Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 11 (1896)

Lt 143, 1896

White, J. E.; White, Emma

Sunnyside, Cooranbong, New South Wales

February 14, 1896

Previously unpublished.

Dear Children:

W. C. White, Sarah Belden, and I came to this place Christmas, because we could come at that time cheaper than at other times. We expected to have to occupy a crowded compartment but one of the officials [to whom] W. C. White pays a shilling, occasionally, for being so kind to wait on us when we have extra baggage, saw the situation and led us along, leaving the second-class carriages behind, and then said, Set down your baggage. He opened the door of a first-class compartment and Sarah and I could ride in it. Willie had a very crowded place, but this was for ladies only, so we were separated. I was so thoroughly worn out I lay down and slept nearly all the way. 11LtMs, Lt 143, 1896, par. 1

We have been settling most the whole time we have been here. The rooms were not done, and I have moved from room [to room] three times; and having to put on an additional kitchen, bathroom, and storeroom has kept us from unpacking goods. Painting and carpentering in different lines has made us know what the sound of the axe, saw, and hammer means. Certainly if the material could come together as the stones of the temple, without the sound of axe and hammer, what a relief it would be to us! We have seven workmen at the present time. All board themselves but two. We pay them one pound per week and allow ten shillings—two and a half dollars—for their board. 11LtMs, Lt 143, 1896, par. 2

Mr. Connell is my hired man to milk cows [and] attend to horses, and he is reliable. He can take a stove all to pieces and see what is the trouble that it will not work right, and then put it together again and it is cured of its defects. He is an intelligent worker of great value to us. 11LtMs, Lt 143, 1896, par. 3

Mr. Leonard is a man in the fifties. He is intelligent but cannot read. A very pleasant looking man of pleasing address. He is not a professor of religion. He lost two children and his wife some years ago and has been a wanderer, a lonely man. He boarded in our family until W. C. White’s family came; then we had to let him and other workers take care of themselves. This man would teach all the working men good lessons. He has the habit of great neatness, and washes himself and his clothing often. He mends his pants and it is done neatly. He is a man of large general information, and we can learn many things of him. In conversation he looks so kindly that we love to do him little favors. His work has been clearing land, putting in posts for foundation of the house, putting on iron roofing. He seems handy at almost anything. 11LtMs, Lt 143, 1896, par. 4

We decided to push the work vigorously. Brethren Shannon and Colson are our carpenters. They had much mending of furniture to do, for things were obliged to be handled several times before getting here and were more or less broken up. 11LtMs, Lt 143, 1896, par. 5

Brother Whiteman of Castle Hill, eleven miles from Parramatta, was sent for by the school to do masonry. He built our chimneys for four rooms. We took advantage of his being here to build our cistern. It is about twelve feet deep, and is round and quite large. Mr. Leonard did the digging. We had a pile of white clay after they had gone six feet. Brother Whiteman is now laying the brick, two tiers. He builds it in a dome shape. He thinks this underground cistern, with our five enormous iron tanks, will provide us with water in abundance if there is a drought. 11LtMs, Lt 143, 1896, par. 6

We have creeks. The center of one is all of twelve feet deep. This is beautiful, soft water. It could be used for drinking purposes if we had a filter. It is excellent tasting water. We shall bring it by force pump into a washhouse near the creek, and use it for common purposes—washing clothes and floors. We have a large fall of water from the iron roof, which is formed in grooves. 11LtMs, Lt 143, 1896, par. 7

Brother McCann and his two sons have been making a road between our location and the school, so that one half or three quarters of a mile will bring us to the center of operations-to the mill which is now in operation sawing lumber for building purposes on our own premises. We have a brickmaker getting out our brick, which will make the cost much less than transportation from Castleville or from Sydney. We have the very finest sandbank on our grounds. 11LtMs, Lt 143, 1896, par. 8

Call to dinner made us leave our work. Meanwhile a heavy thunder storm came up, and it has just poured down drops as large as hail. I fear this ends the cistern business for today. You may ask, Where is Willie? What is he doing? Dictating to Caldwell. He has been working yesterday and today to complete as best he could a place for May’s first child to be born in less than eight weeks. Sara McEnterfer has been the general to furnish the rooms, carpet them, and get settled. Willie has been having his humble rooms—designed for washhouse and laundry—[made ready], kitchen, dining room, and bedroom. Here is work to be done. His room is twelve by twelve, his kitchen a little larger. His stove is now up. My large family tent is a sitting room and children’s bedroom. He has had a frame built for a sort of piazza, eight feet wide and sixteen long. This, he will have, to serve for present necessities. Floor is mostly laid. He will have it boarded up about four feet, then get canvas curtains to complete the room. This will serve to set table in for meals in dry weather. The bare studding of the little kitchen is not very prepossessing in appearance, but they both seem well satisfied. 11LtMs, Lt 143, 1896, par. 9

We are comfortably situated in the house. One room W. C. White occupies for his office. Here he does his writing. Sister Burnham occupies the only spare room in the house. Six rooms below, besides a large pantry well-furnished will shelves, a good-sized bathroom, and a storeroom. All our provisions must be purchased in quantity, so that we shall not be surprised with nothing to eat. Grains must be kept in store, and feed for horses and cows. We have been gathering cucumbers and tomatoes from our place. We have turnips, cucumbers, squashes, and melons coming on—not ripe for eating. W. C. White and I go out at five o’clock, whenever we can, and prepare, by planting, for a future harvest. I rise at half past three most of the time, sometimes at two o’clock and half past. This is my writing hour. 11LtMs, Lt 143, 1896, par. 10

We have, besides rooms below, four very good sleeping rooms, one room for May Israel, one for Maggie Hare. There they do their typewriting. Sister Belden has another room, and one room is for storeroom. Ella May and Mabel slept in tent last night. W. C. White and May Lacey White slept in their small quarters. We may not be able to build for some time to come, for money matters are very close. 11LtMs, Lt 143, 1896, par. 11

We positively could not have fourteen and fifteen in the family continually, although we have gotten along very pleasantly. The children love Grandma very much and Grandmother loves the children. I have a girl I am keeping of just about Ella May’s age. She loves me and all the children seem very dear to me. 11LtMs, Lt 143, 1896, par. 12

It has not made me so nervous as I expected to have the thunder of workmen all about me. I am thankful I am so well as I am. I work very hard. 11LtMs, Lt 143, 1896, par. 13

The rain seems to have ceased. It is Friday. I do not think workmen will resume their work. Willie has been papering the particular room—one end of it on cloth, the other part is ceiled up; a humble abode indeed, but with the peace of Christ in the heart there is quietude and rest. 11LtMs, Lt 143, 1896, par. 14

Mother.