Alexr Dick _Letter No. 17 from Busby, Scotland, 1855

In April, Alexr wrote to his son mentioning various aspects about the local printing trade; I found an article about calico printing and shawl making in Kilmarnock  here: shelwin.com/e/ancestry/macadam/calico.htm which gives some background about the business and methods. Later letters mention the introduction of cylinders, which made the process of printing more efficient but meant less work for block cutters like Alexr. 

Alexr also refers to Alex having some success at gold digging, to his other sons' prospects, and to the political situation at the time.

 

Letter #17 to son Alex in Australia

                                     Busby 2 April, 1855

My Dear Son,

Yours per Overland mail came smartly to hand, postage 6d., the charge for all letters not more than 1/4 of an oz. The Overland is now usually a fortnight earlier than the mail by the Cape. The postage via the Cape is 6d for not more than 1/2 ounce, so I may as well look after light paper and try the Overland.

I am glad to know you continue in good health. We are satisfied you will push your way. There is no lack of time for a healthy lad of 21 to make a competence. I hope your speculations have come to a conclusion not altogether unsatisfactory.

So I fancy a diggers life has few charms to cheer the spirits in the absence of nuggets. I hope your battles are all fought. United petition and remonstrance will do your work without the musket. Alas for the want of foresight in your madcaps your country cannot feed you. A few sloops would soon starve you into any terms.

John Donahue made a little money at the Ovens and bought a bit of ground and put it in order and is digging again. James Le Bain (Mrs. Hunter's son in law) has gone to Bendigo diggings. He likes it better than Melbourne. Jean Wilson's husband is a carrier between Melbourne and the diggings. By a letter from Mr. King we learn you are doing a middling business in gold finding.

We cannot boast of prosperity at home this season. Drawers and cutters are slack, block printing is not brisk about Barrhead and Paisley. It is better at Kilmarnock. About 80 block printers have been working these two months at Busby, a change. But there is no prospect of employment for the summer. John Nimmo and J. Wilson manage the printers. I am in the pattern shop. I hitherto wrote you to send no cash here, but want of employment may compel me to try some speculation and if you are anything like superabundant it may be better to send me a remittance providing always you have more than 2 forties over. But £25 will be sufficient. John's 12 months at the wright trade are out. He is looking for a job in Glasgow. William intends to try Glasgow too in the course of a month.

I will write again in June. We have had a severe frost this spring. Lochlomond was frozen in February and we have sharp frost almost every night yet, but the sun has some warmth by day. No buds on our hedges yet and no singing of birds, but these are no doubt at hand. Our new water wheel is in course of erection, it is wholly of iron. Our cylinders are pretty well employed, but it is said rather low prices are going for printed goods. I cannot call to remembrance a single occurrence amongst your acquaintance worth mentioning or I would feel great pleasure to cater to Father Leckie's taste.

I send a newspaper with this letter. Palmerston is Premier, his supposed warlike propensities have exalted him. Sebastopol is to be a job next to desperate. The winter and bad commisarys have destroyed a great number of our troops, but France & England cannot be beaten. A new fleet on a new principle is fitting out for the Russian fortresses. Light draught of water, heavy guns and the vessels covered with iron plates 4 inches thick. The most cannon ball will have no effect on them and they will be able to sail close up to the fortresses. There are no guns on the upper decks. The upper decks will be covered with iron plates.

An Overland mail has just arrived. Matters seem mending in Melbourne. But it must take a long time to make the country prosperous. The goldfields cannot swallow up the numbers of emigrants that are daily arriving. Small allotments of land cheap as in Canada would greatly mend matters, one would think. How the government allow the squatters to keep the land to the injury of the community I cannot devine. If Sir Charles cannot go it the Queen & Lord John Russell (now Colonial Secretary) should be memorialised. It is a pity and a disgrace that the blind or wicked or thoughtless rulers should thus shamefully retard the prosperity of the country and embitter the lives of the colonists. You had no wish to be a digger. That you were forced to it is not satisfactory. We can only wish and hope that digging may turn out a better spec than you were led to anticipate.

You know enough of the old country and of the new to be able to make a comparison for yourself. But notwithstanding the great number of men taken up for the regular army and for the Militia, so bad is trade and profits so low that wages are decidedly falling. Trade is even worse in America than here. New York never had soup kitchens for the unemployed before nor is there any prospect of the manufacturing interest improving till markets fall.

John & William expect to get 10/-each per week in Glasgow, so health permitting there should
be no fear of us being in want of a beefstake. John Loudoun has quitted the mercantile life and
bought a farm 9 miles from Sydney which he writes he would not exchange for either Barr's or
Thompson's. So your turn for something that will astonish the natives of Busby is coming.
Industry & Economy are usually considered painful arts, but they are the paths that lead to
opulence. I expect the time will come when you will be able to revisit your native land, an
independant Gentleman. Meanwhile we must pursue our calling here without thinking of
Australia unless we are ordered out. I trust you make the Bible your companion as opportunity
occurs. It is the only tamer and civilizer of mankind.                  

                                                                                                       I am

Your Affectionate Father.

Alex'r Dick

Names & Notes on Letter #17

John Donahue

James Le Bain

Mrs. Hunter

Jean Wilson

Mr. King.

John Nimmo

J. Wilson

Father Leckie

Palmerston

Sir Charles

Lord John Russell

John Loudoun

Barr's, Thompson's (mills?)

- transcription and Names/Notes by Ian A Scales, c.1989