Hurley Family Emigrant Letters (Ref. U170)

U170/

2pp

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21 March 1935 Letter from Denis Hurley, Carson City, Nevada, to his niece Mrs Jerome (Catherine) McCarthy, Carrigroe Upper. He received the letter and shamrock in the post. Hopes that he will have ‘no long experience’ of being an invalid as ‘It would take a fortune to get hospital care, or hire an attendant, to a person without a family’. His health is ‘pretty good’, he is ‘under salary’ most of the time and attends mass every morning. Observes that the economic condition of the world ‘appears badly upset’, and that the government is spending billions of dollars to help the unemployed. The wisdom of some measures is questioned by many, as ‘It is not helping thrift and industry and individual effort’. Notes ‘There was trouble enough in the world without this world war scare’ and that if farmers in Ireland had to pay rent to landlords, ‘as in old times there would be many evictions’. 2pp 18 May 1935 Letter from Denis Hurley, Carson City, Nevada to his niece, Mary Deasy, Ahafore, Timoleague, County Cork. Says it is not necessary for her to write so often, ‘Two pence half-penny may come in handy for the children attending school…I know pennies used to count in my day’. Refers to the economic depression in the United States as ‘a strange situation and solving it a great problem’. He is ‘very fortunate’ in his health and in retaining his job, ‘If I had any hard work to do I should have retired long ago’. Mentions his cousin Pat Ryan attending a funeral in Timoleague. Concludes that her husband ‘is fortunate in not being in the ranks of labor in the States with strikes and lock-outs’. 2pp 21 January 1937 Letter from Denis Hurley, Carson City, Nevada to his niece, Mary Deasy, Ahafore, Timoleague, County Cork. Remarks on the ‘important work’ of looking after the children, and their ‘educational and religious training’. His investments are bringing him ‘a fair income’, but he ‘suffered with the failure of the banks’. Mentions the very cold winter in his part of the world. Observes that those in Ireland are interested in the Spanish civil war. He had hoped General Franco would capture Madrid. Notes that all the ‘Reds and evil minded and many who don’t understand the situation are giving assistance to the so-called government and think it patriotic and a fight for Democracy’. He compares the land holding issue with ‘Irish Landlordism’. Mentions the near death of Pontiff Pius XI. 2pp

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