Letter written by Henry Ebenezer MacDonald - Harris County Texas John Hendry 13 May 2001 ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. ************************************************************************** Transcript of a letter from Henry E. MacDonald of Houston, Texas, to his brother Roderick in Melbourne, Australia. Houston, Texas May 11th 1879 My Dear Roderick, Received your letter dated Feb 25 also the Illustrated paper along and the Illustrated paper of March for which I thank you very much. As for you are ashamed and don’t know how to excuse yourself (That do not matter much). So long Roderick that you are in the Land of the Living. I send you five (5) papers - in one you will see by the date about a little boy and I said “Remember Keils Islay”. Now Roderick I will never forget the mouse you catched in the bed in Islay and remember “the lass that made the bed for me” [Bob Burns] Roderick I will not write to you a very very long letter for certain reasons. The reasons are two. I received a letter from Maggy, that is from Mother, John, Alick & Maggy. I have wrote home long ago and never received no answer as I told you. I concluded that they did not care about writing, but Roderick I am like yourself good natured and wrote again. No answer. So I concluded that they did not wish to correspond with me. After so long a time “a man from Glasgow” came in to the H and H. T. and CRR machine shop with an overcoat asking if H. E. Macdonald worked here. He met a Dutchman and the Dutchman - (Line Missing from Bottom of Page) Page 2 His name is Cowen. I was surprised when he showed me an address which I could swere that was from Maggy but yet from Lizzie MacLennan. He told me Alick made money last year and John his brother is with his other sister, I forget her name. Georgiana is a good woman with all her faults, Roderick I will write to you soon again. There are two parties who wishes to know about their friends. One is an old man that many years before you or I was born left Melbourne. He is a good freind to me. His name is Hart. He was up the Yarra Yarra River. (He will write a note along with this & see if you can find out anything about them) The other is a Mr Stott and he has your last Australian paper today. I will speak of him in my next letter. Now Roderick the papers that I send you now. There were some that I wanted to send you sometime ago but send now, and in giving them to publishers of daily papers and they print (Itms), (itmes) from the Houston Telegram if in the daily, or weekly news, save a copy and send to me. Reason [is that] the paper is young yet, as you will see, and it would be something good if they had their items copied in a foring paper. If it should so hapen, you can depend upon it - it will be printed in the Houston Telegram Page 3 During the Yellow Fever, I have had it 12 years ago in Galveston but it was fearfull times in the Southern States. You could not imagine. I broke my other foot in December last and some of those who went as nurses came to see me and I could take an oath that they were not in Houston, that they were dead. Some died. I am glad Roderick that the children are all well and in good health also the “Old Lady”. The word Old Lady is common in Texas. After a young lady gets married She is an Old Lady. I mean Joanna and hope that she is well and doing well with latest addition John Urquhart. Now you are getting along for a fact very well. As for me progressing I am about the same. I suppose it is on account of the “Yellow Fever” (Joke). About the Relic of Bobby Burns, I tried to get and could not get head nor tail of it. They say the children took it outside to play and lost it. I am sorry for it. Now your namesake Roderick is well and I was just asking him as he took some brambles from the bush outside the fence, (and the bramble fell on the paper as you will see below), what have you to say to little Henry. He says to tell little Henry that he would like to play with him, and to gather blackberries. We are all well so far. I have had a hard time of it last winter but getting on all right now. Enclosed you will get a paper with the address of Mr Harts freind - {Small Bramble Stain} My dear Roderick I will begin to close now and though I did not say everything I wished will do so probably about the 25 or 26 of May the present month and will write Page 4 more next Sabbath. I am writting home and will send some papers there too. Roderick we are all well when writing and Annie told me to remember her to Joanna and the “Baby”. And now to conclude with our best wishes & love to you all Yours Affectionate Brother Henry E. Macdonald If you get all the papers I send you will get lots of American news. Let me know if you get 5 papers. Good By (HEMcD). Be sure and write soon. Do not wait for my next letter but write right away So long Mr Murphy Hart There are three brothers of them. They lived at Ballarat in the mine. The cousins are in Melbourne. Murphy lived in Swanston Street. try and find out they are from Kellkenny Irland H E McDonald