| Title: | John Carse, Pennsylvania, to " Brother Samuel" |
|---|---|
| ID | 569 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Carse, John/17 |
| Year | 1851 |
| Sender | Carse, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | merchant |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Erie, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Co. Down, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Carse, Samuel |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | Donated by Mrs I. J. Beattie, 120 Carsonstown Rd., Lisowen, Saintfield, Ballynahich, Co. Down BT24 7JN |
| Archive | Ulster American Folk Park |
| Doc. No. | 9904026 |
| Date | 27/07/1851 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 07:04:99. |
| Word Count | 1667 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Erie July 27th 1851 Brother Samuel Your kind and welcome letter we recieved [received?] in eighteen days from date of postage we were rejoiced to learn that you were all well had got a Newspaper some days previous mentioning the same glad tidings health is above all things in this world Thomas and I never enjoyed better health although in the heat of summer I never was as lusty all my life Thomas and I has none till work but plenty exercize [exercise?] and lives as well and better than any Landlord in Ireland no person cursing or praying prayers on us as the [they?] are doing on them we have a new line of Steamers calling here dialy [daily?] the [they?] are running from the New York and Erie Railroad to the west the [they?] call here for coal and passengers we Board in the Cabin on the very bert [berth?] with plenty of Niggers to wait upon us some Boats will have eight and 10 hundred Emigrants on deck besides the Cabin passengers I can assure you the [they?] live splendidly on these Steamboats them that has a cabin fare but the Deck passengers is just lying about in clusters like hogs any person that wants to be comfortable let them take the cabin we have no sunday here only by mere chance when the steam boats is all eighty East or West sometimes one would scarcely now [know?] what day it was only by the ringing of the town bells for church the crowds of emmigrants [emigrants?] and spectators the noise of the loads of hogs from the West the running of Cars [---?] and driveing [driving?] of Omnibuses to and from Hotels makes it a busey [busy?] looking place for a while with all I never seen a fight since I came here or anything like it except among sailors everyone minds his own business no curseing [cursing?] of popes here or King Williams tell Mother that I am rejoiced to inform her of a friendly and Welcome visitor that arrived of [off?] a steamboat here on Monday last his name is uncle George McCann the man that was dead and came alive again that was lost and was found again Thomas new [knew?] him whenever he spoke he did not now [know?] Thomas he asked for me and where I was Thomas named him at once he can walk as smart and look as well as ever I seen him only some little stooped I could challenge any man in Ireland or this country of his years to walk with him and there is many 20 years younger that he could out go for a long Journey he says that he had visited none for seven years and having word of so many new friends recently arrived he could rest no longer till he would see them all he regulated his household affairs early in June and started by stage to Dresdon [Dresden?] was kindly recieved [received?] by friends there then till uncle Archys Thomases stoped [stopped?] there all night left in a Buggay [buggy?] next day for uncle Jemmys [Jimmy?] stoped [stopped?] there two nights then uncle Samuels stoped [stopped?] there three nights and so on from place to place till he was through them all there was a buggay [buggy?] ready for him every morning he says he was a regular gentlman crowds of friends at every house to see him he was not [stained] [more?] than three nights in one house he had so many till visit and some of them far apart he says that short visits makes long friends and a [bachelor?] in a strange country shouldnt tell there [their?] age or count purse till no man I wish you heard him imatate [imitate?] Aunt Eliza she told how badly the [they?] had been treated when the [they?] came away by friends and Neighbours how much the [they?] had left with Cousin James Caragullan and got nothing for it bedsteads looking Glasses tables etc he says that she cant blow false much in his ear that he new [knew?] her in old times he says that the old fox is beginning to see through her folly already he calls uncle sam the old fox uncle Jemmey is puffing away as usual and filling the house with granduer [grandeur?] at other folks expense all well he stoped [stopped?] here all week and a happier man you never seen although in a hotel and I told the landlord to give him every thing he called for to make him comfortable the least sighn [sign?] of liquor you would never seen upon him Thomas was greatly pleased with him he gave us both some excellant [excellent?] advices and told us many good jokes more than any man I fell in with yet he wanted to learn Thomas the stick exercize [exercise?] and a great many old tricks I can safely say there is not a happier man in America he says that he thinks he has no enemies in this world and better to live in a small house alone as a large building with a brawling woman I wish you heard his funny remarks it would make any person laugh he was here when your letter arrived heared [heard?] it read you mentioned that Cousin James McCann Caragullun [Carrigallen?] wanted him home it raised him up 20 years younger made Thomas read it over several times he says he might be in Caragullan [Carigallen?] yet and Lisowen he says he nursed James many a time and he might nurse some of his faimly [family?] yet James never would rue sending for him he is a honest upright old friend and ought care to be friendly used and protested in his old age he would be a useful man to James yet he is healthy rugged and active never took one shilling worth of medicine since he came till this country no matter where he stops he proposes lending money to some person around by such policy and his appearance and manners strangers takes him to be independantly [independently?] rich and can always get in amongst the best of company I wanted him write to some of you his answer was that it would take a letter as long as the moral law to hold all he thought that uncle Jemmey could write enough for both he left here on the Beavear [Beaver?] Packet for a place called Hamburgh [Hamburg?] within seven miles of James Jamisons where he would leave the canal and go on foot till Jameses see all there then to Williams and John Boals wants to see Jonneys [Johnny's?] young Wife and some other friends out there thereby will go by the way of Beavear [Beaver?] to see James Patterson where he spent many good days again he returns home till the town of Congress where he started his Journey by land and Water since he left will be over 1000 miles when I would write he wised [wished?] to be remembered to Father Mother and all friends respectively old Henry Carse and family all well he was well pleased to hear that Betty Maxwell was still around yet he thinks that Betty and him could keep one fireside amused for two nights talking over the old scenes and relating some new ones besides haveing [having?] a hearty smoke he wishes to be remembered to Betty on account of old times John Jackson is getting along well after his searous [serious?] and nearly fatal accident he is well attended by the best of Doctors that could be found but John often speaks of Doctor Read of Saintfield he is under the impression that he could beat all the Doctors that has visited him yet with broken bones and I think so myself John has had four different Doctors with him and I feared for a long time that the broken leg would be a little shorter than the other I have better hopes now the [they?] put what the [they?] call an extension on to keep it at full length he was fortunate to be carrayed [carried?] into a friendly mans house although a stranger amongest [amongst?] strangers he could not be better used at home a better nurse with a sick man nor Misses [Missus?] Stirrett I never seen he never spoke of home through all he suffered with with (sic) patiance [patience?] what has befallen him she has all his shirts socks and Clothes clean and packed in his trunk as neatly as his sister Alis [Alice?] would do his Clothes and linens is all of the verey [very?] Best and safe [save?] only the pantaloons he had on him the [they?] had to be cut of [off?] in peicies [pieces?] I expect the next time I visit him he will be on the crutches going about I was glad to hear that Mr [McCune?] got Married to a handsome fourtune [fortune?] the clergymen in Ireland Marrays [marries?] for money and prays for love here the [they?] Marray [marry?] for love and all other things is added unto them I am proud to hear word of any of my old aquantanance [acquaintance?] getting a good fortune if the [they?] would give the landlords none of it where many a indoustrous [industrious?] earning has went the cursed villains one and all of them please remember me to all friends and neighbours I hope John Ellison is still as able to work as usual I have worked none hard since we parted last whenever you hear of a man working hard in any country you may be sure he is badly payed [paid?] and least thought of this much so here I must finish by wishing you all good health and happiness to we meet again I always remain your affectionate Brother John Carse write soon I have got a newspaper just now from George in Belfast dated July 7th |
