George McClean, Philadelphia to Mr. Rutledge, Magherafelt

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Document ID 0207083
Date 19-09-1930
Document Type Letters (Emigrants)
Archive Private Donor
Citation George McClean, Philadelphia to Mr. Rutledge, Magherafelt;Copyright Retained by Dr. J. S. Garvin; CMSIED 0207083
24195
Transcriber's Note - The following letter was enclosed with the emigrant letter that follows.

Dr J.S. Garvin
Ring Hill
24 Mullaghbane Road
Armagh
BT61 9HW
Telephone 37523004

15 April 2002

Dr Patrick Fitzgerald
Centre for Emigration
Ulster American Folk Park
Omagh

Dear Dr Fitzgerald,

Following our discussion on your recent
visit to Armagh I enclose copy of
a letter from an Irish emigrant to
my grandfather who ran a drapery
at the Diamond, Magherafelt until
his retirement in the mid 1930s.


Yours sincerely
Stephen Garvin



19th"Sept"30                 1854. E. [East?] Wishart St
                               Kensington Ave,
                                Philadelphia . P.a.
2o/                             U  "  S   "  A
Mr Ruttedge                   We never intended being so long
                              as this without getting you
       Dear Sir               paid but we cannot help it

      Just a few lines in answer to your letter and acounts
[accounts?] received yesturday [yesterday?].  Well we are very
sorry for keeping you so long without getting you paid but we
cannot posible [possibly?]  help it as times are so. bad out
here and every. thing is so very expensive.  To tell you the
truth sometimes we cannot hardly make out at all.  It takes
us pretty busy and there are hundreds out of work
and the rents are so very high, we are paying £6 pounds per
month for a house. and the food is so high in price not
mentoning [mentioning?] clothes its very hard to make out a
living at all especally [especially?] with a large family these hard times
with the cost of living being so high.  There was a
great many families had to go back to Scotland and Derry
again.  They were not able to make a living out here at all.
This country is not as good as the people over there think it
is.  We tried our best to get back to Ireland last year but we
could not get the money gathered up to take us so we had to
remain on here.  If some of our boys was joined work it would
always be a help but having so many to provide for its pretty
hard.  If we only had a knew [of known?] times was [were?]
going to turn out like this we would never been out here at all.
So Mr Rutledge you will have to excuse us for some time yet as we
could not send you any money for some time until times
improve, we have had lots of sickeness [sickness?] since we came
out here. and with the expense of the hospital and every
thing we could not possible [possibly?] send you any just
now But you rest assured we will pay you as soon as ever we
can see our way to do so.  So you need not be afraid of not
getting it for we will certainly pay you as soon as ever we can
and we never had any other intention but to do so.  The
climate does not agree with us very well out here.  If we only
could see our way of getting back there again we would not
be long out here times are so hard some times we hardly know.
what to do to make out for the best. so you rest content
you will get paid by us Sure. and as soon as ever we can, If
you. dont belive [believe?] us. about times being so hard and bad,
write to some body else out here. and they will can (sic) tell you
all about it as people dosent [don't?]. know any thing about it over
there. its awful out here. at present. so we are really
sorry we cannot send you any at present. but will as Soon as
we ever are able to do so.  We remain. yours faithfully.
                           George. and Annie McLean.


Transcribed by Darren Laird