From William Wright   Sept. 26th 1843

Cincinnati | Sept. 26^th 1843.

My dear Jack

Yours of August¹ has come to hand 2 weeks ago and in endeavouring to commence a reply I am quite at a loss where to begin. Your letter contains so much that gave me joy and pleasure, and first your intention of visiting this country and so soon overcame all my other feelings and in anticipation of the future I calculated upon all the rambles we would take upon foot and horse back over the hills of old Kentucky and along the banks of the charming Ohio (they did not appear half so pretty before as since your announcement). Next came our native Shamrock² and although its pristine beauty has departed it met with a hearty welcome, every relic that I meet with of Ireland in this distant land are highly treasured by me and none more dearly prized than the idol of every true Irishman. Divided as we may be upon other subjects none will have their love questioned respecting the green immortal Shamrock. I would not have delayed answering your letter till now, but that I wished to be fully informed of what you might meet with were you to come out here. I am sorry that I am compelled to inform you that the occupation you now follow³ would not be at all encouraging in this country. I have had it from the very best authority, the Surveyor General of the States of Ohio,⁴ that there are 30 applicants for any vacancy that might take place in the department, the cause which he assigned for it was that the Internal Improvement system⁵ was such a perfect mania some 7 or 8 years ago that the Civil Engineers had more to do than they were able and consequently received large compensations for their services. The goodly matrons seeing that to be a Civil Engineer was to be a coiner, made all their youths Civil Engineers, the tables have been turned, the improvement system has gone down and with it the employment of those young men in that line, but there is one satisfaction here, that if we cannot get employment at what we have been used to why we can at something equally as good. My uncle⁶ has also made enquiry respecting it of several of the officers the result has nearly been the same with this exception that although there were a great many in the city acquainted with surveying the number of good draftsmen were very small. Now Jack⁷ my candid opinion is that if you were in Cincinnati and could not find employment in your line that you could find employment at something else at which you could earn a respectable living. I was not too sanguine when I stated that you could even learn a profession it has been often done in this city and is doing to my certain knowledge this day by more than one. So that if you have got your parents’⁸ consent, in God’s name come along and my word for it you will not regret it, for there are a great many things here which tend to draw a man out that does not exist in the old country or if they do they are only for the favoured few. Many a towering genius has been crushed by the prejudice of our falsely called superiors, that in other climes and other circumstances would have been a pride to his countrymen. You can learn a regular system of book-keeping in 3 weeks and by that alone you can earn a decent living, the charges are very moderate for obtaining a knowledge of it. That would enable you to take hold of the most difficult set of books in this city (and close them with credit to yourself). A young active enterprising fellow like you need have no doubts about the propriety of emigrating for there are a number of ways by which a man can live comfortably in this country and which do not exist in Ireland. I have been doing business on my own acc/.⁹ now for nearly 10 weeks and am doing a pretty fair business. I have a spare bed and apartment at your service and it is not necessary for me to say that you would be more welcome to them than any man in Ireland even my brother Thomas¹⁰ would not receive as hearty a welcome. I have lately written to my sister Mary Ann¹¹ requesting her to come out but have not yet received an answer, you would much oblige me by sending her a line and asking if she would do it as I am anxious to hear from her about it and am not writing to any of the folks this time. Address her at No 12 Nichols Street Dublin. I am afraid this will not reach Boston before the steamer starts unless it goes by to night’s mail and as it is now late and after a hard day’s work I close this at all events, I would not cross it¹² as you would never be able to read it. I will write to you by the next steamer. Sarah¹³ joins with me in the invitation to you to come out and she desires me to say that she will strive to make amends as much as she can for the dear friends you may leave behind. Many thanks for the poetry¹⁴ you need not be ashamed of it.

Yours affectionately goodbye | William Wright.

There is much in your letter I would wish to note but time will not permit. We are all in good health but strange weather – the glass was up to and above 96° last week to day down to 50° oh I am so cold. If you would have an opportunity when writing to your father to mention if he would please to let my folks know you had a letter from me and all’s well.

My kind regards to your father and mother.

RI MS JT/1/TYP/5/1811-1812

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