Part of the Frederick Brown Collection
Monday 3rd Dec 23
3706 Prospect Avenue
Kansas City MO [Missouri?]
My Dear Sam,
Many Many thanks for letter and you bet. I
was glad to get same, & would have answered it sooner
but with one thing and another it went past. you will
have got my letter and Pc [Postcard?] before this. in
regards to our journy [journey?] out, it is quite enough
in a life time. if you & Mr Evans had only have seen me
at Boston from the background with the cumstoms [Customs?]
at 11 oclock at Night with only shirt and pants on working
getting trunks untied & gone through and lashed up again
I never did work harder in my life. I was a wainboy. but
it is all over & I hope for the best.
Well Sam as Johnston said you must be Born over again.
when you come out here, not one thing is done in the good
old country still, oh such feeds thank goodness we got the
griddle. it will take us some time to get used to
everthing, but the Boys will not be long. It is a big
change for Lizzie & myself. This is the place for work.
Fred Robert & Taylor goes out at six oclock in the morning
as it takes them 1 hour in the train to get there they all
go in different ways 30 minutes for lunch & 5/30 [5:30p.m.?]
[they?] stop at & it [is?] 6/30 [6:30p.m.?] when home
for dinner. so by the time the [they?] get washed & there
[their?] dinner over it is 7/30 [7:30 p.m.?] & they are
tired. it is a long day & everyone is the same, work eat &
sleep 4/30 [4:30 p.m.?] on Saturdays no half holyadays
[holidays?] here. if you get money you earn it & it is go
on from you start till you quit. House rents is the worst
thing we find. every thing else is cheap as at home. but
you can not get any British good [goods?] here. the U S A
people look after there [their?] people. no dumping here.
it is a wonderfull [wonderful?] country & we like it for
so far. & every one the same the best man on top. The
Ennis boys have got on well. all of them, & they have
all been more than kind to us in every was [way?]. Robert
is a great man here. he is in the estate work. goes all over
"America" he is presedent [president?] of Kansas City this
year, & is a very nice fellow. I would rather have him as
any one of them. he is called Robert by every one it is
not Mr here & no dofting [doffing?] of hats and bowing
to the - (sic) no mater [matter?] the higher up the simpler
they seem to be & in the offices &c [etc?] all is called
Fred, Sam, & the [they?] take an interest in all there
[their?] employes [employees?] & it is a pleasure not a
trouble. I have been in a lot of places, & it opened my
eyes. it would do Charley [Charlie?] a lot of good out
here he would find there was more in the world than
himself no spats here were [wear?] what you like & do
what you like & no talk about it no telling of tails
[tales?] &c [etc?]. We have had lovely weather up till
last Thursday. when we had a big fall of snow but it is
all away again. I have seen Stock Yards they are great
but I would not care to work in them. This is the worst
time of Year for work.
I have not got started yet, but hope to soon. We have
taken a house for six months furnished untill [until?]
we see where we will all be placed & try & get into
center [centre?] to suit every one of us. when you think
it is 18 miles from East to West & from North to South
12 miles. it is just 12 miles from where Robert works
till where Fred is so we are in the center [centre?] & 4
miles in a different way where Taylor goes. they all go
to a [--stant?] point & branch off. you can go from one
end of Kansas to the other in the train for 3 1/2
[dollars?] and if you go 50 yards it is just they [the?]
same it is a wonderfull [wonderful?] sistem [system?].
every thing is done in a very big way here.
Fred is liking his job with Coffie they started him on
the Tuesday after we came here. as the [they?] had kept
the place open for him. so if he keeps his health he
will be all right there. it is a great tread [trade?]
here they do a far greater trade than I had any Idea.
Robert is in Witties Engine works. started at 12 dollars
a week so he got a rise on Saturday to 15 dollars & 79
cents & hops [hopes?] to get another rise before long.
Fred has 12 dollars & will get a rise soon & they intend
to put him through the hole [whole?] place. Taylor is
working in a big Drapery Store doing something there for
the firm as the Building trade is slash [slashed?]
untill [until?] the spring & one must take what you can
get to start & look out for better. but it requirs
[requires?] all to work here, as you [your?] rent comes
once a Month. Light &c at the 1st of each month all
combined costs about 100 dollars per month. so that in
£21s5 d0 so it is great, but as I said this is the
dearest. do not say what we pay to any one or what the
Boys are earning this country would teach us many
things. Well Sam I see the place is not sold yet.
I had a letter this morning from Willie & Charley
is still [mebling?] I hope & trust he will never
set in it. I have tryed [tried?] hard not to think
of old times, but it is impossible. I often long for
a talk on the lain [lane?] but that is gone I am
afraid for ever. for the others sake I never say a
word. I hope & trust many more of your peopele
[people?] will be here yet. Tell all my old true
friends I send them my best respects & will drop
them a not [note?] from time to time. Tell Mr Garrett
I will write him soon & hope to here [hear?] from all
old friends. You cannot think what only a line means
to me & often we talk about the happy but sad night
we spent in the hotel before we left. There is not
a Watch like mine in Kanas City nor did any one see
one like him here. I never look at the time but my
mind goes back so far far - that I am often lost in
a dream land. I was helping George Little last night
to get his potatoes up down the long field. Willie
is at school and likes it fine he got licke [licked?]
by one of the boys the first morning but he is able
to take his own part now. Every night he wonders
what Fred & Nessie is doing. I only wish you heard
him talking through the Phone he can call up as well
as any one of us nearly every night he and Margret
[Margaret?] Ennis has a talk before the [they?] go
to Bed. through the phone last night we were in
fits at him you bet & all the rest was part of his
[twaching?] she was giving him. Lizzie is just getting
like her self now & I am fine. while I write I can
picture you all & what you are doing. I hope you
had a good crop of Potatoes up the we [wee?] road, & I
here [hear?] that the price will be Better than we
thought at first. I hope & trust that you will all
have better years to come & tell H Ralston & George
Baines & David I was asking for them. Have you heard
how Hastings got on. often I do wonder we did not see
him at Boston, it was a dreadfull [dreadful?] place.
I will close up & will write you soon again tell Mr
Evans I was asking for him.
I hope Mrs Brown is a1 & Lizzie will be writing
her soon of this day. I only wish you could have a
peap [peep?] on us about seven oclock, we are 6 hours
& 5 minutes behind you. I did not change my watch
untill [until?] I came here but put [Willus?] on the
other side and it was great to watch the change in
time. We live right on the Train track & it is a
lovely place & bright House all day long.
Good Buy [bye?] old man & with all the best
I can wish you & yours from my heart.
from your sincere Friend
Ewart
Burn this. Hoping to here [hear?] often from you.
Even all mistakes.
