New York Hotel, New York
17th March 1881
My dear Tyler
Whenever I meet a north of Ireland man
my conscience misgives me, and I renew off repeated
vows to redeem my credit. You must know that an idler's
life is a labourious life, and hence it arrives that
worn out with the fatigues of a day of nothingness, I
find it difficult to settle down to my desk with the
prospect of a long yarn before me. If every time my
thoughts been turned towards you, a comfortable quiet
homely chit chat not had been despatched, you would
have had no reason to complain of my silence. For some
months, I was living without the pale of civilisation,
and had not the means of communicating with my distant
friends; at other times, my mind has been preoccupied
with matters foreign to those suitable to form the
subject of a general correspondence. The primary object
of my voyage to this continent has been the invertment
of money, whilst the ostensible motive has been the
prosecution of sport. After having watched the course
of the money market for some two or three weeks, and
employed myself in extending enquires, I started upon
a fishing excursion to the rivers falling into the Bay
of Chaleurs. In the month of October, I returned to
Boston, after having spent an agreeable summer upon the
Banks of the [Mississippi?] and [Distigoude?], and since
that period, I have been very busy with brokers and
lawyers. My success with my rod and line was satisfactory;
[goibe?] and salmon included, I took 320 fish, witht
[without?] making any mention of an indefinite quantity of
fine trout. The scenery on both of these rivers is very
pleasing and often times beautiful, especially on the
latter, which is seldom visited and is far removed from
the [___?] of man. I pitched my tent at the foot of the
grand falls on the [Mississippi?], and held my position
there for some more than two months, until, in fact, the
season had passed away, and the night became too chilly
to be comfortable. We lived upon the produce of the days
sport, assisted by a small store of tea, biscuits and
cigars; and as our nearerst settlement was distant some
twenty miles, a days success was of some importance. The
character of the soil and climate along the banks of the
Bay of Chaleurs, took me quite by surprise; I had been
accustomed to regard this region as barren and sterile,
or only clothed with a [___?] pine and a prey the fiercest
tempest; I found it fruitful and luxuriant, with a great
profusion of hard-wood foliage, yielding excellent crops
of wheat, oats, corn, and potatoes. I have never looked
upon such magnificent [___?] as may be found every mile
along the course of the [___?]; but although there
are no inhabitants along its banks for intervals of 20, 25,
18 and 11 miles, and only a solitary inhabitants at such
distance they are so regulary netted, speared and otherwise
poached, that rarely a fish is ever to be found in them. The
river flows in a strong smooth current between lofty hills, or
mountains, of blue limestone, clad to their summits in rich
and varied hard wood foliage, presenting a succession of
as beautiful and delightful scenes as the eye of a tourist
can wish to dwell upon. After poling up the [___?]
about 100 miles, I ascended the [waagauis?], crossed the portage
and descending the Grand River , regained the capital of New
Brunswick by the river St. Johns. In the prosection of sport,
petty annoyance are readily endured and soon forgotten; and
because I do not dwell upon them you are not to suppose that
rich pleasures as they afford are purchased in this continent
without paying for them in a sufficient number and variety
of personal sacrificed. The mosquito, black and sand fly, exist
in myriads; they are ceasless in their attacks. There is a
certain charm in exploring new and unfrequented countries,
and as apparent satisfaction in overcoming real or imaginary
difficulties; and I must confess that I returned to the heart
of civilised man, with less pleasure than I had anticipated.
Hitherto, I have had no reason to regret the adventure I have
entered upon, so far, apparent success has favoured my
investments. The securities offered for my acceptance have
been satisfactory, and the interest they yield are amply
sufficient. In England there are few undeveloped
resources open for general speculation; where they do
occasionally appear, they are invariably monopolized by a
few leading capitalists. In America, labor [labour?] and
capital are continually pouring in; and as the requirement
of an increasing population demand fresh exertions, new and
almost inexhaustible sources of wealth are opened. The
forests are cleared away, maufactures extend, and coal and
minerals add to the treasures of the Americans with wonderful
rapidity. The city of New York has grown up with
muchrooms speed, but it promises to be one of the largest and
handsomest cities on the globe. Since you visited the United
States, great alterations have taken place;- its social charcter
is still in a state of transition. The hospitality of
former days has passed away, and, year, the manners habits and
predications of the mother country are growing into greater
disrepute. In England, brother Johnathan cuts but a very sorry
figure; his ignorance, presumption and vulgarity are there
at once detected, and his better qualities are neither
appreciated
or cared for; in France, his forigen language cloaks many
imperfections, and his republican origin recommends him to
their notice. Paris is crowded with expectancy Yankees of
high and low degree, and it is in the saloons of this gay city
that they find protection from the sneers and jeers of
[Johnannus
Taurus?]. The consequence of this continual association ,
the Americans are imperceptibly adopting french ideas, manners
and customs. Theirs, however, is but on poor imitation; a
sort of shabby gentility. Heartless and insincere, engrossed
with one idea, the accumulation of the "Almighty Dollar" the
Americans had a joyless, undomesticated unintellectual life.
Cheerful conviviality and social enjoyment ought to be erased
from their vocabulary; as Sportsman, they are figures of fun;
as men, they are a poor parting act, without liberality,
highmindedness or individual character - and, you will say, they
need not come to me to give them one. Society, technicallt so
called, is under the control of boys and girls, young gentlemen
in their teens and boarding school misses; the gentlemen
all teeth and hair, dressed a 'l' outrance; the ladies, noisy,
forward and familiar. They dance very well, but make too much
of a business of it; it is their only accomplishment and their
great delight: a large ball was recently given from which
married ladies were excluded; it was composed of young girls
and their beaux. It has often times amused me to watch the young
gallants before a looking glass; they bestow more time in
personal admiration than the vainest girl in xtendom.
[Christendom?] I rarely see a man on horseback; if I do, it
reminds one of a monkey astride of a stupid porker; I never
observe a book in any person's hand; the male portion of their
exquisite race are employed in smoking, chewing and newspaper
reading. It is a remark of a spanish ambassador, that it
requires one year to know the Americans, a second season to
become indifferent about them, and a third to detest them in
all their features and attributes. The Irish are extending
their influnce in the United States, but they occupy,
for the most part, a subordinate postion; there is no love
lost between Pat and his newly adopted countrymen. Nearly the
whole of the domestic servants are Irishmen; they are neither
the best trained nor the most constant. Four months hotel life
in the States ought to satisfy any European; I am heartily
sick of it. I am in a state of uncertainty as regards my future
movements; I desire to be present for a short time during the
world's fair delirium, and I also wish to have another cast in
the waters of the New Brunswick rivers. You are in such an
inextricable state of confusion, that I think it most probable
I shall let you alone until you have settled all your
differences,
and quietly betake myself to the "gentle art". I shall certainly
return during the autumn and, although I have given you many
false alarms, you will see me before the end of the year,
limping with a [___?] toe up your hall door steps. I have
attempted several times to write, now I may congratulate
myself on having written - I feel myself an inch taller in
consequence. With my kind compliments to your mother and
my friend "that is to be" M Tyler believe me yours sincerely
D. S. Cooper
My address in this country is James J Amory Esq
Boston - Massachussetts
