instantly. We made the passage in about five
weeks and five days, as we arrived at New York
on the 17th of May. We found it to be a place
quite different to our likeing, and so we left it and
proceeded up the country without anything in
our pockets, for we were determined not to be
discouraged, though in a strange land, for we knew
that we had the same eye watching over us here
as we had in England so we pushed on, on board
of a canal boat that was going to Buffalo, but
stopping about 2½ Miles from the Town of
B—— on account of a breakage in the canal, we
took the opportunity to look round the Town for
work and was fortunate enough to fall into work,
the three of us. Fred is learning the harness-
making, as he did not much care about learning
the shoemaking over again, as me and Churn has
to do, for the work here is as diffirent to what we
had been accustomed to as light from darkness.
I do scarcely anything but upper leathers, with
now and then a pair or two of Boy's Boots which
I make here in about three hours, being all pegged
work, as for closing you must not take a day to
close one pair, but must do 16 or 18 pair a day,
and 6 or 8 pair of what you call Wellingtons. So
you will see by this that it is no use coming over
unless you mean to work in downright ernest, for
they think of nothing but of making money, up
at ½ past four in the morning, begin work at five
and keep on till seven in the evening, and no time
allowed for your meals but eat away as fast as you
like and then back again to work, our breakfast
here beats all the dinners in England, for theres
roast and boil meats, pies, puddings, cakes, salids,
tea, coffee, bread and butter which latter article
comes on at all meals. We had grand doings here
on the fourth of July, in anneversary of their
Independence fireworks, Bonfires, Circus, shows,
firemen going round all the City with the engines
decorated out with flowers which look very
pretty. The President of the united States died
at Washington on the tenth of this month of
Billious Diarrhoæ, he is to be buried on friday the
12th. Twenty years ago this Town was nothing
but a low swampy mass of Land, with but one
house on it, now it is a flourishing place with
twenty thousand inhabitants, its rise is owing to a
salt spring about 2 miles off where they make vast
quantities of salt, indeed it is one of the chief
trades here it employs about three thousand
hands all the summer, but they do not work at it
in the winter, their weekly earnings are from 4 to
5 Dollars that is 1 pound English. It is very
hard work I can tell you, in this country were the
threometer is never much less than 100 during
the summer, where they have got to stand over
large Furnaces, attending to the boiling of the
salt. I do not think that I shall rest contended
over here longer than a few years, for a man earns
not a fraction more here than he does in England,
the only diffirence is, that he works more hours
here than he does there and consequently he is
glad to get home to rest himself, instead of
foolling his money away at the pothouse, and
then some of the things are rather cheaper here,
and as I told you before they only think of getting
money. I shall write and let you know more
about it when I have been over some time longer,
I shall then I guess know more about the place.
You can tell the others if they come over that I
should advise them to push up a little higher in
the country than stop in New York as it is far
better, and tell them that they need not mind
having any money for they will not starve over
here for we found the people very kind to us here
not like they are in England. You must excuse
this funny letter, as it is the work of several
evenings, and therefore it may read curious, for I
have felt rather unsettled as yet being among
strangers, but I will write you another shortly,
when I feel more at home, and will give you a
further discription of the place, so you must
excuse all faults. Timothy Case left his place in
New York, for what reason I do not know further
than that he said he only was going there till we
came that he might go with us, as he felt sure
when I saw New York that I should not stop in
it, and that if we would not go with him, he should
then have gone by himself. I felt very vexed
with him at leaving, and tried to persuade to stop
but it was no use, so Fred and me took him
under our care and got our boss to take him where
he is now learning the harness making. I guess
he will get about 20 Dollars a year he being hardly
an inch taller than he was at home. When you
return an answer direct to me at Mr. Apples Boot
and Shoe Store 8 Empire Block B—— Onoydaga
County State of New York. They don't say
streets, but call them Blocks, and they guess they
don't think here so I suppose that I shall get a
regular Yankee in time. It is tremendous hot
here now, and I feel it so when at work very
much. Tell Mr. Slade that I will write him a
letter soon. I get 2s.6d. english money a week or
30 Dollars a year of this, board lodging and washing
which is pretty fair wages here for boys, learning
pegged work, the general pay being 15 or 18
dollars a year, but as we had learned the other
work our boss gave us thirty, (boss here is what
they call the Master in England) Fred and Churn
gets the same wages, as me, you must give all our
best loves and wishes to all the School children,
and we hope that they will all value their learning,
which they will find will be a blessing and comfort
to them hereafter. You can tell them that I often
think of them when I sit at work and that I
almost fancy that I am in the old shop once
more hearing their voices as they say their lessons
showing how strong fancy leads us back again
to old familiar scenes, I hope that God will
bless and prosper them all in this life, and that
he will take them to his everlasting home is the
fervent prayer of John Jones. Give our love to
all kind friends at home, for so I am bound to
call it, and receive the same yourself with
Mrs. W— and Harriet.
"From yours ever affectionate pupils,
"J.J., J.H.C., and F.J."

Before reception into the Duck Lane School,
all these boys had been thieves. J.J. had
lived by plunder for seven years; J.H.C.
had been a thief from early childhood; and
F.J. from the age of five years.

On the 20th inst. will be published, price 5s. 6d.,
neatly bound in Cloth,
THE FlRST VOLUME
OF
"HOUSEHOLD WORDS,"
Containing Numbers 1 to 26.