OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Manx Settlers of Ohio -- Article 5

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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Darlene E. Kelley
http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374
August 27, 2002.
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Historical Collections of Ohio
And Then They Went West
S.L. Kelly diaries
Series of articles
by Darlene E. Kelley
Manx Settlers of Ohio -- article 5 and 6
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continuation of Letter of #4- part 5

" Land gets cheaper here, and I can tell you how, because when the
farmers came here first they bought land from the Congress and had 7, 8,
9, or 10 years credit, but they did not pay at the expiration of their
credit, then the land was to be took from them and sold, and they would
get nothing for the clearing. building or work they had done on it so
that they were obliged to sell. Mechanics for work and board themselves,
a joiner gets 1 1/4 dollar, tiller 1 1/4 dollar, shoemaker 1 dollar, a
smith ( by way they sell their wrought iron ) can earn 3 or 4 dollars a
day. Any man that could set up a tanyard would be a fine thing. Sadler
is a very good trade. Cooper is of little use, they make coopering in
factories, and a man will do as much work as ten coopers. Anyone that
will come here to depend on his school, had better stop where he is
there is no use for him here, the best gentlemen keeps his own accounts,
and they would not have any of you for schoolmasters, their way of
teaching is so different you could not manage the business , any of the
farmers trades that would set up himself would do well. They want a good
sober Manx shoemaker to set up in this village.

Prices of cattle; horses from 30 to 160 dollars, oxen a yoke or pair
from 30 to 60 dollars, cows from 3 to 15 dollars, sheep from 1 to 3
dollars, turkeys 40 cents, geese from 40 to 50 cents, hens form 6 to 9
cents ( Provisions ? ) is of different prices; beef 2 1/2 cents, pork 3
cents, mutton 2 cents, deer 1 cent, turkey 3 cents, flour per barrel
weighing 196 lbs 2 1/2 dollars, Indian flour per barrel of 196 lbs 1 1/4
dollars, butter per pd 10 cents, cheese 7 cents, honey 9 cents, apples
per bushel 25 cents, tobacco per pd 12 cents, whiskey per gallon 30
cents, sugar Muscavarbo per lb 16 cents, maple 9 cents, tea 1 dollar per
lb. You can see how cheap we Yankees live, but if you were here to see
how easy, or you might call it lazy, it would make you wonder. You might
travel here for a number of miles that you would not see a person do any
kind of work. I thought it a wonder at first and it was so all the way
up from New York. There is something wonderful in this land that I do
not know what it is because it bears crops without hardly any labour. I
have seen potatoes as any that iI ever saw, grow without any manure, and
just setting in the ground; pumpkins grow amongst the potatoes as any
that I ever saw, so big, without any work, but just sowing the seed and
of yellow colour, the different kind of things growing in their gardens
I can not name, everything grows here without manure.

Taxes here is that every man and boy has to work one day in the road and
one cent for evey acre of land you have. There has been snow here this
winter, but this week is almost as hot as in summer. Jane Kelly, my wife
sends her best regards and respects to her friends and relations and
wishes to tell them that they need not trouble themselves about bringing
caps here to wear because all women goeth here without caps; and there
has not been a cap on our little child since we came here. Also she
wishes to let you know that the rooms here are floored with boards so no
one puts his feet on the ground in a house here. The best ladies in the
village come to our house and their silk gowns and veils on and they
will talk for hours; dress yourself as you have a mind to and there is
no 'hallos to the gown noa ec e vogh shid ' in this place.

I think I have wrote a great deal but still more things are omitted but
if I live I expect you all for May. Any one that is for coming had
better stop till then and it wold save some money. It would be a great
deal better for any one that was never here. My family and I had our
trail of troubles since we saw you, we lost our Isabella on the passage,
I have lost my friend John Cannell since we came here and in a few days
my dear father will be no more -- 

I remain your obedient friend --

Thomas Kelly

Ta Me fenagt neest quoi ta chit magh son y thawry our ny ennym ock sy 
screweryn "

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