Letter #
51 son Alex in Australia
Glasgow., 18th. Dec'r 1860
145
Great Eastern Road.
My Dear Son.
! received yours and William's of Sept. I
also received £5.1 feel very grateful and thank you kindly and I trust you will
have a run of prosperity. Easy circumstances are a great blessing & next to
the pleasure of being able to assist others, I have upwards of £20 in the bank
so it is quite unnecessary to cripple your speculations by remitting me. I and
three others were discharged from Cordale & I received your five pounds a
few hours thereafter and that kept off all depression of spirits. There are 2
or 3 hundred pieces of harness patterns to do at Busby and I begin on Monday. I
expect the first table at Muir & Brown's and I hope it will be a resting
place for some time.
I see William is out of a job, but I hope you got
him on for manager of your Quartz company. John seems to have a bee in his
bonnet. When I was with you he thought it great folly to follow new rushes. Now
it is off, off at the first at the first blast of the trumpet. I hope he will
soon get better. I see William and he have been able to pay their calls on two
quartz claims. That is so much to the credit of their industry.
Andrew Colquhoun seems to be going deranged. Jean
has been separated from him for some time. William Wilson has bought the inn at
Maryborough. He gave 3 or 4 thousands for it and he is putting up additions.
Mr. Sloan's Quartz company had not succeeded. David McPherson married Maggy
Rankin. Emma Rankin married and has a son. Agnes Galbraith married Maggy
McPherson's widower. Peter Robertson is at Monte Video, healthy and hearty. He
expects to be home soon. Archibald Mc Callurn's son Archy died at Smyrna. He
went there for his health. John Nimmo is still at Busby. He is very sick of it.
The riffle corps had a fine ball in the works. The
appearance of the place is much improved. The new buildings betwixt the
doctor's and the Black Castle are named Durham Terrace in honour of Durham
Kippers. I saw John Twaddel, he is still with Mr. Denny; quite contented as he
has more pay and less work than at Busby.
The block printing is not reviving about Paisley,
Kilmarnock and Barrhead, but the is some cutting going on for Silk plaids and shawls
in the Spring. There is many an ill off printer going about at present. The
joiner trade is slack about Glasgow, but trade generally is good. James
Sinclair, an old acquaintance, sends his compliments to you. He drives a bread
van.
That Victor Emmanuel is to be King of the
Neapolitan territories seems settled; a great lesson for kings. A commotion in
Hungary or Venetia is expected in the
Spring.
I was at Jas. Docherty's shop; he has still a good
business. Joe looks delicate. His wife had a son.
I am afraid Jack will bring on rheumatism. He must
have suffered a good deal from exposure in his
ramblings. He may remember the consequences of getting wet at Carmunock fair,
it might make him as careful as circumstances permit. Like John Gilpin, he
little dreamed when he set out of running such a rig. I am rather concerned
about him. William has made as much and far more comfortably in the locality of Ballarat. A bit of a
lesson on the folly of running about, I hope their claims when wrought will give
them a lift up the brae. I trust your quartz speculation will give satisfaction
and keep you on your way rejoicing and that in
the long run there will be no regrets about going to Australia. I will write
William next mail. I have sent you a paper every week and one to William. His
friend Ralph McArthur has left the joiner trade and has taken to the drawing.
Hoping to hear of you all being in
health and comfort,
I remain, your affectionate
Father,
Alex'r Dick.
Direct care of Mrs.Russell, 145 Great Eastern Road.
By last mail W. M. Dick got a paper containing a lecture on Burns. By
this How Caithness men all fell at Flodden.
Names & Notes on Letter #51
Muir & Brown's
Andrew Colquhoun
Jean Colquhoun
William Wilson
Mr. Sloan
David Mc Pherson
Maggy Rankin
Emma Rankin
Agnes Galbraith
Maggy McPherson
Peter Robertson
Archibald McAllum
Archy McAllum /McCallum
John Nimmo
Durham Kippen
John Twaddel
James Sinclair
Jas. Docherty
Joe Docherty
John Gilpin
Ralph McArthur
Mrs. Russell
- transcription and
Names/Notes by Ian A Scales, c.1989
Scans of the original letter (click on the thumbnail below for a larger image; note the order of the pages p.4-1,
then p.2-3, etc.):
p.4,1
p.2,3
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