| Title: | John James Murphy to Martin Murphy, Undated (after May 1867) |
|---|---|
| ID | 4073 |
| Collection | Argentina - Murphy |
| File | murphy/48 |
| Year | 1867 |
| Sender | Murphy, John James |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | cattle breeder |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Uncalito, Argentina |
| Destination | Haysland, Co. Wexford, Ireland |
| Recipient | Murphy, Martin |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1156 |
| Genre | new arrivals, cattle, fencing land, keeping employees, profits |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Flor del Uncalito My Dear Brother Martin Furlong & Beyrne. The passengers has all arrived safe. The latter two appear very responsible young men. Roche I fear well turn out no great thing. It seems if he had got a lecture in the Camp Catechism from some false friend. I rather suspect Ennis, whom I put away a little after his arrival but not before he poisoned him, as he has shown a deal of his (Ennis’) bad points. Tell James Pender’s people that he is a very good boy, and that I think he will do well in this country. He has sense sufficient not to be very much influenced by schemers. Furlong I have given him employment till I find a vacancy for him some other place as I do not need him. Up to now it has been the finest season I have ever seen in this country. At present though the middle of winter it’s more like Spring or Autumn. Heavy rains at intervals followed by unusual hot weather, which have the camps almost with too much pasture. Sheep for this season are in many places are very lame and rather subject to looseness in the looseness in the bowels. These complaints though not causing deaths, yet interfere with the sheep fattening, as they would otherwise do were the pasture much shorter and less abundant. The fencing is going on rapid and at present much to my satisfaction. In the beginning they knew little about the work, but I instructed them in all its branches in which they were very rarely and willing to adapt. They commenced on the 18th May and since then up to the present they have completed about yards. There are nine men at mark and are earning about 35 dollars or 5s-10d or 6s per day each. They save about 5s of that per day each, as their expenses are very little. I supply them with meat but nothing more, but that is their principal food, which for working men is the best. I am just begun to take advantage of the fencing. I have mixed two of the flocks in one, consequently save one man’s wages 3 £ 12s per month for a beginning. In another month I shall be ready to make a like change. The most of the landed proprietors are beginning to take a very different view of having camp fenced in to what they did in the beginning, and the few that oppose against it now are those that do so through jealousy or not being able to follow the example set them. My camp its true-enjoyed those advantages for fencing it, in that few camps do. There is no road through it which according to the law should be left open, which circumstance render the fencing in of a camp almost useless. We have to have according to law 5 yards wide of our camp outside the line of fence for road way in case neighbours fence in also. The job will stand much above what I at first anticipated by the time I reckon my own men’s work in cutting the posts and wire around the camp, and to the different places where the work is going and the posts which have a very thick bark I have to take it off that post which go in the ground, otherwise when the bark would rot the post would become loose then the need to use all help to make the grand total some 400 £ more than the amount first given. But from the fact of system I struck out last year proving successful (that is in the posting out sheep and wethers and putting them on the best of the camps to fatten). I think I will be able to square yards with my accounts after the wool season, that is providing the Rojas Camp stands to me as it did last year, which up to now the season shows no obstacle. One thing I must trouble you for is to send me out a pair of flannel drawers by the first that is coming out to this neighbourhood, as the flannel out here are too fine & thin for winter season. Dear Brother, this is a year that I must inevitably be under a heavy expense. I have to keep more men than the other years at the Estancia in order to get through the work [of] arranging the flocks and classifying them in order to commence on May [a] new system of farming, a system that cannot fail to be of the greatest possible advantage over the old system. All the practicable sheep farmers that I have spoken to admit that the undertaking under the system that I am about to carry it out, will prove the first and most important and undertaking yet known for the advancement of sheep farming business in this country. I have just got through with my marking of lambs for this year and may stock at present stand exactly 17,000 seventeen thousand head, two thousand of these I intend to sell fat and allowing one thousand for deaths and consumption, the balance will be about my principle for next year, which is about the same as that of present year. Peter Cormack and James remain with their proportionate interest till March 1871 of 1/20th part of the whole stock. James is at present 1/16th part owner and Peter is 1/50th. At March, Peter is to buy the number that will establish him 1/20th owner and will then be entitled to that interest in the whole. Next March please God I will be able [to] give you the particulars of all on the new system I intend to carry out the business for the future. Ellen sends her love and says that you would much oblige her by sending out by first person coming to this neighbourhood three or four lbs. of Worsted, white. We are all well and desire kind love to all Dear Friends in Haysland. I have but little time to write you. Please accept this for the present and believe me as can your Dear Brother John J. Murphy P.S. Dear Brother Send me out as quick as possible the woman, or word of her not coming as the matters leaves me at present not at liberty to look after any one. J. J. M. I am beginning to think that the two straps wanting belonging to the Harness, that they are not reckoned as a part of Harness but as a part of the Coach and for that reason Hore did not send them. However if they belong to the Harness I may as well have them as not. Otherwise I do not need them as I have got same here that will do. J. J. M. |
