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Title: Charles Canning, Riverton U.S.A., To "Dear Friend Lizzie", Ireland
ID506
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileCanning, Charles/4
Year1878
SenderCanning, Charles
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationmanual labourer?
Sender Religionunknown
OriginRiverton, Utah?, USA
DestinationIreland
RecipientLizzie
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipfriends
SourceT2743/3/10: Copied by Permission of William Dixon, Flanders Dungiven Co. Londonderry
ArchiveThe Public Record Office Northern Ireland
Doc. No.9504116
Date20/01/1878
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 23:04:1995.
Word Count503
Genre
Note
TranscriptRiverton Jan [January?] 20th 1875

Dear Friend Lizzie
I received your welcome letter and I
only regret that the expected picture was not
there so that I might see occasionally the shadow
of the gifted writer I suppose if I were near
enough to pull up the hill in the eventide that I
would scarcely leave until I would have a picture
or a quarrel - But I am so far away from the Hill
- top that I must be satisfied to wait your
leisure my only consolation is that the crutch you
speak of cannot reach one here - I was more afraid
of yourself than the crutch the evening I was
there - But I ought to quit my nonsense hoping and
trusting that your mother is well able to wield
the crutch and guard the bird on the hill - You
ask me to send you a description of the West -
Well I have it ready I mean an answer ready to
that request but I will not send it until I write
again I promise to make it brief so that you will
not waste much time in reading it and I am sure if
you read it you will remember it a long time - I
would like to see some more of your pieces on home
subjects "Old places have a charm for me New can
never retain, Old faces how I long to see your
kindly looks again"
We have a very pleasant winter in the west
it is the mildest this far on record - Your Cousin
David & Family are all well He had a letter not
long ago from Boston. Mr Huston and wife are well.
I was sorry to hear of your bereavement - Your
namesake stopped only a short time - Well old and
young go and must except it is the way of all the
earth
Times are said to be very dull away down
East - I dont expect wages will ever be so good
again around Eastern cities as it was for a number
of years after the war
I also think that the West is by far the
better place for us wild Irish from "the Island of
the Saints". But I dont want to weary you with too
much worldly wisdom -
Your near neighbor Alexander Thompson came
along here last summer and we agreed after work
would close up to take a week or two for
recreation and see the Prairie Flowers" But Alex
took the fore way of me and got married in a trice
- This leaves me out in the cold but the winter is
very favourable and & I think I can manage
to live along till the birds will sing the merry
songs of Spring. But I once got slightly
acquainted with a bird that was a singer all the
year round such birds and song are seldom seen -
But your patience will be weary so I will
say Good Night
Goodnight
Yours truly and respectfully
Charles Canning

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