Letter #19 to son Alex in
Australia
Busby,
31st.July 1855
My Dear Son,
I have not been favoured with a letter from you since my last. We had
not an Overland mail from Australia this time and that I suppose accounts for
it. So we are still ignorant of what success you met with in your deep hole. We
hope your industry was well rewarded.
Our relative Alex'r Russell died on Glasgow Fair Thursday. A
constitutional infirmity developed itself as he increased in years, a tendency
to congestion of the brain and medical men say had he lived a few years longer
helpless idiocy would have been his lot. He was from home on Wednesday and
returned in the evening and went to bed without speaking and as Mary supposed slept
soundly all night, but on trying to awake him in the morning she saw there was
something serious wrong with him and sent for a medical man. He pronounced it apoplexy. His death took place that
evening.
He has been very foolish for some years. His shop was empty and there
was no funds. His kind uncle paid the expenses of his funeral. He was buried in
Tolicross in his forefathers' burying ground. Mary has been very bad since his
death. His debts were about £200. Annie is a stout lassie and can work for
herself. How they come on with the creditors and how they propose to live, in
my next.
Mrs. David McGregor was safely delivered of a son and both are doing
well. There is nothing else about Busby to put down. The machines
are busy at de Laine and Madder work, but block printers are doing little and
poor prospects very little cutting. John is now a joiner with Todd &
McGregor, he has 17/- per week. William is still in the Gallowgate. I am moderately employed,
sometimes by the day, sometimes by the piece, not much idle. William's master
proposes to engage him 2 years 1st.years /11second 13 per week, with liberty to go to Australia at any time.
Willie Wilson, baker, had a run of good fortune. He is at the
Maryborough diggings £8 per week and becomes a partner in a Hotel. Our
emigrants to Sidney arrived safe. They found more people idle than they
anticipated. Some of them have got jobs, but there are no letters from
themselves yet.
The powerful nations, the French & British are making little
progress in the destruction of the Russian fortresses. Her commerce is almost
stoped, otherwise she is little scathed. Russia is like a coiled up hedgehog,
no go and two curs bleeding their own
mouths on her prickles. Such is our war. An accompanying newspaper will give some information.
We are making some progress in the supply of water in Busby. The well
above the Hen linn (?) is taken in pipes to the end of the Hen linn house and the well at the
end of the Printers' row is in course of improvement.
Whether we go to Australia or no depends entirely on your opinion. If
your letters say decidedly we should move, we are off. But Jack & William
would rather learn their trades at home than go out upon an assent extracted
from you. I fancy if we go out we must turn diggers in the first place and if
you see that would pay well, we join you.
We have had some fine warm weather this summer and we are in high hopes
of a good harvest. That helps trade as well as saves our pockets. It appears we are to get water
from Loch Katrine to Glasgow at last, a great benefit to the city. Certainly the price is great, the taxation
may be too heavy to make it pay. Father Leckie was displeased with my meagre
account of Busby folks, but where no changes are taking place one has nothing
to tell. Cunnunigham Gray is cutting at Kilmarnock and I am informed Mrs. Leckie's
sister will sail in September for Australia. We hope your labour and rather
uncomfortable way lodging and cooking will secure an independence in a few
years more and that is just the motive would carry us all to Victoria.
Does diggers life admit of any attention to literature. It gives a
pleasure to the mind and an improved way of thinking that cannot be otherwise
attained. And attention to reading the scriptures civilizes, promotes justice
& charity, giving pleasure of the sweetest nature in this as well as having
the promise of the world to come.
The Australian mail is due on the 5th.Aug't, the very day this letter
will leave. But should I receive a letter
from you in a few days, I will take
an early opportunity of writing.
I am,
Your Affecionate Father,
Alex'r Dick
Names & Notes on Letter #19
Alex'r Russell (brother in law)
Mary (sister, widow of
above)
Annie (their daughter)
Mrs. David McGregor
Todd & McGregor
Willie Wilson, baker
Father Leckie
Mrs. Leckie's sister
- transcription
and Names/Notes by Ian A Scales, c.1989
No comments:
Post a Comment