Letter from John Ferguson, Philadelphia to Mother, Brother and Sister
Philadelphia 19th April 1871 Dear Mother brother and sister I should think by this time youse [you?] are verry [very] uneasy in mind not getting a letter sooner but as I said I did not like to rite [write?] to [till] I would gow [go?] to Thomas we had a long passage of 13 days we had a good dale [deal?] of sea sick while on bord [board?] metilda [Matilda] and the two youngest stood the voyage the there was 4 feet high of water over deck you may consider how I [page 2] Loocked [Looked?] by that time we arrived at New York on the 13th of April but on account of it being the evening we could not get out to next morning we had our beds all packed up and up on deck there we were obliedged [obliged?] to stop on deck all night which was verry [very?] hard Elisa Carson came to Castle Gardin [Garden?] that evening and sent a letter in to the master to us that she was waiting for us she came next day and toock [took?] us to her house and used us more kinder than I could express we stopped there to Monday and then we went to Phildadelphia Thomas and his Unckle [Uncle?] and [page 3] James Arthur and a great many others from the old countery [country?] met us at the Cars we then went to Davids house where we ware [were?] kindly treated Thomas has a house ready for us we are gowing [going?] to live in it this day it is one mile nearer town than where David lives it is a beautiful house with 6 rooms the rent is 16 Dolars [Dollars?] per month David Calhoon and I was [were?] in town yesterday and got all our cases taken to our house we had no trouble on account of the childrens age nor nothing more to pay excuse me for this being so short as I have to rite [write?] to Magy [Maggie] and to Elisa and then having to [flit?] to our house today. [page 4] We are all pretty well at present thank god for his kind mercies to us hoping this will meet yous [you?] enjoying the same when you rite [write?] Direct to John Ferguson 2329 Elsworth Philadelphia America Little Sara has got the first situation She is gowing [going?] today to a brother of Maria he keeps a grocery store in town where we intend to get our goods She will get one Dolar [Dollar?] and a half per week to take care of a little child She will get home every Thursday and every alternate Sunday it is about one mile up town.Close