| Title: | William Stavely, Natrona, Pennsylvania to James Stavely, Belfast |
|---|---|
| ID | 3058 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Stavely, William J/25 |
| Year | 1864 |
| Sender | Stavely, William J. |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | sales supervisor |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Natrona, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Stavely, James |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers-in-law |
| Source | D 1835/27A/2/2-3: Deposited by Greer, Hamilton & Gailey, Solicitors |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9908071 |
| Date | 22/08/1864 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 13:08:99. |
| Word Count | 843 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Natrona [Allegheny County, Pennsylvania] August 22. 1864 My dear James my last to you was written in March, since which I have none from you but I receive newspapers from you and I suppose from Mary with regularity. I was in Philadelphia in April & in the latter part of July & the two finest days of this month it was my intention to have written you from there, but although I had the paper before me & the pen in my hand for that purpose, the heat was so intolerable, I could not think of writing until a more suitable time. Since my return I have been very busy, hence the delay. No circumstance of much importance has befallen me or mine since the date of my last. Martha is in good health. John Adams is here, & in the employment of the Company. Hannah Thompson is at the female seminary Washington Pa [Pennsylvania?] Joseph Hind is at the Agricultural College Centre Co. & though last not least William Thomas sucks & lies in his cradle, as suits his convenience. My own health has been very good. I am however rather overwrought first because, any person holding my situation who will do the company justice, must be very diligent, but principally because of the impossibility of getting the right kind of assistants, owing to the state of the country at present. It may not be out of place to say, the store has done well under my control last month our sales were between seven & eight thousand dollars which I at least think, a large sum, for many of our sales are small, I only bought about $10,000 worth goods last time, they cost too much at present. I purpose [propose?] being in Philadelphia about 20th October. For the future I will be there at least every three months, it being hazardous to buy many goods at once. When I was in Philadelphia I saw James Moore frequently & I spent an evening at his lodgings, when he treated me with much respect. He boards with a family, who are members of Rev. A Wiliey's [Wiley?] congregation, they have his Mr Moores children, clean & neatly dressed, in my opinion all are comfortable. Mr Moore has a tolerable good situation for a stranger We have been talking together, about the future. I think by the spring of next year he can go into an employment [and?] would be profitable. In the meantime, I think he has seen his worst days, the future will be brighter. I suppose it is not out of place to inform you, I wrote the Directors of the P.[J.?] M F C [Pennsylvania? Manufacturing Company?] on Monday 23rd May (they received it on the 25th the day their board meets, & [and?] on the 27th had their reply) in which I breifly [briefly?] narrated, my original agreement, & requested an increase of salary The President, wrote me as above, stating my letter had been laid before the Directors, & they had agreed to allow me fifty dollars per month with fifteen per cent, on the nett profits of the store, less, the first $2,000 which they reserve to meet interest &c My increased percentage to commence on the first July 1863 (then) nearly 14 months since. This is 10 per cent on the profits more than I had & will make my salary $1200 for the year ending 30th June. Should I live & the country get settled the situation may become reasonably good. At present taxes are enormous, food & clothing equally so which with the increased cost incurred by my children at school - requires a large expenditure of money - yet with all these disadvantages, perhaps I may yet do some good. On my return from P. delphia [Philadelphia?] I left the main track, & went to see my son in Centre Co I think he is at an excellent institution, one at which the requirements of body & mind are attended to. He appears very contented & will be home in the end of December for vacation The Company here are putting up several large stone buildings for chemical purposes. One of these is 200 feet long & forty feet high - the capacity of the chemical works will be doubled. If ever this war [civil] is honourably settled, this will be a great, if not the greatest establishment in America The draft which comes off on the fifth of September is doing much injury at present. It disarranges everything. I do not know what the Company will do for men I think it somewhat strange you do not write oftener I should like to hear about my father - much do I long to see him but that can never be this side of the grave Wishing Anne your children & yourself all possible good I am [Dearest?] James, yours truly Mr Stavely PS When you write let me know if the potatoes grew I sent you. How did they yield - This question has been repeatedly asked me |
