Letter written by Louis Alexander 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 Louis Alexander MacDonald, the son of Henry E. MacDonald of Houston, Texas, announcing the death of his father, to his Uncle Roderick in Melbourne, Australia. June 6 1908 Dear Uncle Roderick, It is with the most extreme sadness that I take in hand to deliver across the wide ocean the sad news of your loving and only brother Henry Ebenezer death. This is how it happened. Tuesday June 2 he went to a friends funeral got some whiskey and cream cheese. Ate that during the night and in the morning he was pretty sick, the whiskey as you know causes the cheese to cook. He had bought some Parish Green for to kill some bugs that got on the grapes. Early that morning he intended taking some Cream a Tarta and Page 2 Sulphur but by mistake he got the Parish green and Cream a Tarta in the dark. He immediately vomited it up. The next two days he purged and vomited and drank ice water. Thursday evening June 4 at $ o’clock he realized of a sudden that he had made a mistake, he told mamma and immediately got a no. 1 physican. Got the ambulance, hurried him to a private Sanitarium, got another Dr., two trained nurses. We worked on him and give him the very finest of medicine or ancedotes to conflict with the one he took. We revived him to some extent, his feet ceased to show the blueness but at 15 minutes to 4 Friday evening June 5 he expired. Oh Uncle he did not want to die he fought to the last ????? ????? Page 3 his mind till two or three minutes before he expired. I went with him in the ambulance and on the way he told me something to tell you but I just cannot remember. You see Uncle that I had every thing in charge am pretty nearly worn out. This is Saturday and will mail this letter in the evening. The Machinists and Sharks Club will have charge of the burial with the exception of the best Baptist Minister in the city who will officiate. Glenwood Cemetery Sunday Eve at 3p.m. is the date and time set to put him in his last resting place. Oh he certainly suffered. He died an awfull painful death. Some of the Parish Green got through ????? ????? ?????. Page 4 Mother says she is awful sorry that you never wrote your only brother. His mind was very weak these last remaining months so that he could not compose a letter. Wish to inform his relatives that he will receive a very elaborate funeral. Even if he was a drunkard. I have spared nothing got the best hearse in Houston, best Minister, a very good casket. etc. Probably I will write in a few days. If you want to know any thing else I will gladly furnish it to you. Will close with Love to All Very Respectfully Your Effectionate Nephew Louis A. Macdonald 835 Cortland St. Hou Heights Texas Wrote to his niece in Scotland Mrs Mar. G. MacLeod. Please write immediately Louis.