Hurley Family Emigrant Letters (Ref. U170)

U170/

2pp

26a

[November 1895] Fragment of letter from Denis Hurley, to his brother and sister. Concerns visit to Ireland of Father Kiely. Asks them to ‘regard him as an old friend’, and to introduce him to local clergy. ‘He is not there as a beggar but as a worthy Irish American priest who is a credit to Old Ireland’. 2pp 2 December 1895 Letter from Denis Hurley, Carson City, Nevada, to ‘My Dear Mother’. He received the lock of hair, and he is ‘old enough now to be getting pretty grey like so many who are much younger get in this country’. Advises her not to overtax herself by walking to church on Barrack Hill, and ‘Michael says that young women in San Francisco would be panting and out of breath with far less exertion…’. Suggests having a ‘little jug of good whiskey’ and to take ‘a good joram when you feel cold or feeble and then you can recite your rosary more briskly…’. He is glad her daughter in law is so kind, ‘May the Lord reward her…’. Hopes she will have the pleasure of seeing Father Kiely who is visiting Ireland. 2pp 28 January [1896] Letter from Michael Hurley, 1234 Mission Street, San Francisco, to ‘Dear Mother’. He would have written more often, but was not sure where he would be for the reply. Thinks that ‘you all made a mistake in giving so much for Ahamilla People in Ireland are too anxious for land its no wonder landlords would be expecting big rent…land will never again be as valuable as it used to be…the value of land has come down very much in this country the last seven or eight years…Money getting dearer and land getting cheaper…’. He has seen in the papers the large funeral for the late bishop. About two and a half years ago he would have gone back home, but he ‘had some money where I could not get it then so I had to stay and look after it’. He ‘got and attack of sickness… for the first time…two months ago…it lasted only six days…’. 4pp 9 March 1896 Letter from Denis Hurley, Carson City, Nevada, to ‘My Dear Mother’. He congratulates is brother Tim and wife on the birth of their child. Father Kiely’s health has not much improved on his visit to Ireland, and he has been unable to visit Clonakilty due to the