AU10/100/7/4

Letter from S.A.Francis in Norwood, Manitoba [Canada] to Arthur Peer: "I duly received your letter and am taking this opportunity of replying to it. I find I have to be very careful or else I am apt to overlook writing and imagine the other person owes me a letter instead of which I owe them one. Well I am glad we are through the long winter at last. I see you had an exceptionally cold one but don't think you could find ice as thick as a penny the first week in June as was the case here. We have actually had no Spring at all and Summer burst right on us. Trees were in full leaf & blossom in three days and the sudden change made it rather trying for us. Everything grows very fast when it does come warm as the hours of daylight are much longer than in England. I have put on quite a garden this year but it was a terrible job getting the ground turned up as it had never been dug before and was full of rocks. I have carrots, parsnips, beets, lettuces, radish &c. coming along nicely and shall have a nice show of flowers in about a week or 10 days time. I am still with the Gordon Ironside people and they are putting more responsibilities on my shoulders, of course it means more salary, but I sometimes winder if it is proportionate to the extra worry one has. We are still going over to Winnipeg to church. Things are still in a pretty poor way at Norwood. The incumbent there is at present in the Old Country, on his honeymoon and the only thing one hears about him is as to how they can get rid of him. I half expected you to say in your letter that you were going to come over to Canada for a trip. There is nothing like a sea voyage for stirring up the liver and I am sure your doctor would bear me out in this. I believe my father would take a trip if he could find a mate so had better see if you cannot arrange matters between you. I see the hands of the clock are moving around and I must draw to a close. Will you kindly remember me to all Ampthill friends not forgetting your people at home, when you next see Claridge at the Brewery you might tell him he owes me a letter. I often think of Woods when I go to have my hair cut. It costs me 1/8 every time and if one gets a singe and a little pomade rubbed on Half a crown please is all they want. Well I must draw to a close, Mrs.Francis joins me in kind regards & we hope if not before at least we shall have the pleasure of welcoming you on your honeymoon tour which we trust is not in the far distant future.

26 Jun 1903

From: 1903 To: 1903

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Claridge, Charles William,
Francis, Samuel Alfred,
Peer, Arthur Henry,
Woods, Herbert John,
Francis, Ellen,
Smart, Ellen

Ampthill Brewery, specific emigration, Canadians, weather, carrots, parsnips, beets, lettuce, radishes, flora, AMPTHILL, Manitoba Norwood Grove, Winnipeg