I don’t know whether I done [sic] right or wrong by changing but there was only one boy taking Biology and he [quit?] it and so I did not care to be at it alone, If I don’t intend to stay in [Page 5] this country for a large part of my life what I am doing now is just as good, I sometimes think I will go home after a while and teach or such like there and in that case a full first here would not be any more good than [part?] I as they do not go in much for science or languages there for teaching can you tell me what I would have to do before I could teach there and about how much salary I would get at the start £60 would be about my start here but of course [it?] would [?] be more to keep me here and then take my holidays in summer, am out some. I am always looking at your papers to see if I see anything [concerning?] this last night I see in an advertisement [Page 6] in Irish times [sic] of a Belfast college and it said Boarders for £30 per year. Now that is less than I am out here How do those Intermediate Examination [in?] which they have so many scholarships compare [sic] with the one I have passed last year, I had it arranged in my own mind to go to Modal this year and begin teaching at Xmas and taught here for two years and took a trip home two years from now and seen [sic] for myself how they compared but now I shall only have a little [-----?] half a year to teach [in?] that place as I cannot begin until next Xmas because I have to put a while in at modal and next Modal term does not begin until Sept 99. [Page 7] In these examinations and [etc?] it is a hard thing to know alway [sic] what to study. And as for advise [advice?] from teachers they always want to know what profession you are aiming at and this is a hard thing to tell them. I know one thing I have all the work I wish for this year our algebra includes all the higher or advanced work in aly [sic]. [Buromeal?] [Therion?] [Permutations?] [Combinations?] Arithmetical Geometrical and Harmonical Progression Euclid includes 1st to 6th Books Literature Merchant of Venice Richard II Miltons Paradise Lost Lady of the Lake {Page 8] and Wordsworth Poems. The latin in the following translations [Bellvue?] [Gallicum?] Books [Vaud?] IV Vergils [Aucid?] Book I Horace’s odes III and IV Cicero orations against [Cataline] and Bks I II III IV Pro arched and all the other subjects accordingly you may not know what the above subjects are or include but any Latin Scholar will, I shall send you a curriculum some of these days if I get hold of one and there you will see all the programme of lessons anyhow we have all the work we wish and then sometimes the teachers just raise [hell?] if you do not have your lessons all prepared So if we don’t have [lumps?] on our legs like the boys at home have [Page 9] we feel as though our brains were sometime [sic] out of order. I was just figuring it up tonight I see it has cost me or rather you between £83 and £90 for three years schooling that is if I figured correctly for I have every cent marked in a book and what it is paid out for, It has taken $11.03 eleven dollars and three cents to buy my books for this year so I have not much money of my last cheque left. It makes me feel mad to see how easily the money goes, I sent you that long looked for picture last week I am thinner now than when that was taken I weigh 164lbs now [Page 10] what do you think of it pretty nice looking girls here aren’t they? I am treasurer now so we will have another at Xmas so I likely [sic] send it also. I was down at Woodslee last week they are all well. Aunt is down at St Thomas now, Uncles is a pretty loansome [lonesome?] place to stay now if it had been the same when I came out first I could not have been able to stay three days Just while I am reading your letter and as you mention [roads?] what is the examination for surveyor such as is over you what is the nature fit [of it?] and is it hard to pass. It seems I could pass the most of the civil service exams now well I think I will close I have written a long letter on exam course of study etc and perhaps you may not make much sense of it. J A [James Alexander?] Smith PS – Send me a newspaper once in a while. Transcribed by Tony Flanagan |
