Graham Letter - Robert Wilkinson 1853

Robert Wilkinson's second letter to John Peart and Joseph Graham follows: Durham Records Office ref D/X 1035/5 Blos Borg May 8 1853 Dear frenes and aquantens I ll take the afer opurtunty of ritting you a few mor lines to in form you that we are all well at present hoping thes lines will find you the same. I duly receved your kind and welkem letter yesterday the 7 of may and you want to (k)no(w) what a place this is. Well sir it is a good place for making Muney and pa(i)d everey munth but it is a very wild place at the new mines and bording verey his 20 shillings a week. The wages is form 8 dolars a week, tow dollars a day. This last munth I worket for my slafe and I have 34;50 for my months work. I lost to days and tow days I worket out sid(e) for wone dollar per day. But now I work with 4 men parteners and we have 2:25 a yeard we cat (cut) form 5 feet to two yeards a day tow of us at wone shift and we yous no pouder. It cos us about 7 or 8 sence per day for exspunsces but if I had a good falley with me I co(u)ld make much more as I hope that I will get you for a parterns. I have bilt my slafe a house at the new mines and mence to move in to it in a weeks time. I have put shinegels on it. I have a good pig a young sue (sow) as I think she will pig in a week or tow. I gave 5 dolars for her a munth ago to and was very shape at that. My house is close to the new mines and I mine to have a bet garding if posebell. I have save no money but what I have spent I will have my house and will have it all pad for to about 5 or ten dollars and I think that's pretey good for they costs a concertebel of money. I have not work over tow days as it my slafe let it by the job. I think in a months time or to I will be abell to buy my slafe a good cow and then I will be rich. I think ther will be a good chance for you aganct your time be up* and the best advice that I can you is to start mining for I think you can make 9 or 10 dolars a week for working 8 ours in wone day. And if you com(e) up to our house you can hard your slafe as ther is a great maney das Bords ther sleves. It is most like the old Conterey her(e). they are all old Conterey fokes and wardall. It cost a man about 8 dolars a munth to bord him slife as sum das that bord them slaves. But you might com up and see. And we live in the ten bildenes in the laset house but call at the Blaksmith shop belo(w) the dipo and Mr Pateres Paterson workes in it and he will tell you all wher to find us. We roght a letter to Jacon** and tell him how to find us. And I hope you will not hire for for anyeure. You must hire no way until you com up her and see all about it. You might com up on startday. Sone at present we remane your wall wicher Robert Wilkinson and fameeley ¿ *Robert Wilkinson appears to be telling John and Joseph that he believes there will be an opportunity to work at the coal mines when the time for which they had contracted to work is up. ¿ ** It is not known exactly when Jacob, John Peart's brother, emigrated to America. However, he did emigrate about this time. He did not settle in the east, but rather in the Mid-West.