THE WATSON LETTERS OF TULLY AND ONONDAGA CO., N.Y.

[The Morton’s of Mt. Airy, Pa. were Scottish friends of the Watson’s. Lots of local gossip. Margaret  has some seamstress skills.]

Tully April 9th 1873

My Dear Son I received your Letter and I was happy to hear that you was well and I hope that this will find you Still the Same. Your Father is quite well again and has Commenced work again / I had a letter from Mrs Morton yestarday and your Father had one from Mr Morton / they had got the pounding Barrel and Pail and was much pleased with them / Mary wrote my Letter and She tells me that Morton Benedict had been sliding down hill Last Winter and his hand Slede Ran against Lamp post and Brock his Leg but it was getting better / he is Elizabeth’s Boy / Morton had been down to Camden to See a man that had been home to Scotland / Mortons Brother Sent him one Black Bird and 3 green Linnets and they are all doing well / they all send their kind Love to you / Mary Says they have meetings every night and a great Many are getting converted / 39 have joined the Prespetearians and over 60 joined the Baptist / the Doct thinks now that H.A. Chase Will not get any better / I believe he gives them no hope this week but John is getting better / Ham has gave up the Shop to Rub Smith / the Purdy Boy is back he came back soon after his Father / Our Cow is well again / Pat Dunavon has had another great time and was going to kill Mary with a hammar but John Lathen Came in and Saved her / he is Jelisous of her and Joe / Joe has moved Out / Fletcher Says that he will Shut him up for 90 days if he dont behave himself / he wants the deed of the place So he can give Wright Security for $80.00 and Mrs King has it in Marys name / James Byrnie and Steve Balding has a Law Suite about the house / Steve wanted to stay in it and Byrnie wanted him out hes has to move / James Caven is back man for the Syracuse house/ now it will not do to alter your Shirts / you See the button holes are there but I Can make Some by & by to button behind or on the Sholder / Mrs Tonley Showed me Some that She was making for Twonley buttoned on the Sholder / I have been Soking for Some Collend[cottond?] cloth to make you Some but have not got any yet to Suit me / last Sunday was the darkest day here I have seen in a Long time / Some Lighted their Lamps and Inilo had to Light one for Hammond to Read his discourse / this last flood has done a good deal of damage in Some places / 30 was drowned in Rochester and Some drifts on the Vesper Road were 50 feet deep / it has been in most all the Cellers in Tully. We have got Our Wood Split today / Yes I thought that you would be likely to have a flood in Oswego if I was miss adviance / I think that I would not try to get back to the P.O. again / I would but She Snows / best Love from both while I remain your affecnate Mother
Margaret Watson

I have not got your Independent yet but perhaps it will come tomorrow / I ment to Send you back Roberts Letter in your Satchel but forgot but perhaps you Can write without it
MW

the paper came today
 

[Margaret’s preparations to visit her son. George Watson adds a note at the end.]

Mr John G. Watson
Operator Bx 1162
Oswego N.Y.

Postmark: Tully N.Y. JUN 19

Tully N.Y. June 18, 1873

My Dear Son I received your Welcome Letter on Teusday morning and I was glad to hear that you was getting Over your Cold / we are both pritty well at present and I talk of Comming to See you on Satarday if all is well / I am not Sure yet which train I will Leave here with / I thought once of taken the 9 o clock 20 minetts A.M. and Staying half a day in the City but I think that I will take the half day in Syracuse When I am Coming home / I may not be
Ready for the morning train and I talk of taken the freight in the afternoon / So to save you from taken two stamps if you get no more Word from me you may expect me on the evening train / if I come in the morning I shall have to leave Syracuse at 2.55 P.M. / I See by the paper that the trains departed at 6.45 A.M. and 2.55 P.M. So I shall be with the 2.55 P.M. & 7.55 P.M. but if I come with the 2.55 it will be daylight and I can find my way to the office if you have no time to come to the depot / Fay has no time table So we cannot tell very well / this paper is May 19th / I dont care anything about the Circues but I think that I had best take my trip before Robert comes / Mary is coming up with S. Rime / the milk and wash pans for me if I should not come / I Will Send you Word and you could ask Fay Over the Wares[wires] what time I Leave and then you would know when to meet me / Your father and me went over to Vesper on Sunday Last / they are holding meeting there / We were first ready to come back when it Commenced to rain So we Staid in church While it Rained the hardest and I tell you we has a good Shower and it done good / We Wont have any new Potatos much before Augt / Mart Vail has the best Coarn in Town / John Ostrander is in Owego Jail for forgery and if he gets State Prison it will be best what he diserves / I See your Father has wrote So I think I will close With best Love from Mother
Margaret Watson

Tully Jun 18 1873

My Dear Son I got your kind letter out the office on Tusday morning All Wright / I was disapointed on Monday night when I went to the office and did not get it / I was affeared you was Sicke / your Mother Said if their was not one in the morning She would Tallegraffe to you to see if you was well but was very glad to hear that you was geting better of your cold / this leaves us both Well at present thank god for his goodness to us / I think you may looke for your Mother on Satarday / I no She wants to See you verrey Much and I Would like to My Selfe but wee cant both leve home vere well at present but I will come Some time and Make you a vicet / I dont know of any thing new in Tully to tell you it is rather Dull / I dont hear much about the ralway only I think thay is running better that they did. J Buttles is working on the Tracke for Wright. I thinke My Selff John that you will have to get you a plug Hat for I think they ar a verey dressie hat and I thinke you out[ought] to get one / John Cumines you kno has got a Whit one you kno / he is in Tallmage and Millers Store you kno / from afft Father
George Watson
 

[Light shed on the friction between Margaret and her brother. Another hint of a fire in Tully.]

Envelope address:       Mr. John G. Watson
                        Operator Box 1162
                        Oswego, N.Y.

Postmark: TULLY, N.Y. JUL. 24
 

Tully July 23rd 1873

My Dear Son I Received your letter and was glad to hear from you and glad to hear you was well / We are all well at present but my Cold Seams Louth to Leave me / it Sticketh closer than a Brother and it is hard to get along with / Such a Cough. Robert I think is Some better that What he Was When he came and I think he looks better. a good deal I think myself it Will be better for him not to go to Oswego till Mr & Mrs Stoddend gets back and it Was my thoughts all along to Say So and he thinks So himself / his Mother Left here Last friday morning and got home to Mount Airy depot that night at half past eliven o clock / he had a Letter from home yesterday / his Mother only came to see him Safe here and I promised her that if I thought he got any Worse to Let her know Right Off but he dont know that / She Says this is the Least visit We Will get from him that one of his Lungs is all Wasted away but he wants to Come So bad that they thought they must Let him and perhaps it might do him a Littel good and She told some of her nebors that She wont affraid to trust him in my care that I Would take good Care of him. I felt Sorry for her / it is hard for her to think that She must Lose him now in all his manhood. She told me what had offendeed John Stephen that he did not Write to me now / he thought that I did not Notice his Children enugh in my Letters that I had never Said in my Last Letter that I was glad that Fannie had got better and had another boy / in fact I dont know wither I did or not but I know I asked him to Send me Word of the date of the Letters that he claimed I had got and had not answed but John is to easy offended / if that is all I have done to Offend I wont greave much about that / I think he has Slighted you more than that for he never answered your Letter that you Sent from Binghamton and if he had Cared much for his Sister when the fire was in Tully he would have wrote to See about it. Mrs. D. says in her Letter to Robert that Stephens youngest Child  got burned bad Last Wensday but that he Was going to write himself but has not done it / I gess you will hear from me again Likely before you See Robert / When he is in Oswego buy Some Littel present for his youingest brother / he is about six years old for there was nothing here that would Suite/ now John I will have to Close for the present / hoping Soon to write again I remain your Dear Mother
Margaret

I will keep your Studs till I make you a fine shirt and put them in it / I am Cutting Carpet rags so Save all your Old Clothes and you Come in for your Share of the Carpet when made / your Father is in bed / accept his Love
 

[A year has gone by since the first Tully letter. John’s ailing friend, Robert, paid him a visit. Apparently the Baptist church had some renovations done.]

Tully Sept 4th 1873

My Dear Son Your letter of the 31st I Received and I Was glad to hear that you and Ed got all Safe through / Ed arrived home all Safe / I have not Seen him but your Father did. I meant you to have my Letter this P.M. but When I got my mornings Work done up it Was most half past Eight So I thought I would visit / your father was in Syracuse all night but got home this morning for it Rained So he did not Stay to the meeting to day / he stayed to Ike Smiths all night / I Believe Thomas Morton Was through at Oswego buying a Lot of Lumber / I Wonder he did not Call and See you / We had a Letter from Robert at the same time We got yours and he got home all Safe that Same day and found his Mother and Brother and the hired girl waiting for him with a coat for him for it was Raining When he got to Mount Airy / his folks think he has improved Well While here and I know he has / he says that the peaches Was Shiped on Wensday and not an unsound one in the Crate / I See by Looking at the Crate that it Came the Longest Rout / one day more and they Would have been good for nothing to me / I Was afraid yours would not be good When I Saw mine on Sunday but I put the best Out for you. you Lost your pencl in the Celler / I found it On Sunday in the Wash tub but the Water has made it pritty Soft / I will Send you 2 papers With this / I have got 2 Of your Shirts done and the Other 2 Cut Out. your Father Says that Lecompt is Coming Out to preach the dedecation Sermon When the Church is done / they are papering it and I tell you it is going to look nice / Elder Hamond Preached his farewell Sermon Last Sunday / he took tea With us on Monday and he hated to Leave Tully / he told me So When here / he thinks Fox helped to turn folks against him Last Winter and I dont think he done him any good. the desipels has commenced their meeting to day / I Saw Belding Come this morning / they expect about 300 Will be here and if is pleasant on Sunday they will have meeting in the School green if Stormy in the School house and the Church. Jim Carver has left his folks dont know Where he is / your Father Saw him On Monday night at the depot and he Said he Was going to Liverpool England in the Steamer With his Cusins and he Was half drunk When / So he has not been Since and the Elder Says he dont know where he got the money but money he had / anyway your Father Was there yestarday and they Say they dont know any thing about him / I fear James will never do any good / now John I think that I must Stop As I See I have made Some Misstakes but you must excuse me as my Right arm is very Lame / I can hardly use it / if Albert goes to Canada to day he will get a blast if the Wind blows in Oswego as it dose here / give my Love to Mrs Stodend and accept a good Share to your Self / this from your aff Mother
Margaret Watson

it Rained here on Sunday I thopught Ed and you would not get Out much

Your Father Culed on Charlie Smith today and paid him $100 dollar for the horse
 

[John has to move in Oswego. The Baptist church has to have a bigger chandelier than the Methodists. George Watson adds a note again.]

Mr John G. Watson
Operator Box 1162
Oswego, N.Y.

[note at top of letter]
We bought the sofa [this?] afn.

Tully Oct 1st 1873

My Dear Son I rec’d your letter on Monday night and was glad to hear from you and that you was well but I am Sorrey you have to Change your place of Boarding / I used to hate to Change my place of Boarding as bad as my place of Working and no one hated to do that any Worse than What I did / but I Was affraid Last Summer from What Mrs Stodder Said that She Would not keep you this Winter and I meant to tell you but did not / She said she would have to have that Room for herself this Winter but then I though that perhaps She would give you hers but We must do the best We can in Such things / if you have no place Convinent to have your Washing done Just Send it home and I will do it for you / Cold Weather your Shirts Wont be so sweaty and if you get that Room have a fire in it by all means even if it should cost you a littel more. We did not get your N.Y. paper yet but We got the Independent.  Your father says that he would like to Borrow some of your money when he comes to pay for his Staves in Binghamton / if he dont get in his accounts and he thinks he wont for money is high here [at?] present and he Will give you the same Interest as the Bank is giving. the M.E. took $90 that night and cleared over $60 and I tell you they have got a nice Chandler / 2 lens[lines?] of Lights and the Bt. is going to try and get one With 16 lights / high Abbot Says that he will give $5.00 if they get one better than the M.E. / Morley was here last week and Preached for the M.E. morning and evening and he Preached Well / he Called to see me Last Friday and Wished to be remembered to you and he wante me to tell you that he wanted you to Chose Some Church a[nd] become a good Christian and true follower of the meek and Lowly Jesus / for he Said John was one of his boy friends and that he was glad to hear you was doin well and he thought that if you had that one thing needful you would be perfect and a Lonely Christian / I told him Would Surely tell you when I wrote / he said Charlie was at home at present / your Father and Walters is filling up Round the house to day / may now tell you that they have got Over $200 for to furnish the Church and they are going to carpet it all over / they wanted another dollar from me but I thought I had given enugh / I gave a dollar worth at the fourth of July and another at the last festivil / I give a dollars Worth for the Ice Cream / I will not close this perhaps your Father Will Write some / So good by Son the [ ? ] glad your Shirt fits / I think they are all nearly alike / Accept my best Love from your Afft. Mother
Margaret

P.S. you may send the price of the Compenion / I think I will send for it for 18 months and that will get the pictures but $2 Will do / I trust to use Some of My five.

Tully Oct 2d 1873

My Dear Son I will try and writ you a few lines this morning to you / I was glad to have a letter from you and to hear that you was well / I am well at present thank god for hise goodness to me / I don a hard day worke yesterday and felts the affets of it this morning / Mr. Waters and I deal durt in to the front yard and a round the Slope and I thinke it Will be better and look better / I was Sorrey to hear that you had to change your bording house / you liket it so well but if you can get in to the Same house that you was in befor it will be better for you in the winter / I have Bought the Sofey for 10 dollers / these Seeme to be a Stripe with some of the tones Teppel about the to [ ? ] / the M.E. has got a Large Chandles  with 12 lites and H. Abett sayes that the Battest might have one with 16 lites and has gived five dollers / John Arnold says he Will pay 5 allso / it will cost 55 dollers but I will let you kno in the next letter how we get along / now my Son I will have to stop for its most time to go to the Post with this/ from your afft.
father
George Watson
 

Mr. John G. Watson
Operator Bx 1272
Oswego N.Y.

Postmark: TULLY NY OCT 23

Tully, N.Y. October 22nd 1873

My Dear Son I Received your dispatch on Monday and then your father arrived all Safe With the 6.20 train / We have had Some very Wet Weather but it is fair today / I think I never heard the Wind blow any Louder that What it did on friday night and Satarday of Last Week but I got along very Well alone / I may now tell you that Eugeune King and Maggie Manhar is to be married in Cortland tomorrow and then they are going to Board for a Spell / he was drinking all Last Week his folks are mad as can be. Joe Winters has got another boy and Johnie Bristingham that married Hods Kings girl the Same time that Tom the tinker married Ells / your Father Saw Kate in the City and John Karniey is Some better it is the dropsey he has got. I have got 4 of the papers this Week and When I can I Will Send them to you and the pictures Came on Satarday and they are Littel gems of beauty that is the Least I Can Say for them / I did not expect your Father all yesterday or today / I thank you for the nuts and candy you Sent and I eat So much that it made me Sick yesterday / I tell you it Looks Like fall now With all the Leaves falling Round / Mrs Denwell has gone to Spend the Winter in the South / now I think I must Close as I have no more to Say / So accept of my best Love While I Remain your affect. Mother
Margaret Watson
 

Tully Oct 22 1873

My Dear Son I [ ? ] att home all right but Was Some Wett / it rained all the time I was in Syracuse / I went to Allvards but but [sic] did not get any Bl [barrels] to make allso to Warren Cock & compne but they all said that thaydid not know What thay do So I Went to the Wascot House and Staid thear until it Was time to go the [ ? ] / I was glad I came fore I thinke your Mother was tired of doing the chores / She had got the cow in the barrns / that weding is to come of[f] in the 23rd / I had Some talk with E.B. King about it / he Said that She was going to have the Worst of it for he was a Drunkerd and all he cared for was his Belly and Said he had taking care of him for the last Six years but head got throuw now / Said I did not know how manny times he carried him home Drunk. I think I Shall keep on making Porke Bl  / When the time comes for packing mabe I can Sell them / I Saw John Skills he was asking for you / he told me that he was tired working nights now / I thinke I will have to Stope hoping theus few lines will find you well as they leave me at present/ from your Affet Father
George Watson
 
 

Return to Onondaga County Family Letters page.

24 July 1999