James Mc Ilwrath, U.S.A. to Thomas Mc Iltwrath, County Down

		To:   Thomas McIlwrath
      High Street,
      Newtownards,
      Co.[County?] Down
      Ireland

From: James McIlwrath
      Brooklyn, Iowa
      U.S.A.
      September 30 1893

                                   Brooklyn Iowa
                                   Sept [September?] 30 1893

Dear Thomas
           I received your kind and welcome letter and was
glad to here [hear?] you were all well. We are all well here
at present. I am glad to know your father is enjoying such
good health at the age of 60 years. I did not think he was so
old. Please tell him to except [accept?] my thanks for the two
books he sent me. Mr. Moore was here to see me a week or two
ago. I was very glad to see him. I had a good talk with him.
He told me all about Newtownards and its surroundings which I
was very glad to here [hear?]. He lives about thirty miles from
me at a place called Thornburg. he seems to be a very steady
man. Dear Thomas tell your mother to except [accept?] my many
thanks for the Friendly Greetings that she sends us every month.
We prize them very much. Dear Thomas you said you had a very
dry summer. We have had the driest and hottest here I have seen
since I came to the states The oat and hay crop were very light
on account of the drought. The pastures are all burned up. The
springs all dried up. I had to pump water for my cattle and hogs
out of wells most of the summer I [it?] commenced to rain to day
[today?] and has rained all day. And I hope it will continue so
until we get enough. I am glad to here [hear?] that the farmers
are begining [beginning?] to use the self binders and harvesters.
We could not get along very well without them here. We do all
the farming here mostly with horses and machinery. Willie and
myself farm 240 acres and does it all ourselves. We had out 40
acres of oats. Seventy five of Indian corn 2 acres of potatoes
and forty acres of hay. The rest of the farm is all in pasture
Dear Thomas I hope you will son [soon?] be able to fill your
father [father's?] place as he is getting old. I hope you will
be a preaching (sic) when I come to see you. I want to come and
see you in a few years if every thing goes right, Dear Thomas you
might come to America and spend a month or two with us and take
in the worlds fair. They are having great crouds [crowds?] of
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people there and lots to be seen. I think it would do you a great
deal of good. I would try and make a Yankee out of you before I
would let you go home. My wife & family join me in sending their
kindest love to yourself your father mother and Rhoda Jane. Write
soon.
        Your affectionate Uncle
James McIlwrath