Alexr Dick _Letter No. 59 from Busby, Scotland, 1861

Letter #59 to son Alex in Australia

                                                      Busby, 24th.Sept'r, 1861

My Dear Son,

I have yours of 24th. July and I am proud you feel confident of keeping your ground as a first class merchant. It is the highest step you can expect for a few years, but industry, sagacity and integrety do marvellous things.

I have written some traditions of the Dicks and Robertsons for Australia. Mrs.Muir and Mary and the young sister intend to sail for Australia next month and I intend to send the portrait of Queen Mary and the traditions with them. Last time I was in Glasgow I left orders for a friend to purchase the portrait for me.

Of Allan Robertson, I remember hearing he had been a great soldier, that he had been in foreign service and in the 42nd. and that he spent his latter years in Edinburgh. And that he was of the same Robertsons as my Grandfather, the precise relationship I never heard.

! expect the memoirs will give both pleasure and satisfaction and that before I see them again there will be two or three correctly written copies of them.

Trade is dull with you and I am afraid the coming winter will have the dullest trade with us of any one since the Western bank failed. All the cotton mills are to be put on short time. Printfields are slack with the prospect of getting worse.

I am still at Busby and we are pretty throng just now, a number shoped and the second shop of Gate shop fitted up with tables once more. When the work is light I am all right. When heavy, I feel rather shaken. The side feels weak and the pain threatens to return, I have had three times upwards of a £ in the week lately.

I see David and Alpin. David looks fully better and Alpin is a swell and good looking. Both are leading men in the Co-operative store. But among our acquaintance I have nothing of the slightest interest.

Nothing of importance has been done by either party in America in the fighting way; a foolish and a momentous quarrel starving the industrious both in America and Europe. But I believe it disastrous effects wont reach Australia. All your exports will meet a ready sale in England.

The "Great Eastern" has just been caught in a severe hurricane. She lost her paddles and her helm got useless through the breaking of a bolt 10 inches in diameter and of wrought iron. Sails were blown to ribbons and she was tossed about for three days, her decks corning to an angle of 45 degrees. This was not to be thought of and furniture and part of cargoe were not secured and great damage has been done to her fittings up, but she proved sea worthy. But it is now certain her engineers miscalculated in her build and in the power necessary to make her a swift steamer.

I had a letter from William and I will write him next mail. Jack and he have not yet found the road to fortune and they mean to try their fortune elsewhere. I hope their days of poverty are nigh ended.

William thinks pianos and carriages might be taxed to encourage their construction in Australia. The makers would be serners or sturdy beggars sanctioned by the state and the state would require to pay the expense of enforcing their claims or protecting them. The Gentleman is robbed & the state is at expense to support one that cannot support himself. What benefit is to support beggars. It is a drawback, disguise it as you may.

In this district we have had weather since Glasgow fair. Yet our harvest is pretty good and well on. Potatoes are gone around, but in many districts the have suffered little. But we will require to import breadstuffs in large quantity.

Expecting good tidings by & by. I must express my satisfaction at the attention you all pay me and I long to hear of you all going on your way rejoicing.

                                                                                      I am, your affectionate Father,

                                                                                      Alex'r Dick.

William Wilson writes he is doing well in his hotel in Maryborough and he is laying £1500 on additions. Jean and her husband are doing well.

Names & Notes on Letter #59

Mrs. Muir, Mary & the young sister

Allan Robertson

G/father Robertson

David (Alexander ?)

Alpin

"Great Eastern"

William Wilson

Jean Wilson & husband

- transcription and Names/Notes by Ian A Scales, c.1989  (note- the ‘original’ transcription was in printed format on paper, and has been re-formatted using OCR – so may have some inaccuracies which have escaped my editing – C. S-P)

Scans of the original letter (click on the image below for a larger version; note the order of the pages p.4-1, then p.2-3):

p.4,1

p.2,3

p.5