[Page 1]
Philadelphia January 1st 1872
Dear Friends I hope youse [you?] will
excuse me for not riting [writing?] sooner, but
I was waiting to give youse [you?] all the news.
As regards our health we are all well
at present thank God. his kindness to
us. Hoping this will find yous [you?] all
enjoying the same. Times is pretty dull
in this city this winter. As regards stonecutting
there is none at all since November but if March was come
the work will get brisk again. The winter
is verry [very?] cold here great frost but little
snow as yet. Thomas has got married
about a month ago to Mary Ann Graham.
She is from Castletown. Elisa Jane knows
her. she is a nice young woman and has
got a good dale [deal?] of money. She is paying
into the Society for over 5 years, 8 shares
and in 2 years the Society will wind
up. The [they?] will have 16 hundred Dolars [dollars?]
to draw. She is living out and the [they?]
will not take up housekeeping to Spring
Thomas lives with us to that time
[Page 2]
as usual The [they?] are intend to buy
2 houses when their money comes due
The [there?] are no weddings in this country
Thomas and Johnny went to her brothers
house the night the [they?] were married and
she came there so the [they?]went to the Clergy
mans house and was married and each
one returned to their home Johnny and
Seragh is in the same place the [they?] were
Mary Ann would not incline to stop
with us but would rather gow [go?] to live
out so I found a publication in
in the Newspaper for a half grown
protestain [protestant?] girl in Springgarden Street
so I went with her and she engaged
there at 2 Dolars [Dollars?] for work with an
old lady 75 years old lives private
Mary Ann has very little to do there
She eats and drinks with the family
The old lady has a great conceit in her
and says she will make her as one
of her own so if Mary Ann has wit
she is in a good home The[They?] gave her three
new dresses at Christmas and a new
[Page 3]
over jacket and a great many other
Jewerly [jewellery?], too much for me now to
mention and sent a nice present to
her mother of a moneybox all silver
clasped and plated and Crismass [Christmas?] toys
to the children Mary ann was here
yesterday and she says she will get
a good dale [deal?] of Newyears gifts the [they?]
take her with them when the{they?] goes
a pleasuring through the City either
by the street cars or carriages She
is there this last 3 weeks but it is
rather hard for mitilda to do the
work now but we will have to get
a washerwoman over in a while to work
Catherine is not at school this 3 weeeks
She got her foot burned a little on the
stove and could not put on her boot
It is pretty near well now William is in
school but its poor schooling that
children get here The [they?] would get more
in one week at home than the [they?]would
do here in a year Little Samuel is
running around with his mother
[Page 4]
I hope you had a pleasant Crismass [Christmas?]
For our part we spent it here us all at home
We had a nice goos [goose?] for dinner The [they?] sell
very dear here from 2 dolars [dollars?]up we had no
company but ourselves ever expected
to have William J Laferty he was here the
day before and he said he intended to
spend the Crismass [Christmas?]with us but he did
not come he comes to see us often he is
very thin he is a son of George Lafferty
The first time I saw him was when I was
working in Mc Coplins yard I was
there 3 days before we knew other but
when we came to know each other
we felt very happy I was there for
about 4 or 5 weeks dressing brown stone
but when it was done the [there?] were 10 of
us discharged that could not dress
marble Lafferty can dress marble
and all other kind of stone he is there
this 2 years he gets some work there
now about 2 or 3 days in the week
dressing marble but the cold is so
excessive it is rather unnatural to work
[Page 5]
I do not intend to let Seragh stop
much longer where she is I want
to put her into some private residence
same as Mary Ann all the presents she
got at Crismass [Christmas?] was a pair of gloves
Johnny is well liked where he is but
his boss has reduced from his wages
a Dolar [dollar?] a week although he was to give
him the same in winter as in summer
and he has done so well all the rest
but he gave Johnny a Crismass [Christmas?] present
of a pair of trousers at 5 Dolars [dollars?] and a half
and gave him a week to rest himself
Thomas is about to get him into
the oil works where he is at 12 dolars[dollars?]
per week David is out of work this
last week and it is to get
him into work as regards myself
I had no stone cutting over the middle
of November , I had a job this last
month attending carpenters about
3 miles out I had but little to do
but it is done last Saturday I had
12 dolars [dollars?] per week I do not know now if I
will find a job now or not
[Page 6]
We had a letter from Joseph and
Elisa lately giving us great pleasure
to hear of them being well and of
them getting an adition [addition?] to their farm
Elisa wants her Aunt Elisa Carsons address
To Mr. James Carson 423 West 17th Street
Between 9th and 10th Avenue New York
America
We were sorry to hear of Magy being sick
but we hope she she is quite well again
and we were glad to here [hear?] of you
being there to see her I sent a letter
to Samuel and her a little before I wrote
to Elsa but some how the [they?] apeer [appear?] dull
in riting [writing?] to us we send our love to them
in the kindest manner hoping they are well
and likewise to Joseph& Elsa and we
request them much to rite [write?] to us regular
dear Mother I hope you have good health
and likewise be content in mind and
do not be fretting of us for we are
right enough here Dear Samuel your
sister Margret and husband and Elisa
Jane Park was visiting us lately they
are well and wishes to be remembered to yous[you?]
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If you now[know?] any one coming out here in
Spring send us word for Thomas would
like to send home for as many Feathers
as would fill a bed and we would
send you some woollen yarn for socks
Let Charles Park now [know?] that his Daughter
and son in Law and Family that is M Adams
is well and he is getting on the Police
Mitilda and I spent an evening with
them lately David Colhoun and Family
is well and wishes to be remembered to you
Charlie Hamilton and wife is well and
comes to see us and we went to see them
The [they?] treated us kindly The [they?] have 2 rooms and
lives comfortable he is working in an iron
Factory and has good health and she can
Make 3 dolars [dollars?] a week by washing
Rest of Page 7 missing
[Page 8]
The small pox is very rife in this city
Thank God we have escaped from this as
yet but there was a young man from
Castletown came out here the name of
Collins he was but a few months here
when he took the small pox and died
Please excuse this riting [writing?] it is not very
good I got my fingers frostbit the
week before Crismass [Christmas?] and they are not
well yet I now conclude by wishing
you all a happy new year rite [write?]
as soon as yous [you?] receive this for we
are always happy when we hear from yous [you?]
We remain your affectionate friends
John and Mitilda Ferguson
