Hurley Family Emigrant Letters (Ref. U170)

U170/

mowers and big teems’ to succeed. Thinks Irish farmers are ‘on the pigs back…they have moderate rents, security, and independence…’. He is getting old and would like to be freed of working night after night. 2pp

13 March 1906 Letter from Denis Hurley, Carson City, Nevada to his brother John. It has been some time since he wrote, but he and his wife are feeling pretty well at present. Saw an account in one of the papers from Ireland of an accident which befell on of John’s sons. He hopes the boy is doing well and will not be permanently crippled. Enquires for news on ‘times, the weather and crops’. Mentions ‘awful mining disaster in France’. Notes that Balfour (Prime Minister) and his party ‘met with quite a political Waterloo in the British elections’. 2pp 17 May 1906 Letter from Michael Hurley, 166 Potero Avenue, San Francisco, California, to his brother John, Clonakilty. He was not injured in the great earthquake, ‘…though it was frightful’. He was woken up at 5 o’Clock in the morning due to the shaking, and ‘thought my end had come then’ but his house remained standing as it was supported by those on both sides. Many large buildings were thrown down and the rest burning, ‘a sight not to be forgotten’. Water pipes were broken so there was no water to put out the fires, and eventually ‘three fourths’ of the City was destroyed. Laments that it was ‘getting to be a great City before the earthquake…it had doubled in population the last ten years…’. Regrets that John’s son was injured. Denis is ‘doing well and needn’t work anymore of he don’t want to’. Says he is speculating in mines again, with better prospects than heretofore. Sends regards to ‘our cousins of Templebrien’. 4pp 25 June 1906 Letter from Denis Hurley, Carson City, Nevada to his brother John. He is glad John’s son is recovering from his serious accident. Says that the San Francisco earthquake ‘was an awful thing and has impovrished many and dethroned the reason of others. I had some investments that were a little depressed by that disaster’. He had hoped to give up working, especially nights, but now he must wait some time longer, ‘It is pretty expensive to live, and meet one’s various obligations’, but he hopes better times are coming ‘for us all’. Nevada is enjoying a ‘period of much prosperity’. Mentions the