Letter from Frank McGLINCHEY in Laught, Co. Tyrone to his brother, James McGlinchey in Ventura California, 1901
Laught (County Tyrone) Nineteen hundred and one
Dear Brother James, wife, and family
I write these few lines to let you know that I am well at present. Thank God for his kind mercy to us all. Hoping these few lines will reach to find you Brother James for I have written two letters over twelve months past. I hope you will answer this one. I would like to hear from you often for I do not think that there is any of my brothers alive. Edward when last heard of was in South Africa. Brother Patrick died in Australia.
Dear Brother this is the hardest year has come in the memory of the oldest name now living. It was a wet summer all over. There were three weeks in harvest that the farmers got some corn and hay saved. The rain came in the beginning of October and it has rained this last three months. There was whole lots of corn lost that was not got out of the field til it was rotten. There were no potatoes on all the mountain districts or any wet cold land.
We had very hard wind storms which unroofed houses and blew down the corn and hay and left a good many destitute. We had a bog slip.. Miney Gall bog that were. That much rain fell that the water got in under it and carried it away. It came down on three farmers and covered their houses.
Cows and horses are selling very dear. Cows is selling for twenty pounds. The horses are selling from 30 to 40 pounds.
I have written about the hurt I got in my leg. It has never mended. Moreover than that I got a fall off a hay cock. I fell twelve feet on my back. It put me that I cannot work any. I am not able to travel to mass. I pay a man to help me. I want to keep this in your name. Write soon. Do not forget. I have no more to say at present.
I remain your loving brother
Frank McGlinchey
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