John & Matilda Ferguson, Philadelphia to Eliza Jane Steel

Back to Search View Transcript
Document ID 200912006
Date
Document Type Letters (Emigrants)
Archive Mellon Centre for Migration Studies
Citation John & Matilda Ferguson, Philadelphia to Eliza Jane Steel;Dermot Lyttle; CMSIED 200912006
24643
[Page 1]

Please send our kind love to Mother Samuel Mary Anne
and William I return kind thanks to Dear Mother
for her kind Present although I could not use 
any of it I had been 2 weeks laying sick at
that and I had used no victual of any kind
except medicine from the Drug store I got her
letter on the 12th June dated the 28th May
and I had old man P McAneny that was 
there came to see me 2 days after I was 
glad to hear of them being all well and he
told me that Mother looked quite smart
which I was glad to hear I hope William has
succeeded well at his examination in this
month it is a nice situation but young
men do not get situations as schoolteachers
here it is all female teachers so he would
have no chance in this country so the best
thing is to be satisfied where he is this has
been a very severe summer here with heat
and thunder storms. Last Thursday night we 
were visited with a thunder storm and destroyed 
a great many houses we were pretty [pretty?] well scared
on account of houses being demolished all
                       around us

[Page 2]

I would have rote [written?]to my friends in
Droit but I thought by riting[writing?] to yous [you?]
that it might encourage yous [you?] to rite [write?]
me a letter I will rite [write?] soon to them
yous [you?] will please Leave them to see this
as soon as you can at all when you 
receive it I thought to [too?] one letter would
do as I am not in as good a way of
riting [writing?] as I hope I will be in a short
time what the Centinial [Centennial?] is one hundred
years since they gained the independence the 
Centenial buildings cover some hundred
acres of ground it is 2 years in building
mostly wood work and glass every country
has come here to exhibit mashienery [machinery?]and
the produce of their country Rusia [Russia?], Prusia [Prussia?]
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal
England, Scotland, North & South America 
and all other parts of the world  Johnny & David
is with the Portigals [Portugese?] it is not easy to
understand their language but some of them
can talk English  Your Affectionate Father &
       Mother  John & Mitilda [Matilda] Ferguson