Letters from Alex Bow to cousin Emma (Bow) in Australia
(from the South River Library)
Excerpt from letter in 1913 – six years after his marriage to Ellen (Nellie) McKee
“My misses can crochet, work any kind of lace or embroidery which she can see in a paper and is also able to harness up a team of horses and drive them as well as me.”
Following are two more letters from Alex to Emma in 1922 and 25.
South River, RR 1 Jan.1, 1922
Dear Cousin Emma,
I have decided to take great pleasure of answering your last letter which I was pleased to receive and read that you were all well. Well, Emma, we are all having some winter now, the winter came on pretty early and has remained cold but not much snow until Sat. Dec. 31 when we got about 15 inches. Well Emma, Christmas is over again and we all got over it without being seriously sick, which is something to be thankful for. How did you make out, Emma? We had Charlie Bow up for a visit this fall. He came up for a deer hunt but got none. He didn’t stay long as the weather was disagreeably cold. He tells me that the poor people in Toronto are having a hard time to live this winter. Many are resorting to stealing anything they can get their hands on. Money was pretty hard to get here in the country this fall too but things are improving now and most of the industries are in operation again. We had a very dry hot summer last summer and grain and hay was short but corn was excellent. Potatoes too was a light crop but of good quality. I took 3rd prize in the field competition $12.00. I had an excellent crop but too many weeds for first prize. We had Janet’s 2 boys with us during the school holidays. They certainly had some time of it. I still hear from WB Bow. He is still in Ohio. I just got a letter from Bob. He and his wife are well and so is Tom. Say Emma, we have another little girl baby here. She came on the 16th of November and we call her Margaret Anne. So that makes 7 – 4 boys and 3 girls and believe me it keeps me busy getting food and clothes for them. However, the two oldest are a considerable help now.
Alex Bow
South River, RR#1, July 20, 1925.
Dear Cousin Emma,
I am writing you a few lines this beautiful day. The fields and woods are all nice and green. The lake too as I look out from my writing disk is like a huge mirror and an old duck is making a streak across its smooth surface with her brood of young. We had an abundance of rain and rather cool but good growing weather. We are busy at the hay crop now although we are a little behind owing to having to harvest a wonderful but small crop of strawberries. We picked 1700 Qt. Boxes of a planting of 3000 plants, and realized about $285. We got a pretty good price for them owing for the late frost keeping out the berries south of us. All of the crops are here except corn it being cold and wet for the crop. I think there will be a good crop of wild fruit such as raspberries and huckleberries, those supply a large place in our winter supply of preserved fruit. Of course I make maple syrup and I wish you could be here in the spring to help us make this delicious sweet. I think the children enjoy this work more than anything else on the farm for they seem to never forget it. I bought a new evaporator this spring 500 tree capacity without the pails as I had them and it cost me $180.00 and it is a real pleasure to work with. The city residents are again flocking around the lake to enjoy the fresh air and bath in the clear water of Eagle Lake and fish. Say Emma, did you ever try to raise turkeys in Australia? We have tried here with very poor success, the weather being cold and wet for them. I got your snaps all ok. Thanks very much I think they were fine. I was sorry to hear that you were sick. I hope that you are enjoying good health now we are fine here. I think I will close now, the children and Nellie all join their love to you.
I remain as ever your loving cousin
Alex Bow