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Letter from George Woodman Devine to his sister Sarah Emma Torrens. Original does not have a year but 1930? has been written on it.Cecil mentioned below is C.W. Torrens born 1922 so would have been about 8. G.W.D. was born 1875 and this does not seem to be a letter from a 55 year old, yet so it must be !
Hyder
AlaskaMar 11th
My Dearest Sister Em
My but it feels good even to get a news paper from you. So now that it is so close to the 17th of Ireland I will cross mails. The 17th is a general holiday all through Alaska. Even the natives wear green ties up here, that's going some. I guess there a lot of Irish in Alaska.
Now I will try and give you an idea of "The Portland Canal" district. Hyder U.S. Alaska is right up against the boundary line of British Columbia Canada. There are two other towns in B.C. Canada. They are Hyder B.C. only 60 feet across the line and "Stewart" B.C. which is up at the head of the canal 3 miles.
The Canadian mail boats handle all outgoing mail for the U.S. so that let us have a pretty good mail service. We get one weekly boat and also one passenger and freight boat per month. So that not so bad. There are about 900 hd people in all thee town (sic). You know that Alaska Sundays are just the same as any other days. Stores open. very few Church gowers (sic). Just old people. I bet in Hyder there are nt 30 out of 200 hd go to church. Money the Big Dollars. That's all our worrys. But even at that the real Alaskans are the very best people. This country has sure changed since I come up here. big towns have sprung up. New roads air plains (sic). where we used to think nothing of walking a couple of hundred miles now we can take stages or fly. They are building all kinds of highways in years to come it will not be long when a fellow will be able to drive a car all over Alaska. Hyder you can drive any kind of a car for 30 miles back on real good roads. So you can see by this that we are not so far behind out here. If it was not for the snow and cold Alaska would certainly be it. This has been the best winter that I have seen as yet. Very little snow and not to cold.
Now dear Em, I have had this on my mind since Father passed away. You have heard dad talk of the name Woodman Devine. He had often spoke of money being in the Bank of Chancery, London for the next Woodman to kin. It was some Grandfather dispute as far as I can remember. Dad says and also some Mrs Brown of London that has all legal papers. Now the day I sailed from Liverpool Father asked me if I would change my mind about Canada. That he would try and get it for me but at that time it would take a lot of money to get it. Now dearest sister, it may be to late. All Browns must be dead by now and I certainly think that father new (sic) what he was thinking about. I do not know how to find out so if you would persuade Jack to wrote and try to get a list of all back legacies, I do not know much about the Bank of Chancery, It may have gone back to state. There is something in this, I am not superstitious. But I can't tell you what it is. Something keeps reminding me day and night. I think this would be worth while looking into. I may have a fortune in London yet. I hope so but its such a long time ago Jack would know the best way to get 6o it. So if you will do this it will ease my mind a lot. So now I must cut short as it is getting late. We get all New York programs from 5 to 8.30 at night swell singing. Radio is sure a fine passtime. My partners name Jim Jackson. He is a New Yorker. He has a dandy radio 8 tubes Atwater Kent is the name of it. Cost 146 Dollars. Some nights at 4:00 we get Japan.We get all London big doing when they hook up with the stations in Seattle. K.O.M.O. and K.J.R. Those are two of the best stations in Seattle 17th of Ireland is always good. All Irish programs on they ??? S ?? ???? I like this old time stuff. I suppose Jack is quite a Radio fan to. Up here we think nothing of staying up all night. That's if it is coming in good. So now Dearest Em I must stop. I hope to get a letter from you tomorrow mail Thursday. Hoping this will find you, Jack, Bob, Cecil in the best of health.
Your loving
Brother Geo.Best regards to all my old friends in Youghal
I save(?) long to get your letters I would like to drop Rich Clinghan a line but it is such a hard job on me. Lots of Love Geo.
