| Title: | John James Murphy to Martin Murphy, 26 August 1870 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4104 |
| Collection | Argentina - Murphy |
| File | murphy/79 |
| Year | 1870 |
| 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 | 1400 |
| Genre | local economy, shearing season, acquaintances, money, new arrivals, weather, person complaint, politics |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Flor del Uncalito My Dear Brother Martin, The sheep farmers, or at least us residing about this part, are in great glee & has reason to be so. The price of sheep & wool has nearly reached its old standard of 9 or 10 years ago. Fat sheep are now selling at from $53 to $58 dollars each, wool from $60 to 75 and 80 per 25 lbs. Nearly every one is looking for sheep to buy but few disposed to sell, even at unexpected high prices. Before proceeding farther I must acknowledge the receipt of yours of June 7 enclosing Fr Fagles' acct. I am glad to hear that you got the articles safe & that John B. & W. Edmond is in good health. We miss John very much from amongst us. I never had in my place anything like him before. He is a most excellent man in every sense of the word & I regretted his leaving this country very much, but he did not suit the climate. The heat here is too strong for his constitution. Tell him when you see him that the fat tordillo (gray) horse is turned out a splendid animal, far superior to the other that we thought so much about, both in appearance & proof. He is a horse of a splendid action & a nice agreeable gallop. I don't know as yet what he may make but I wish he had him there with him. Tell him also that they have got on rapid with the fence. They have finished all the outside but by the river. We had already some proof of its resistance against animals, which satisfy me of the opinion I entertained of it withstanding all assaults. Don't forget sending me out by the first person coming from there a couple of bottles of Harness pafish as I believe there is none out here. You never said by what accident Lar Witty lost his all. We anticipate by fire. Frank seem not disposed to send him any more cash. He promise to pay me the pound you gave him. He had a notion of sending for his son but consider him yet too young. You had better given him no more as Frank may not acknowledge it. Cullen will not likely let Frank do much for Lar or his family. Cullen has got an interest in Frank's sheep. Frank is living with them. He seem to have got quite enough of Cullen already, but Kate is very good & she will endeavour to please him. Frank Doyle say for you to give one pound to Bess Murphy for the tea & also one pound to the priest to say Masses for his mother soul. He say he is to write to you also. It is probable that next year I will be sending home for some machinery, such as a grubber raping machine & rake. This year we shall have a good trial of wheat sowing. We have on my place at Rojas about 120 acres of wheat sown this year & if I see the business pay I shall likely send for those articles as they are a great saving of expense, labour & time. I had on the 12th instant a letter from Father Reville dated July 7, saying that the woman Mrs. Evoy is likely to leave there in a week or two by the first steamer from L-pool. I shipped Jack Richards about three weeks ago, as I could no longer put up with him. He took with him £28 or £30, which I know would not stand him long. But I heard he was speaking of going home next March, & I know if he left here he would keep nothing to take him. I thought I would take him back in order that he might save the little that he had remaining to take him home. So I took him back & at the same time gave him a good fatherly advice. But all such indulgence is lost on him for he only worked four days when he left with some of the other men to go to the same races, but did not return with them nor for four days after. So I dispatched him now in toto not to receive him any more in my employ. If you see Father Reville you may tell him the above as I am not to write to him till after Mrs. Evoy arrive here. You are not mistaken in believing that young Furlong is fond of the soap. About a fortnight after arriving here, some of the men had a bet of a bottle of grog on something & he that last came for the bottle but was refused as I not being at home. On the bottle being refused Furlong set off for one of the puestos (stations), got the horse from the man there which happened to be home what like himself went to a public house for grog, made the man drink & came home drunk & sick himself, & all this because of my Mrs. not giving him grog in my absence, though he was not the person that either lost or was refused it. So you see that was rather a bold beginning & you may tell Father Reville of it also as I may forget doing so when writing to him. He has never seemed so bad about it or with it since. We have had a fine dry winter since the middle of June but the want of rains is now beginning to be felt in many places. At Rojas the men on my place (if the weather continues much longer dry) is speaking of moving some flocks. But many people about there had to move some months ago. The seasons is pressing hard about that neighbourhood as they have a succession of four dry winters now, which is much worse than summer droughts. I am afraid brother Patt will be hard pushed to weather the gale, but I hope it will be soon blow over. James Roche is the worst man I ever got out. He is possessed of all bad qualities you could expect to find in a man. The first figure he cut was about a fortnight after arriving here. He came into dinner with the other men. The dinner consisted of the best of soup with plenty of rice & other ingredients in it, plenty of the best roast & boiled mutton, & plenty of good potatoes. He sat down at table but immediately stood up again & went to the cupboard where there happened to be no bread at that time. He turned to the cook & my sister in law, who happened to be there at the time & told them he wanted bread with his soup. Ever since his absurdities has just been something similar to the above & it seem to me his object is to do as much mischief as possible in the way of hushing up a disturbance between the other men, seem to myself, which up to now has had no effect. In fact he has got all the training that could be well obtained by any member of a Club of cabin society. These expected European war is beginning to have effect on our produce markets. The French here has left off buying & it's thought the markets will be rather depressed at least for some time. Don't neglect sending me the papers regularly & the news from Europe. Now are very interesting. But I think if the war go on, it will ultimately have effect on raising the price of produce as the Russian War did in 1854. However, we must wait the results. We are all in good health out here. I believe though much I have to do this year is agreeing with me as I never this many years enjoyed better health than I did since I commenced the work of scaling. Let me know if James & you can do with bask form here till I go to Bs. As. with the wool. Ellen join in sending our best love to you, Margaret, James & all the family. I remain as ever your dear brother, John J. Murphy |
