Letter #20 to son Alex in
Australia
Busby, 2nd.0ctr. 1855
My Dear Son,
It is now nearly 3 years since you left us and we are all in right
earnest mood to follow. Yours of the 3rd. June arrived on the 19th. Sept'r. Wm.
Moody had one a fortnight previous. John Leckie's bill has not come to hand
yet. As soon as it comes we set about getting on board. William is master of
doors and windows now, Jack a famous ship joiner and both good cartwrights and
eager to be off. They will soon be worth thousands. Your seven months digging
for nothing is no damper. John Buchanan's cheerer came to your hands in good
time. He enjoys his journeys rarely and we fondly hope you have been cheered by
a few pounds of gold by this time. John Leckie's old chums John Mcintyre and
John Hall are in Edinburgh with salaries about £70 per year. Mclntyre lectures
on teetotalisrn and the errors of popery. Hall teaches singing. Robert Semple
lectures in Falkirk distric. They are paid by a Mr. Hope that loathes
intemperance & popery.
There are no changes of great note about Busby. Block printers are
wearin awa. With the exception of Kilmarnock district the shawl shops have been
very slack this summer. But there is a report of a stir commencing among them
again.
I may as well explain how I was superseded by I (or J) Wilson as Mr. Bisset stated to me a few months before his death. He said
Mr. Gay and he thought they might be useful to one another in the way of
assisting each other to get up their wages and so on. He said he had been under
great obligations to Gay and Gay wished Wilson made foreman and that was the
way he got that situation. Bisset regretted it when he saw block printing
wearing out that there would not be work for me in the pattern shop and he
wished me and pressed me much to bring William back to the cutting and he would
send Wilson to the pattern shop. I was sick of Bisset long, long as you guessed, I suppose. But
when he related this treachery I saw through the base annoyance that sent D. Paul
away and was sicker of him than ever. I refused to bring William back, but rather wished to be off myself. He
was to give me £50 if I went to Australia, but would make it £100 if I stopped at home and
tried a shop in Glasgow. I would have got £50 from him in March had he lived.
It was lent out and due to him then. There are no block printers working just
now at Busby. I am walking about with the rest. I am expecting John's
letter every day, but we will write you again before we sail.
I posted a paper last week with the news of the fall of Sebastopol and
all the forts on the south side of the bay. I send a copy of the Glasgow
Examiner with this letter. It gives a detailed account of the storming and
other horrible details. Trade is rather flat and markets keep up, indeed almost
everything is rising. The general popular cry is for the war so that as yet
there is no prospect of peace before our eyes. We have had good weather for
getting in our crops. The quality it is believed will be good, the quantity
middling. The potatoe disease is still with us and as there is a great
deficiency in the harvest of some of the countries on the continent, we are not
to look for cheap markets till another harvest clothes our fields.
Aunty's prospects are not encouraging. Alex'r was getting just as much
as possible before his death, indeed he had run the length of his tether in
that respect. There is no arrangement yet with the creditors and no prospect of
getting the business commenced again. Sandy is in another shop trying his hand and expecting to be engaged. D.
Paul has got the charge of Mr.Glen's presses at Gateside. He has £1 per week and a promise of an advance if he gives satisfaction. R. McGougan
is printing at Gateside. Mr. Adamson, Mr. Miller's brother in law has been long in the counting house. He gets
Mr. Bisset's house. I called on Robina Veitch. She is to sail in the 'Cheviot'
from Broomielaw. She expects to sail about the 20th. but I see fresh bills up
of her sailing and no date fixed. So it is uncertain when Mr. & Mrs. King's health may be
drunk at Ballarat with three cheers hurrah. I expect to be able to send word
with Mr. King of the vessel we sail with. Netherlie print works are in progress of being started. Turkey Red dying and printing is to be
the go. John is still with Todd & McGregor, his wages are 17/- per week. He
hopes to get out as a carpenter's mate. He enjoys good health. William is still
in the Gallowgate, wages 10/- per week. He has got doors and windows on his
finger tips there. They expect to pass for good hands, first rates. As for me,
if I am of no use in Australia I
expect to be sent home again, a printer still.
William lost his health at Jackton and has not quite recovered. He has been affected with swellings
in the glands of his neck which has not gone away so rapidly has Dr.Ross
expected. One swelling has broke but it looks like healing. Otherwise his
health is good. Trusting my three fortune hunters may conduct themselves
wisely, honestly and successfully, I cheerfully try the southern verge of Green
Earth. Peter Robertson will try & go with us.
I am
Your Affectionate Father,
Alex'r Dick
Names & Notes on Letter #20
Wm. Moody
John Leckie
John Buchanan
John Mclntyre
John Hall
Robert Semple
Mr. Hope
I (or J) Wilson
Mr. Bisset
Mr. Gay
D. Paul
Aunty (Mary Russell)
Alex'r Russell
Sandy Russell
Mr. Glen
R. McGougan
Mr. Adamson
Mr. Miller
Robina Veitch
Mr.& Mrs. King
Todd & McGregor
Dr. Ross
Peter Robertson
- transcription
and Names/Notes by Ian A Scales, c.1989
No comments:
Post a Comment