Tom Hay, Ontario, to Rev. George Kirkpatrick, Co. Antrim.
Revd. George Kirkpatrick
Hazelbank [Hazelbank?]
Craigs
Co. Antrim
via Belfast
Ireland
Peterboro' [Peterborough?]
May 3rd
My Dear Uncle
Mother has given
me a litle space in
her budget to you and,
setting aside all depts [debts?]
of letters I owe you, I
could not let the oppertunity [opportunity?]
pass without sending
a few lines, I am
glad to see by your letter
to mother that you are
all well at Hazlebank [Hazelbank?]
and the Rectory. We are
very busy just now preparing
for the Railway
survey yesterday we came
home from a preliminary
survey and are at present
working at some plans
in the office we expect
to be out all summer.
The whole line will be
about 225 miles long and
scarcely any thing done
yet so we have the prospect
of some work before
us. Uncle George is the
Chief Engineer and all
the rest of the staff are
cousins and second cousins
and we have the name
of the "family compact"
we intend to live in
tents as most of the
line is through thinly
settled part of the country
when we were out last
months we lived at small
hotels and public houses
but could not sleep at
nights with the noise and
besides it makes the walk
back and forth to work
rather long, whereas we
can keep our tents near
where we work we shall
require a cook and baggage
man in addition to
our other men. We are
having a most delightful
spring and unusually
early too. But when we
were out on the survey
as late as last week
we found a great deal
of ice and snow in the
Thick swamps that we
passed through and
were very glad to cut
out pieces and eat it
for the weather was very
warm and dry. The Eastern
Question has taken a very
serious turn, has it not?
I hope England will not
be drawn into another
fruitless war like the
Crimean. Every thing in the
way of provisions has gone
up in price to an alarming
price here. Flour and Meat
have almost doubled their
prices within the last two
weeks. I am sure you will
miss Miller very much
now that he has gone, he
stayed on at Drumraw
much longer than he expected.
I suppose the children
are very busy gardening
now, it is a very nice
taste to encourage in youngsters.
Please remember me
very kindly to Geraldine, George
and the children, also Alexander
and his wife.
with kind regards,
I remain my dear uncle
your affect. [affectionate?] nephew
Tom A. Hay
