| Title: | J A Smyth, Essex, Ontario, to Mr John J. Smyth, Castledamph |
|---|---|
| ID | 2803 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, James Alexander/63 |
| Year | 1897 |
| 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 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. | 0410089 |
| Date | 08/12/1897 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 26:10:2004. |
| Word Count | 867 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Envelope addressed to:- Mr John J. Smyth Castledamph Plumbridge Co Tyrone Ireland Postmarked on Front:- ESSEX DE 9 97 ONT. Back of Envelope:- Postmark NEWTOWNSTEWART AM 5 0 DE 18 97 HAMILTON DE 9 97 CANADA [WINDSOR?] AM DE 9 {----?] Essex Ont. [Ontario?] Dec 8th 1897 Dear Parents I have delayed a little while in answering your letter, However I received every thing all right. I must certaintly [certainly?] thank you for the money enclosed, I did not expect to get any for that purpose although I am almost in need of a new suit but one cannot expect everything. I have not bargained for a suit but I think I will get it before Xmas. I had a letter from [Jonny?] Hay yesterday. He says he is well, I think he wrote to you people same day, at least I understood that meaning in it. I was just thinking if I was in Mary s place I would goto [go to?] School again, with the new teacher and take up the higher studies and get myself for a teacher, I am sure there is enough [home?] I should expect this teacher to be able to teach any subject. I see in tonight s paper one of our High School pupils, who passed the exam, which I tried last July and who has been attending [Model?] School these last three months, has secured a position in the Essex Public School, She gets a salary of $225 or £47 of course she can board at home, and that would account for the low salary. The High School pupils were given an at [home?] by the members of Essex Methodists Church last Friday night. We had a good time & a good programme also. Our principal gave an address on Christainity [Christianity] and its progress, The Methodist Minister also, gave a good [humorous?] address, Music and recitation filled in the other parts of the programme. I am sorry to know that the Mare gave you so much trouble, I am sure you will loose [lose?]quite a lot in that account. I suppose the boys will miss a lot of fun by the departure of the Miss Dunbar s, However if they were going to School [stained] they would have a lot of fun sitting in School all day & from four Oclock [o clock?] sit on a chair the remainder of the evening & until at least 10 o clock? getting up lessons, I often wonder how we ever learned anything when we were going to School at home, but then we did not learn much. It is a pretty poor Education you get in those School [sic] compared with these out here, I am much pleased with the idea of buying some more instruments for the family, I am sure they shall take the [worth?] of the money out of it. I think they should get another or two of different kinds and form an [Orchestra?] Then I don t think they should feel lonely on winter evenings. I am not sure if Miss Ballantyme is comming [coming?] or not, the last letter I had she said she thought that she could not get comming [coming?] It seems you folks know more about her than I do and I have had about a dozen letters from her, I had a letter from [Willie?] Gilkison same day as I got yours, I have been writing to day [in?] an examination Greek History. I wrote steady from two o clock until after four ten pages of foolscap. I expect to get a fair percentage on it. I wrote on Composition yesterday got 54% highest was 77% My lowest mark this term has been 37% on Algebra, My percentage is very fair on the average. There is considerable rivalry among the boy (sic) concerning who get-head [sic] on these exams. One of them Kunster has managed to be head four times out of eight, so he has a rather high opinion of himself now, I don t know how he got along in history but he has it down pretty fair, I wish sometimes especially on Saturdays to have an Irish newspaper to read, [stained] you would send one occasionally. You usually send one [when?] there is a royal visit or something like that. [Now?] I would rather have a common one with the regular news in it, especially when there is any good editorials in them. I have not been down to Woodslee for three weeks. I am going down Friday, and [then?] next time I will go is Xmas, We will have about ten days holidays then. I am glad to know you got a new Surveyor, you may get along better in the future I hope so any way. I suppose you are almost tired of sending me money. I have got quite a lot [time?] and again However I hope to be able to return it at some future time, An education is worth considerable in this age and more so when you go a few miles away from Castledamph, Rest assured I shall not get married at Xmas, as I can t hardly keep myself now, No More at Present. J. A. Smyth (Written Top of Page Five) After [New?] Year according to the New Canadian Act I will be able to send you a letter for 3 Cents. So I shall be able to send more there [then?], Likely British laws will change your Postage also, Transcribed by Elizabeth Prentice |
