| Title: | W. J. Muir, Fresno, Cal., to [Dear Annie?] |
|---|---|
| ID | 3284 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Weir, William J/71 |
| Year | 1890 |
| Sender | Weir, William J. |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Fresno, California, USA |
| Destination | Michigan, USA |
| Recipient | Weir, Annie |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mrs. Linda Weir, Tirmacscird, Lack, Co. Fermanagh, BT93 0SA |
| Archive | Ulster American Folk Park |
| Doc. No. | 9905083 |
| Date | 26/10/1890 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 18:05:99. |
| Word Count | 922 |
| Genre | |
| Note | N.B. William and Annie were engaged at intervals |
| Transcript | Fresno, Cal. [California?] October 26th 1890 Dear Annie Its with pleasure I sit down to answer your ever kind & welcome letter which I received yesterday & very glad to know that you are well the Boys is playing cards in the sitting room to amuse themselves so I thought I would amuse myself by answering your letter I had a bushel of luck yesterday I recieved [received?] 3 letters besides yours all three from Ireland too I had from home & 1 from my Brother in law & the other from my Uncles folks at Tempo & one from my Brother Roby the day before he is still at the detective business yet he talks of going home at Christmas my Fathers ones are giving me a strong invitation to go home in every letter they say they dont know what there is for me out here but I know Bella answered that letter at last she said she was sick with the malaria you seem to think that Bella stole my heart when up to Stockton but I think you will find out different when you come out here if you do come I like Bella well enough as a friend but you know very well I never liked her as well as you, now you wanted to know if I had any objections to your keeping company with an honourable young man I say I have no objections & any time you get a vacation go & enjoy yourself I think it would be very unfair in my part if I did knowing that your work is so monotinous [monotonous?] & confining if I did not have faith enough in you to trust you that far we had better dissolve friendship right away we are having beautiful weather here now we have five companies of Firemen & Engine co.s [company's?] 2 Hose co.s [company's?] & 1 Hook & ladder co. [company?] about 140 men in all & out of that number there is only 8 men drawing a regular Salary 5 Drivers at $65-00 each 2 Engineers at $75-00 each & 1 watchman at $60-00 the rest of the men is volunteers mostly mill hands & mechanics of all kinds around town they risk their lives & get their clothes wet for nothing but glory I had a little of it for 6 of 8 months before I got the job of driving & I know what it is. I agree with your idea of sunday work & the sooner we get rid of it the better how different it will seem to us when we get united to have Sunday to ourselves to go to church or visit Friends & so forth I dont think that I ever told you that I had my life insured for œ800-00 of $15 per week if hurt if I should have the bad luck as to get killed you would have to put in your claim as your late Intended I told the Insurance agent I had a sweet heart back in Michigan that I wanted to get a share but I dont suppose you would want it that way except that English man steals your heart the English is pretty hard to shake off I used to go with an English girl when I was back in Liverpool her name was Annie you know I am stuck on Annies but she worried the life out of me to buy the ring she did not believe in waiting any longer I used to have to take her to new Brighton Beach & South port we always went on an excursion every other sunday & she would blow me in for Oysters & Ice cream but I thought it was more genteel for a young lady to wait to be proposed to than to propose She was a staunch church member she might have made a good Boy out of me if would have married her I guess it was not our lot I had my mind bent on roving at the time I thought I had not seen enough of the world but I have seen more of it since I never hear anything much about the Wilsons any more I heard they were getting very high toned I except Roby is getting as straight as a bulrush by this time I just fancy the time I could have out of them folks now it youst [used?] to do me good to get in & tell them yarns when I was in Liverpool I belonged to the volunteers & I took my uniform home once when I was on a visit I put it on & went over to Wilsons I had the red jacket helmet & all I walked in & went up & turned my back to the fire there was not one in the whole house spoke [for?] about 3 minutes Roby drew a long breath & swallowed his spit & old ned says wont you be seated Seargent [Sergeant?] I had like to die laughing they were so scared now Annie I suppose you will be getting tired of this ramble but you know it is the same old willie as used to be in the Island I remain your Sincere Lover To Miss Annie Weir W. J. Weir Tell that girl if she dont quit directing my letters I will have to make a [mash?] on her you thought you would scare me [again?] but I was on to the trick ps write soon Good Bye for a while |
