| Title: | J. Walsh, Herberton, N. Queensland to "My Dear Jim" |
|---|---|
| ID | 420 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Byrne, John/72 |
| Year | 1900 |
| Sender | Byrne, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Herberton, North Queensland, Australia |
| Destination | Newton, Co. Kildare, Ireland |
| Recipient | Walsh, James |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | Donated by Ms M Greaney, 23 Brightwater Crescent, Totara Park, Upper Hutt, New Zealand |
| Archive | Centre for Migration Studies |
| Doc. No. | 205243 |
| Date | 29/12/1900 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 23:05:02. |
| Word Count | 918 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To James Walsh Newtown [Cweat?] Naas, Co Kildare from his cousin John Byrne Herberton North Queensland December29th, 1900 My dear Jim I got your letters and paper through Julia about three month since at the time I got them I was away outside civilisation where I had to depend on a coach for letters and also any I wanted to Poast [post?] and I find out when I came in here that two letters I sent never got to their destination. I wrote to you at the same time and I fear yours may have met with the same fate, outside mail carriers are anything but particular here. I hope their [there?] is no necessity to tell you that I was very sorry for my poor Aunt Rose although I am confident she is happier at present than we are, your trouble about [her?] not having the Priest at the last is I know only natural but we must believe God arranges all those things independent of our wish and he knows best. I have no doubt that it will surprise you a little when I tell you that hundreds of good Catholics die out here that have not seen a Priest for six or twelve months and still I hope and firmely believe that God will not deny them justice and mercy, I hope that you will have recovered your health long before this your letter stated that you had a bad turn do you know that when I think of the tough life I lead here, and still live with thank God compartively [comparatively?] little sickness it sets me wondring [wondering?] why people get sick at all at home while I was down in Sydney I used to get anything but good health I had several times to get advice from Doctors and I don't believe any of them knew what was the matter with me but one told me a rough life suited me best and I believe he was right. I was glad to see by your letter that the friendship of the old country is with the Bores [Boers?]in their struggle, about this time twelve months the jingo party, out here were clean mad and any who dared to say a word in favour of the Bors [Boers?] was immedietly dubbed an Irish Fenian and boycotted if it haden't been so annoying it would have been ammusing [amusing?] the [ranting?] loyalty of some of the old country people out here that ought to know better if it were not for the rant that was raised by those people we would not have had any contingents sent from the Colonies the young Colonials are not by a long way jingo but they like fight and I am very had that they had got a lot more than they reckoned for when leaving here they looked on the whole thing as a good outing at the expence of the Government if another War broke out I don't believe a dozen of Colonials would volunteer all the exitment [excitement?] is over now and a considerable number of the war mad people are honest enough to admit that it was all a mistake. As I write now preprations [preparations?] are going on wholesale to celebrate the Federation down in Sydney from what I hear all hands and the cook are to go on the spree for a week up this way every little township is having a sports and fireworks of some sort, if it were not for the drought which has caused terrible losses this year their [there?] would have been far more rejoicing than their [there?] will be. I see by the Papers that their [there?] has been a good deal of exitment [excitement?] at home over the elections. I wonder some one does not shoot Healey he must be a great little scroundrel I never liked him since he turned as he did on Parnell no one at home has an idea how badly the people out here thought of the treatment he got and although great efforts are being made now to form branches of the U.I. [Inited Irishmen?] League I am afraid it will be a failure, if Davvit [Davitt?] Dillon or O'Brien could come out it would go a long way as any of those three are very popular out here I hope some of them will see their way to do so. I haven't had a letter from Julia lately I have been expecting one every mail the last one I had said she and the little one were very well. You mentioned in your last letter that Andy was being [Advertised?] for by the Lord Chancellor, well since I came in from outside I made it my business to examine a lot of back numbers of weekly papers from the different colonies and you may tell Kenny I have not seen one word of it. I wrote [down?] to my solicitor in Sydney to look look (sic) up those I could not get I have not time to get an answer yet, now now (sic) my dear fellow don't take this as a hint that I blame you but if he has not been adventised I thought it best to let you know. I think I will be here for the next six months or so but if you are writing to me which I hope you will I (sic) will be safer to send direct to Julia Hoping you and all are well and wishing all a happy new year I remain as ever John Byrne |
