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 July 31st 1893 My Dear Roderick, I really do not know how to commence this letter to you, after so long a time since we corresponded with one another, that it looks that we have forgotten one another, but it seems not so. I have wrote to you and to Glasgow long ago but did not get any answers to my letters. I did not know what was the matter. I wrote to Glasgow twice & I believe once or twice to yourself. How you all did not receive them I do not know. However I am glad to hear that you are still in the Land of the Living. About 2 months or more I received a paper at the office of the Machine Shop here & upon opening it I found Alick inquiring as to my whereabouts “Dead or Alive”, givin his address inside. So I wrote to him at once, & had a letter Page 2 from him givin your address. Since then I wrote back to him and so as I have been so long writing I would wait until I heard from him again. So I got a letter from him yesterday so I will give you the latest from Glasgow. He says the weather is the hottest in a number of years. There is no improvement in the upper reaches of the Clyde as regards trade and that the prospects for the winter are looking bad, if no orders come in soon for ships. Alick heard that Thomas Findlay is going to resing as his 50 years service is up in Caledonian Canal. He is going to reside with his married daughter in Kent, Eliza Jezzard. She is married to an Englishman. Page 3 Glasgow Fair is in full swing. He says there are hundreds of men idle that will have no work to go to when it is over. They are making great alterations on the Clyde that with undergrounds the City is undermined in all directions. They are making two tunnels under the Clyde and Jamacia Bridge is to be taken down and a wider one put up. The temporary work is finished. He says that he did not got any word from you since April last. At the time of writing himself & Maggy were well. That is all the news from Alick. Now for myself. As you see I am still in Houston, though I have been away in many parts of the State in 9 or 10 years. I was in San Antonio, Nacogdoches, Galveston and other small towns and now back to Houston again. I am still working for Railroads. Page 4 I was at work for the Southern Pacific for 6 years also for the H_E & West Texas R .R.. I am now with H. and Texas C. R. R. R.. I am in very fair health, also the family considering the sickly summer. I at one time came near dying with rheumatism. I was laid up 3 months in bed it was a wonder that I got my leg straight again, though I cannott bend it. Times in Texas are very good for this time of the year but the weather is hot & dry. We had no Yellow fever in a number of years but Banks are just as bad they are breaking all of over the County, especially in the West but Houston has stood it all right so far. It do not bother me much as I have no money in them. I see by the papers that Australia had its share. Page 5 Well Roderick, how have you and your family been getting along all these years. How is Mrs Macdonald & the children. They must be grown up big young men. Your namesake died I have only two, a little girl, 13 years, named Georgiana [and a] boy, 11 years, named Alexander Louis. They both going to school. I do not know where I am going to get any more news to write you. May be times will be better after the extra session of Congress takes plase but it has put many poor men idle as you will see by the paper. They will be stopped at Kansas so they will come down this way and they will be trouble then. They will be driven out of here & so all over Texas. There is no work going on in Galveston. Several of the Manufacturies here suspended and nothing will be done untill they see what Congress Page 6 will do. They have reduced the forces in the Shop that I am working and all over the State. I will now draw to a close. Wishing you all well, as it leaves me at present. Be sure and write soon and may be I will have more news to write. Several of the Shop men ask me if I get any Australian papers. It is quite a treat to them to see one. Mrs Macdonald sends her regards to you all. I now remain your Affectionate Brother H. E. Macdonald Page 7 P.S. Be sure and write soon. I put down the date when I wrote so will wait patiently. address H. E. Macdonald H. and T. C. R. Rd. Houston Texas USA