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Transcribed by Gary Carroll, [email protected]
Letter from William Black Wellner (1809-1892) to George W Howlan
PAPEI ACC 2851/1 -
Mr. Geo W Howlan
Care of Capn Ryder
CascumpequeCh town 30 July, 1853
Dr sir
As an epistle from the "far west" of 24 inst over your name came to hand this morning and as I have the shop to myself just now will the benefit of the acct by getting up a contra to it. I am glad to find the black flies have not quite eaten you up so that you retain your appetite for a little of the sayings and doings "down east" here in "this yer imperium ob de island" one day of the week (Wednesday I think) the whole tory fraternity here was prised from the "even tenor of its way" & ? ? were grouped together over the face of the globe discussing the enormous sin committed by "Lovely Peter" in not only joining the liberal side but accepting a seat in the Executive & the Treasurership! Such iniquity on his part was almost choking to the "Rastycrats" as Broyderick calls them, & they could have limbed Macgowan if they dared, next day however "Pete" thought there was 10 times too much work for the salary (say £ 250 as Robbins would not accept the deputyship under £ 150) & he consequently resigned! This gave the tories a lift on the other side & joy passed through the camp at what they considered "Jarge Coles" defeat & then they counted on a majority of at least two, with a third one in their eye, but Jarge was not so much trumped as they thought he was, & a known tory showed me a list of his own making out in so far as he could judge that Coles has a majority of 3 if not 4 and will beat Beer into the bargain! What do you think of that Master Brooks?
Augt 2 Yesterday Hon. Capn Rice was sworn in as Treasurer and commenced operations. Mr. Pope leaves for Australia, via England next week Mr. Pope bought one of the Deans vessels from Souris, has loaded it with timber & deals - she sails tomorrow for London with young Cullen, formerly a printer at Haszards, as mate! "Shirt collar Joe" got himself into a somewhat dirty scrape about the election time - it appears that a printer was married to one of the McEachern girls two of whom are talked of as not the most virtuous heifers
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that ever were, well this petticoat went into Joe's shop & it would appear that he was extremely polite & attentive to her & at last wanted her to go into the back room with him, but she refused, posted home, & told her husband he went off to Joe under pretence that he wanted to buy some canvas to make a flag for old Treneman, but Joe not thinking the wife had blown him, answered the husband very roughly about the canvas, told him he would not as a tory sell anything to make a flag for a liberal; the printer on this went out a little & returned, when he told Joe he wanted to speak to him & the latter quite simply stepped along to the opening in the counter when the printer collared & cuffed him pretty roundly, making quite a noise as he did it, which soon gathered a pretty crowd about the door when the printer let the cat out of the bag; & it is said the be very likely to do Joe considerable injury as decent females will not be on such haste to visit his shop. The "Devastation" cruising about Baie De Chaleur caught a fisherman whose register did not agree with the dimensions of the vessel, took him in tow, brought her in here & yesterday had to tow her away. I had not learned the "why or wherefore" though I have several times enquired. There is a strong rumour of another steamer coming here this autumn from England to supercede "the Fairy" James Peake Esq. is reducing his family pretty well last night he shipped the two oldest boys to Sackville Academy & tomorrow him & Mrs. P go to Halifax to plant the eldest daughter in some school there. We have not diverting vagabonds & monkeys enough in this town but two "possums" with an organ & a monkey are exhibiting their talents - one at making noise, the other dancing to it & jumping & climbing for coppers; he is dressed something like a Highlander & wears a cocked hat! a beautiful apology for street begging. I made your respects to Sandy McKinnon & he talked of writing you but I guess from the immense amount of small talk he has to bestow on the town
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petticoats he will not trouble you much with of an epistle The Californian whose name I could not mention you before, I have since found to be Clow from Murray Harbour. I have just heard that John Andrews man at Bedeque is handing him in £ 60 cash per week! go it boots! Excuse this scrawl as I am just asleep.
Augt 3d Jemmy Brick Morris had an auction yesterday the commission on which is calculated to be 20/ - This as the Yankees say is "1/4 cent business"
Weatherbe has christened him the Prince of Auctioneers. A Doctor Coles from Boston has been lecturing here on the Philosophy of Health he is death on liquor & tobacco users & puts them down a few pegs below pigs, he has gained several converts to the disuse of tobacco; on Monday night he lectured in the Temperance Hall after which several persons prompted Found to get up and give him a blowing up, he got on his feet but had not proceeded far when some of his pretended friends began to hiss him, then the hissing became general & the man of cabbage found himself small scraps & sat down chapfallen, this is the second rebuke he has had during the course of a month - he was in at Macgowans spouting away with his back to the counter when "Mrs. Pete" gave him a blow between the shoulders which almost winded him, after which she opened her organs of speech & paid him off in fine style, among the general fire she told him he had he made a great noise at the nomination day, she expressed surprise that the 9th part of a man should be able to make so much noise & wondered if he could tell her how much disturbance a whole man would make! told him he knew as little about & had as little business with politics as "the man in the moon" that he had better go home & work & not oblige his poor wife to work to keep him & the family together while he was gossiping about , earning nothing &c. &c. well sir, he cleaned out without saying one word more than a dog with his tail between his legs. perhaps those checks may do him good, especially as he has lately taken a few in the
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St. Pauls Church among the many scoundrels visiting that sanctuary & I think has been admitted to the choir as they were practising a few nights since & he went in among the number. Ross the great singing man made an appointment with his pupils, some of which are Preedys daughters, to meet on the top of the Province Building at night to sing, the evening was calm, the singing good & it vibrated through the town very musically, of course it created a sensation. --- The telegraph wire is in full operation at East Point, I have not heard when it is designed to give you the benefit of the wire. The brigantine purchased by Jas. Pope lately at Hog Island, not 10 miles from you arrived here last night & is preparing to load for England; the Popes are doing business, Wm has a 3 story warehouse building, between his dwelling house & his fathers & it is said he is going to strike out as a wholesale merchant I guess his and royal Charlies reputation as honest lawyers after the canvassing they had in the last session of the assembly will oblige them to get a living some other way. I see Charlie & his rib are off to Halifax this morning in the "Fairy" I suppose you heard the fowl scrape that the Mclean & Taylors got into last winter in taking "Peter Grievous" alias old Barrows hens? John Mc Lean the Blacksmith the ringleader turned Queens evidence at the court in June & put Neil McLean off; a petition was got up in their behalf which saved them about 4 mos imprisonment each & another petition was handed to the Governor the other day to get them out but I have not heard its result - Jas. Duncan & Wm McGill were quite active in it. Miss Duncan has returned from Halifax. old Harris wants a boy, will you come?
Yours W.B. Wellner