| Title: | James A. Smyth, Ontario to E. C. Smyth, Castledamph, |
|---|---|
| ID | 2815 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, James Alexander/77 |
| Year | 1899 |
| 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, Eliza C. |
| 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. | 0410273 |
| Date | 09/12/1899 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 29:10:2004. |
| Word Count | 1634 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Front of envelope Miss E. C. Smyth Castledamph Plumbridge Co. Tyrone Ireland STAMPED WINDSOR PM DE 9 99 ONT. Hasdwritten Arrived Decem 22 1899 Back of envelope POSTMARK HAMILTON DEC 9 1899 (Handwritten on Top left hand corner) Arrived December 22 1899 Windsor Ont, [Ontario?] Dec 9th 1899 Dear Sister Your letter of Nov 27th to hand a few moments ago, and I also received Bella's letter of Nov 21st last Saturday so I am going to answer these now before beginning my lessons for the day. It is now nine o'clock and after finishing this letter I must begin review [sic] as my examination commences on Monday. and I must review about two or three hundred pages of Psychology, School Management and the other subject [subjects?] today. Now you see I shall have a busy day in review and if I get through in the end it will be all right. I have already put in a busy week at it and I feel tired and wishing it were past. We are not very confident whether we will get through or not. The Inspector was down at the school on Thursday morning and put us through a little drill on answering him The school proper closed yesterday evening and all the [Modelites?] from Essex went down with the exception of myself and another boy. to attend the commencement Exercises as they call it. I did not go as I thought the Principal of the School in giving his recommends [recommendations?] favoured the others more than he did me. Of course two of them had higher certificates but there were two more had the same as myself. Anyhow I did not go to it, if I had I would had to go up on the platform and receive my certificate with the others, so now the principal shall have to send it to me or wait until he sees me. I have not seen him since he sent us our recommends [recommendations?] or rather asked him for them. I received your Photos yesterday. They are very good but somewhat bruised. You should have tied them up light in paste board. but they are not much the worse. We [Modelites?] are going to have our pictures taken on Wednesday next before we finish up so I may get an extra one and send it to you. In regards Mary going to Anderson s I don't care to express my opinions in that respects [respect?]. It is the nature of old Country people to alway [always?] remain in the same old rut. When they have money they don't make their houses look any better or any more beautiful but they will keep it in a box and still live in a house like a pig pen or worse. Now the whole fault is because they are not desirous of improving their present situations. Alway [sic?] want to remain the same. In other words the old Country people are not educated like this Country people. Now by that I don't mean a lot of Grammar Latin etc but the development of the mind as to appreciate the beauties of nature, the benefits of a nice surroundings [sic], and the effects of this on the morral [moral?] tone of the community, Also a training as to how to act in the house out of the house, in manner, speech both in public and private and this is where the American or Canadian girl can outshine the old Country one. The old Country people think when you go at anything you must stay at it this country say stay at it to [sic] you can get something better. For instance there are 17 girls attending model and none of them are over 19 years. They are going to teach and do you think they intend to follow it - not by any means, some of them may be married in 3 or 4 years perhaps to a farmer. Then does it spoil them to have all this experience and education, No, they are just so much the better fitted for life and it gives them an appearance which the stay at home boy and girl never has. Now the stay at home boy or girl can also make as much of his [time?], learning music etc has its effect, and here again I may say that a girl in this Country and to a large extent boys, especially those going to school, or college, are completely handicapped if they cannot play the Piano. Very few of the girls that cannot play it. Now then why don't the old country girl [sic?] play it, I mean those around Castledamph Eden etc. People will tell you your mother never had a piano etc, they want to remain in (sic) old rut. Of course the well to do farmers etc. around Strabane and Newtownstewart have all these things why not the others? If Mary wants to be an apprentice I expect it mean [means?] a milliner let her be it and if she wants to quit it, she will have so much experience and all our experiences are or make up our education. Girls I only wish you had a slight education in music, I often wish this when I see how nice other boys sisters can play and sing and I know my own sisters are as much gifted in that respect as any others. Now I have got that lecture paragraph off now so I shall go back to ordinary talk again. I think I am going to make a famous lecturer someday. Perhaps leader of the House of Commons. I am glad to know that M. Smyth is getting better I think I must write him some day being as he and I used to be enemies and friends. I am afraid that Joe [Duncan?] may be quite a while getting better. You know when whisky is taken very much or frequently for a long time a broken bone is hard to heal, and I need not explain, yet this is a know [known?] fact to all reader [readers?] of Physiology as well as Doctors. Had he been strictly temperate he would probably been better now. This lead [leads?] me to the subject of Temperance, and I do hope that there is not one of my brothers or sisters who ever take it, and I may further ask if any of the boys smoke or use Tobacco in any way. I hope not and John being away from home will need guard against these two evils. Here are the whole things to watch against for those who are away where their parents or guardians cannot watch over them. I have not been successful so far in getting a school. I only applied for two and I could have got one of them at $300 or about £62 in your money. but I would not take less than $350 so a girl from Essex H. S. [High School?] got it for about $275 or between that and $200 This is the great fault of the girls they would work for much less than a man. However there is a living in this world for everybody and I will find mine - nobody will ever starve. In regards Mr James wearing glasses, I may say this is the country to see glasses worn. There are six in our Model class out of 22 who were there and in public school, many of the little ones are wearing them. I don't know whether my eyes are as good as they were or not. I cannot see as good at night as I used to but that is owing to not seeing a dark night. You see here and in Essex the electric lights are light [lit?] about 6 o'clock, in eve. [evening?] so you see the streets are as clear at night time [night-time?] as in day time [daytime?] and when I go to Woodslee is about the only time I see night in all its glory. so that these last four years I am not accustomed to see or practice seeing anything in dark. Another thing is reading every night beside a lamp. It is not good for the eyes. Anyhow my eyes are good enough yet. Glad to know the Band etc had such a good time in Newtown Stewart [Newtownstewart?], only wish I had been along to look in the [fun?], I could just enjoy a few days outing like that. After 15th [inst?] I shall have holidays until Xmas, wish I was able to spend that much time around home and renew old acquaintances Rec [Received] W. Gilkinson s letter and also papers. Am somewhat pleased to get another order, have to pay for my suit and board etc and I tell you everything counts up. You see that £16 for this term, I tell you I can spend the money. It requires much more to do here than in Essex $1 per week more for board and not as good. I am tired of it glad this is last week, At Essex I could go to the cubbard [cupboard?] or pantry and take what I likes [like?] and always told to do it, but here I don't know where the pantry is, At Essex it was just like home and they alway [always] had everything new, and all the nice things going. I think I shall give Mrs [Wetherby?] (Boarding house lady) a present of three or four dollar [dollars?] at Xmas for treating us so well. You see it takes a change just to find out these things. Send no more letters to Windsor. Am leaving here on 16th for Woodslee, so direct your letters there. I don't know what all I have said or told but I filled quite a lot of paper and as I am in a hurry I shall not take time to read it again or making any corrections in Gram. [Grammar?] or punctation [punctuation?] Yours James A. Smyth Transcribed by Kyle Smith’ |
