Collection:
Juneau—Douglas City Museum
Object ID:
2006.31.003AB
Accession#:
2006.31
Credit Line:
Donated by John Harris McKay.
Object Name:
Letter
Title:
Letter from Richard T. Harris to his niece
Date:
04/27/1904
Scope & Content:
Juneau, Alaska
April 27th 1904
My Dear Lizzy McKay,
I suppose you will neavour forgive your old Uncle for being so negligent in not writing to you Sooner, but I was gone a good part of the time after I received your Kind Letter, and I have been under the weather most of the winter, with a Severe Colds but thank God I am Strong and well again. And I do hope and trust this Letter will when it reaches you find , You all well as good health is the greatest Blessing we have. I hope Mr. McKay and your Boys are all well
I have Been looking over Some of Your Mother's Letters today. And it mead me feel Bad as I expected to see her before God called hir home, but it was not to be. You see I am the youngest and the last of 17 children of our old family. And I am in my 71st year and I cain recollect them all well every one of them. I cain recollect Since 1837 then I was four years old. And it seems but a short time to me. I could not Imagine what had become of You I concluded You had forgot me alltogether. Your Brother Thomas is the only one of your family that I ever Saw. And he was a Small child when I left for this Country. Your Father and Mother was always Kind to me when I was a Small Boy. I can't neavour forget how good the[y] were to me, but I hope to meet them again in that beautifull Land.
2
I have got your Father and Mothers Photos but not one of your Brothers or Sisters and I want you to send me Yours and Mr. McKays I have none of mine taken for many years but I will send you my two Boys Wm John and Rich.d T. I have Two paintings of myself. Both done in oil Life Size. One the[y] are going to take with the Alaska Exhibit to the World's fair at St. Louis as the Original Discoverer of the first paying Gold Mines in Alaska. I have not seen my Boys Since the[y] went below to School in 1897. the[y] were Comeing homesfter their School vication but the[y] have concluded to go to the World's Fair first as Wm John is one of the best Cartoonists on this western Coast. You see that is Something you can't lern Such as a trade it is a gift from Childhood with him and besides there is big money in it. Dick is a Natural Mechanic and Mathemitation the[y] are both fine Scholars and good Boys. Your Cousin Mary Harris or Mary Dobbins is going to the World's Fair and she Expects to see the Boys there She neavour met them but the[y] Correspond Since the[y] have been down to School she is very proud of her two Cousins. She is a fine Woman and she has got a Splendid Man. The[y] both visited me in 1897. the[y] have no children she was going to visit me this Summer but she wanted to go to the World's Fair the[y] have got some good property in Colorado and Some in Santa Rosa New Mexico and she has Property in Salt Lake City she is a fine Looking woman
3
And she thinks as much of me as hir own Father. Your Cousin Wm Harris is Stoping with me this winter and will be me all Summer. As he mead nothing in the Klondike Mines he is very carefull of me as I brought him out to this Country over 20 years ago before he was of age, and he is good and Kind with his old Uncle. His Step Mother Died 14th of April and Brice and Reid will take Charge of the Home place now as Brice has been Married. Since he was 17 years old I have neavour seen Brothers two last Boys. You see I have bee Iscolated from all my Friends nearly all my Life as I left Pittsburgh in 1858 after I graduated at the Merchants College I have got a Cousin John Dalzell he is Congress from the Pittsburgh District a very Smart man. I met him out here in Juneau One of the Commissioners on the Boundry Question with Senator Fairbanks. He mead a speech here in the Opera House I think he is only a Second Cousin. I knew him in Pittsburgh in the Early days he wanted to take Wm John and Richard Back to Pittsburgh and put them in a School of art but I would not let them go. He is one of the Leeders in the House of Representatives as I thought my Boys will well at home Wm John has big offers from two New York papers to draw cartoons for their papers he draws some for the Oregonian
4
in Portland he is also a splendid speaker the[y] will both make their mark yet if the[y] Live Wm John is in his 21st year and Richard is only 18 months younger I will send you their Photos in another Letter which goes with this one when You write please give me the names of your Family, as I have forgotten them as I don't know how many is in Ireland. And I want you to be sure and send me your Photo. I have got your two Boys and tell Ann to write to me and send me hirs. Your Uncle William was very proud of you when you visited him in Missouri he wrote to me after you left and said you were a splendid looking and Smart Woman. I would Dearly Love to see all my Sisters Family but I suppose that will neavour be, I have got a beautifull House in Juneau a ½ Block on Nob Hill only fifty feet from the Main Street and 100 feet from a Sixty—Thousand Dollar Court House the finest Building in Alaska abought 400 feet from the Steam Ship Landing we have all the modern Improvements of any Eastern City Alaska is a beautiful Country in the Summer Season. (Now Lizzie I know you will Excuse me for my Long Silence and I will promise to do better in the future don't forget to tell your sister Ann to write I will now close and say good night and your Uncle's Blessing and I pray that the Supreme Archetect of the Universe will bless and protect you all through Life
I remain as ever your Loveing Uncle
Richard T. Harris
Please write Soon Box 292
Juneau, Alaska
April 27th 1904
My Dear Lizzy McKay,
I suppose you will neavour forgive your old Uncle for being so negligent in not writing to you Sooner, but I was gone a good part of the time after I received your Kind Letter, and I have been under the weather most of the winter, with a Severe Colds but thank God I am Strong and well again. And I do hope and trust this Letter will when it reaches you find , You all well as good health is the greatest Blessing we have. I hope Mr. McKay and your Boys are all well
I have Been looking over Some of Your Mother's Letters today. And it mead me feel Bad as I expected to see her before God called hir home, but it was not to be. You see I am the youngest and the last of 17 children of our old family. And I am in my 71st year and I cain recollect them all well every one of them. I cain recollect Since 1837 then I was four years old. And it seems but a short time to me. I could not Imagine what had become of You I concluded You had forgot me alltogether. Your Brother Thomas is the only one of your family that I ever Saw. And he was a Small child when I left for this Country. Your Father and Mother was always Kind to me when I was a Small Boy. I can't neavour forget how good the[y] were to me, but I hope to meet them again in that beautifull Land.
2
I have got your Father and Mothers Photos but not one of your Brothers or Sisters and I want you to send me Yours and Mr. McKays I have none of mine taken for many years but I will send you my two Boys Wm John and Rich.d T. I have Two paintings of myself. Both done in oil Life Size. One the[y] are going to take with the Alaska Exhibit to the World's fair at St. Louis as the Original Discoverer of the first paying Gold Mines in Alaska. I have not seen my Boys Since the[y] went below to School in 1897. the[y] were Comeing homesfter their School vication but the[y] have concluded to go to the World's Fair first as Wm John is one of the best Cartoonists on this western Coast. You see that is Something you can't lern Such as a trade it is a gift from Childhood with him and besides there is big money in it. Dick is a Natural Mechanic and Mathemitation the[y] are both fine Scholars and good Boys. Your Cousin Mary Harris or Mary Dobbins is going to the World's Fair and she Expects to see the Boys there She neavour met them but the[y] Correspond Since the[y] have been down to School she is very proud of her two Cousins. She is a fine Woman and she has got a Splendid Man. The[y] both visited me in 1897. the[y] have no children she was going to visit me this Summer but she wanted to go to the World's Fair the[y] have got some good property in Colorado and Some in Santa Rosa New Mexico and she has Property in Salt Lake City she is a fine Looking woman
3
And she thinks as much of me as hir own Father. Your Cousin Wm Harris is Stoping with me this winter and will be me all Summer. As he mead nothing in the Klondike Mines he is very carefull of me as I brought him out to this Country over 20 years ago before he was of age, and he is good and Kind with his old Uncle. His Step Mother Died 14th of April and Brice and Reid will take Charge of the Home place now as Brice has been Married. Since he was 17 years old I have neavour seen Brothers two last Boys. You see I have bee Iscolated from all my Friends nearly all my Life as I left Pittsburgh in 1858 after I graduated at the Merchants College I have got a Cousin John Dalzell he is Congress from the Pittsburgh District a very Smart man. I met him out here in Juneau One of the Commissioners on the Boundry Question with Senator Fairbanks. He mead a speech here in the Opera House I think he is only a Second Cousin. I knew him in Pittsburgh in the Early days he wanted to take Wm John and Richard Back to Pittsburgh and put them in a School of art but I would not let them go. He is one of the Leeders in the House of Representatives as I thought my Boys will well at home Wm John has big offers from two New York papers to draw cartoons for their papers he draws some for the Oregonian
4
in Portland he is also a splendid speaker the[y] will both make their mark yet if the[y] Live Wm John is in his 21st year and Richard is only 18 months younger I will send you their Photos in another Letter which goes with this one when You write please give me the names of your Family, as I have forgotten them as I don't know how many is in Ireland. And I want you to be sure and send me your Photo. I have got your two Boys and tell Ann to write to me and send me hirs. Your Uncle William was very proud of you when you visited him in Missouri he wrote to me after you left and said you were a splendid looking and Smart Woman. I would Dearly Love to see all my Sisters Family but I suppose that will neavour be, I have got a beautifull House in Juneau a ½ Block on Nob Hill only fifty feet from the Main Street and 100 feet from a Sixty—Thousand Dollar Court House the finest Building in Alaska abought 400 feet from the Steam Ship Landing we have all the modern Improvements of any Eastern City Alaska is a beautiful Country in the Summer Season. (Now Lizzie I know you will Excuse me for my Long Silence and I will promise to do better in the future don't forget to tell your sister Ann to write I will now close and say good night and your Uncle's Blessing and I pray that the Supreme Archetect of the Universe will bless and protect you all through Life
I remain as ever your Loveing Uncle
Richard T. Harris
Please write Soon Box 292
Juneau, Alaska
Dates of Creation:
04/27/1904
People:
Harris, Richard
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