FROM: Arthur Quin, Barrytown, [---------?], U.S.A.
TO: His Brother [------?] and Sister [--------?]
[Ireland?], 18 September 1876.
Barrytown Sept 18 1876
Dear Brother and Sister I write
you these few lines hoping to
find yous [you?] all well as this leaves
us at Present thanks be to God
for his kind mercies to us all.
I received your kind letter and
your two newspapers it gives us
a great deal of sadisfaction [satisfaction?] to
hear the news of the country and
to hear of the getting along so well
for I always like to hear about it
and I be always thinking and
talking about them all to home
you must excuse me for been so
long in writing but as the Country
is in such a bad way I am always
in the same work as usual but
I dont no [know?] how soon I may be put
[--te?] off and the wages is [are?] low 1 dollar per day
[---n?] it is down half since we come to
this Country it is hard times
for men to live as the Provisions
is no lower than usual as 1 third
part Can not get work in New York
there is 30,000 men idle all summer
but the [they?] dont expect any changes to [until?]
after the Presidential Election
as it will take place in October
as the [and they?] will have great times
now to [until?] after the Election there is
a great strife between the to [two?] parties
Democrats & Republicians.
this was the driest and hotest [hottest?]
summer in 20 years there is
very light crops in this part
for there is very few potatoes
in this part Owing to the potato
bugs what Come [that came?] when the
Potatoes was [were?] coming up that eat
all the vines off entirely the [they?]
#PAGE 2
dont depend entirely upon potatoes
here but it is a great Loss
we have a right to be thankful
to God since we come [came?] to this
Country for our health as we
have had no sickness since we
came here there is a good many
Irish here but I have never seen
any what [that?] I know from home
I never hear any news about any
one only when I get a letter from
home it is a consolation to us
since we got our new church as
we have mass every sunday it
is our own fault if we dont
attend our duty as we can attend
it as well here as we can at home
the clergy is very strict about the
Childrens religion for to get it
put into them that there is [are?] so
much [many?] changes in this Country
that it gives them a great deal
of trouble the [they?] have sunday school
every sunday there is Ladies here
takes a great deal of trouble
with the Children [sic]
the Excuse us about the Likenesses
as it is convenient at Present
but the first Opportunity
we will send them all
[sic]
the [they?] have a library here and
gives them out books every
sunday to Read through the week
the Children here would get a
great many presents if the [they?] would
go to other sunday schools
but that whats the [thats what they?] want to
guard against the children
is all at school & little Joseph
goes to [too?] and calls himself a yankee
We all join in sending our
love to all our friends & neighbors [neighbours?]
and to yous all & family & to
Brother Francis wife and family
to Brother Patrick and family
write soon and write us a
#PAGE 3
long letter about the country
No More at Present
But Remains your affection--- [affectionate?]
Brother to death Arthur Qui- [Quin?]
