| Title: | O'Brien, Thomas Emlyn to O'Brien, Joseph Sinton, 1842 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6103 |
| Collection | The Transatlantic Letters of an Irish Quaker Family_1818-1877 [B. Jackson] |
| File | quaker/121 |
| Year | 1842 |
| Sender | O'Brien, Thomas Emlyn |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | student |
| Sender Religion | Quaker |
| Origin | Collins, Lake Erie, NY, USA |
| Destination | NYC, USA |
| Recipient | O'Brien, Joseph Sinton |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 2298 |
| Genre | harvest, news of family, friends and neighbours, hunting birds, Maria's school |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Collins 5 mo 1 day 1842 My dear Jo, I am going to rice a few lines and try to tell thee no[w] a few things about what we are about. First we have a fine spring and a good deal of weather about this tim. We have [harrowed?] over 1 1/3 acres of the Medow and we [fi]x to plant over the morrow: 2 we have sowen wheat on this, hear by the house; 3 we have made gardin [fence?] & things; 4 we have not worked on the mill any; 5 I am verry well for me, Tom. Dose thee seam to get along, Jo: about after the old sort, I expect. I thank you (Thee thinks some how) [6 missing]. 7 Wager thee thinks what next I will tell thee. Number 8 Masy has took a school for 4 months 10/ a week She told me it was on Towson in Howard [County, MD], A. Lewis has taken a school west to this, in the 3 mile woods. One more and then - Lucy Hall has taken Hews school. I expect to send this by one of the merchants that is going there, so I take chance to rite and I will rite anything that I think of. A Luis [Lewis?] stade here last night. Today being first day, Margaretta went to meeting with her. I was up to the Arnets the other day and Arnet sed that if he had wings he would like fly down to NY and take peep at old Jo and see what he was doing. Bud just to me and ses I must [tell thee?] that old Brin has got a calf. We have 3 calves now & some more fore long and the old mare has got a colt!!! We have got a cow teem this spring: the steers have grown to be quite a teem – we use both teems to plow. Hunting, I have piked so meny that I know not how meny. I take one enny time wished. (Margaretta has just come in from meeting, she ses she met the … [Minister?] and the gavener [governor?] and a young man in a buggy going to … school. Fishing I have went t[w]o days - one day I got 20 and the other 30. I shot one partridge Father shot a red squirrel this morning before the folks up!!! The boys are just after ketching a few fresh for Mother. I think thee must be tired of my stuff but thee must not get tired yet. I have a line or to to rite yet N & C Candey were here not long ago and sed that all the folks were well in Pontiac. I was at J. Southwigs and E Southwick sed a good word for him. I have not been out but verry little this spring - the times is so busy we have not been out to meeting - this spring the going is hard and we have so much to do with the teem. I saw L Mabet the other day and he sed that thee had sent him a paper - he asked a few questions about thee and wanted to know what kind of goods that A.B ... [dealt?] in. I did not say but little about it to him It is milking time therefore [I] close by this. 5 mo 6th It being wet today, thought must rite a little. We have been plowing this week in the slashing. We have had a very hard frost this week. I am afraid it has hurt the fruit some. I went out this morning and shot a few pigeons, they being plenty chick nuf- I think so because one would think die woods were alive with them now and then see I flock big anuf to cover, well plenty big anuf. We have got another calf and now - we have got to yoke the little bull. Stephen Conger came here the other day and wanted to trade a yoke of oxen for Pomp. I think they are as good a yoke as there is in the town - any way Steve ses so: he offered to trade for $ 10 to boot and Father We the boot must be on tother leg. After a while Father sed he would for $5 - they talked for a long while but they did not trade. I think if we had traded even, we would just about be rite. John Goodel was just now in: he offered $15 for ... [Brock]. It has stopped raining and I must go to work. We have got some oats sown and the corn planted and various other things to[o] numerous to mention One thing I must mention anny way, that is Dan went out the other day and shot 9 pigeons to 2 shots (chat is doing well tor Dan)!!! I have shot a good many this spring. Higo [Hugh? Elihu?] Smith has fensed his woods, so he will have co make M the fence. Well, Jo, hardly know what to rite: there is a great deal more room yet and I must fill it up Therefore I shall rite anny thing to fill it full. Isaac Woodard left Georges place and has bought ... [a quit lease?] of a pease of land in three mile woods and has gone on to it. I must stop. 5 mo 13th Raining today an do I take this chance to write some more. I went to A Lewis today and stopt at Marias school. She has quite a large school this summer. A.L. told me to tell Ole Jo that I should like to see his homley face in old Collins once more, and then he asked me if I had heard or seen anything of old Nute [Newton Herrick?] and I told him I had not seen him since he was here for after his pay. Mother told me to cell Ace. for the little boys that they have read 4 vols since they have left off studying. ... [Hu?]Mack Millen stade last night. He thinks of framing a barn for Phoebe S. [Southwick] this summer and he wants father to lay it out for him. John Mack [John Howard McMillen] is at work for Phoebe now. S [Sarah] & L [Lydia] Mack are in Hamburg now. Aunt Liddy [widow of Hugh] lives in Aunt Liddy S. [Southwick] old house now. Moses lives with her George has sold about ½ of his farm to Hu for his share of the whole estate and now he has a hous and farm (& things) We have had rather cold weather for about too weeks but I am in hopes it will clear off fine, and then how things wil grow. The wheat has come up and looks well. The grass grows very fast: we made garden quite a while ago and things begin to show up. Maria has had several kinds of flowers bloomed out this spring. The boys say that Carlow is O.K. and he has killed 8 [wood] chicks this spring and lots of chip monks and he is fat for he has plenty of milk. We have the best hogs this spring chat we ever had, O if thee could see them once. They are plenty fat anuf, they can just gee up [co grazing] alone - we dont have to take them up and chat is a good thing now and Father ses the cattle looks the best this spring chat thay ever did. I chink so co because we get 21 pales full beside feeding the calves, from 4 cows, that is from 3 heffers and one cow. Thee spoke about wooden chains. I have made one but hardly know how to send it unless John will put it in his trunk and I do not like to trubble him so much. I shall speak to him and if he will so kind the favr. I think would not carry so well, so I think it would not be best send one. We hear nothing of Colt now. I would like thee to write and let us now what has become of him, whether he is to be hung or shot or sent to prissin or what I here has been no one here chis spring except a few of the neighbors. I have [been] no where hardly, except to meeting once, so I do not see but thee is as well off as I in chat respect. But when we get throu with the spring work I must go a little more. It has stopped raining so I must stop here. 5-17 I must now bring this letter to a close, having to send this the morrow. I must let thee know LI little about things first. Young Jonathan Southwick is about to be married to one of Hannah Southwick's step-daughters!!! I suppose thee will [k]now that is Mr Hulls wife. I was at John Arnets raisin yesterday: I saw there most of the folks. I saw JD Arnet: he is now going to school at Springville: he has been there 2 weeks now, so now the debating school stopt, having no one to go ahead: was at Walter Cimballs sons riling before. They were well. They spoke about thee. I saw Wm Starks and he asked a great many questions about thee and what thee was at. C. Candy was heat better than a week ago now and said he thought he would write some to thee. I shall have to close, not [k]nowing whether I shall have a chance to army more. I remain thy brother 5-17th In the evening I have a chance to a little more. I hardly think enny one else will, it being a verry bissy time. Thee will noes we hav planted about an achr of rapans potato today. Margate tea ses give my love to Joseph and tell him I will rite as soon I get dun going to school. Little Willy goes to school with Margaretta this summer and is a good scholier. The boys do not go to school this summer. My colt grose well: he is worth seeing and I think he will be, or rather is, as hansome as a picture. We have very fine wether now. Hige [Ahijah] Smith come here and asked Father if he thought the old fence would anser for this summer and we are going to make a new fence along the side of the medow after harvesr, thats the calculation. Pollyann [Arnet nee Jennings?] is very sick but is some better than she was - that is, thare is a little more hopes of her getting better. I am in such a hurry that must think. Sam is as fat as commen and gets rid of milking as often as he can. Smithy is as full of deviltry as ever and Azel is as large as ever and I do not now a little larger. L Stow has no returnes since first going to her school so I do not hear how she gets along. A. L. likes to keep school full as well as she expected. I have not heard from L Hall. NC [No comment?] of that. Mother spoke something about a parasol that belongs to Maria and sed that she would like to have thee send it... [by] John if thee could. We expect John will go soon. I shall expect answer to this letter when [he] comes back. Thee must on keeping full from this, besides an answer to Mother thee may rite enny thing to fill it full. I hardly [k]now what [to] fill the rest of this with: ... [those?] New Worlds I think a great deal of: they r first rate. I [go] once in to weeks to the senter and get them. It is of a seventh days and we [have] such fun in the evening reading the long storys in them. Maria being at home: — the todes hir [the toads are?] finely this evening. I dar say thee remembers Abraham La[i]ng: Hugh had a letter from him a grate while ago. I did not lurn where he was but I expect he is alive. Isac is in prisin yet. I believe Bengaman [Benjamin?] was hear not long ago and sed he was agoing to canandy [Canada?] and was going to try to get him out, but father ses he cant do it. It is getting quite late and I shall have to close for the night, hopeing to have a chance to rite a little before I start to Johns with it. 5 mo 18th It is a fine morning with a fine growing shower. The pigeons is as thick as ever this morining. I do not get enny, having no ammunition. I expect to get some today and then I will hav some more. I no not wether thee can make this all out and it being a letter of not much concequence, but thee must put up with it for I have no time to think of entry thing. Thee ses that I need not say that I can not rite a letter. I do not say that I can not, but but [sic] I wouled not have enny one else see it for $5, and I gess thee thinks the same. If there is enny thing thee wants me to nee about, thee must let me no. I must close this for good with saying that I am old[?] Tom as usual — I think Father will rite to AB - I hope he will; thee nose how Father hates to rite to eney one- |
