New Westminster, B.C. 2 Sep 1883 Marcus Smith Letter to his wife
Lot 82 in our auction Saturday 30th July 2022
New Westminster B.C.
Sept. 2nd 1883
My dear Nannie
I have received your letter of the 13th inst. And am glad to learn that you have got the house freshened up – and also the good accounts of Henry’s health – which I hope will not prove fallacious as is too often the case in that disease — we are having fine weather with a little rain now and then – altogether it has been a remarkably fine summer – We had Mr Fleming and party here last week – people are wondering what his mission is – I think it is to “bull” that is praise the Canadian Pacific Company to assist them in borrowing money in London I dare say you will hear of a great Report of his soon – A mere farce he ran over the country as usual taking very little pains to learn the true state of the railway —-
I am in trouble about Tom there are jealousies of his promotion as the part of Trutch & others and they meanly objected to his board bill when Redman at Port Moody a part of which I had to pay out of my own pocket – and language was used to me by Schreiber and Trutch which makes it difficult to hold my position with any self respect – There are no complaints that Tom does not do his work but he is thoughtless and careless in some things — He broke one of the legs of the tripod for that fine level I brought out for him — and now by the grossest carelessness and despite repeated warnings the transit instrument the Govt lent him – the finest in the service – is damaged perhaps irreparably by a log falling on it – the logs – or heavy planks were in the place where the instrument had to be set – and he had them removed and piled up close by but carelessly – then he went away and left the instruments standing without any one to watch it – and when he came back – the logs had rolled down and smashed the instrument. This is the third case I have known all my life of an instrument being damed – the other cases only slightly – And there is no more – care required to keep an instrument safe than a man to avoid breaking his own neck – if he has common sense and thought — The value of the instrument is $27.5 at the makers which he will have to pay — or the cost of repairing it if it can be repaired meantime he is without an instrument and has borrowed one for a few weeks If the broken instrument cannot be repaired he will have to pay not only it’s value but buy a new one for himself which will cost over $300 befor it gets here – half a year salary through more carelessness – I am glad to hear the girls are working hard and hope they will turn out better. Love to all
Yours ever
M. Smith
P.S. Is Eloise going to the Art school I hear it is now well conducted and she would certainly learn more there than anywhere else. Moreover as I pay the subscription for membership which I believe reduces the fees for pupils sent by me – I don’t see why advantage should not be taken of it.
M. S._____ ______
