Dear Aunts Sarah & Mary,

I expect you will wonder what ever possessed me to write you, whom I have never seen, well I will first tell you who I am. I am the second son living of your cousins Henry and Elizabeth Slater who are now in Bracebridge Ontario was born almost thirty one years ago in a village called Onondaga in the county of Brant, was about nine years old when Father and Mother thought it wise to move to Muskoka an unsettled district to obtain free grant crown lands for the benefit of their

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sons. Frederick, Henry, James, Herbert and my self. it seems as if Fred, Harry, Jemmir (?) & I had seen too much of village life to care very much for clearing up new land, so one by one as we grew up left the new country in pursuit of business life. Fred, after seemingly a life misfortune, meeting with so many accidents of various kinds, was finally taken away by a severe attack hemmorage, at that time he was living in Toronto and was cashier of the Northern & Northwestern R.R.      Henry being the next younger then Fred learned the tin & hardware business after following this for several years. (?)gave it up and went to the north west and is now farming. he has not written me for about four years. Fred was married twice, had one child by his first wife and about two years later the child died and his wife soon followed. her maiden name was Camilla M Campbell 

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she was a lovely woman and their little child Gertrude was a nice child. Fred married again about two years later one Fannie Brunskill she was also a very nice woman. and by her he had one son a very bright boy called Manay (?). Harry married one Fannie Hill. I was at their wedding but have not heard from them since (directly). They have one son Melvin. I was next on the list to leave home soon followed by Jemmie (?) I spent nearly five years with sister Anne’s husband Robert Morrow in the grocery business at Paris Ontario then traveled nearly two years and have been in Chicago nearly seven years. have been in the tailoring business nearly four years.

On the 20th January two years ago I married one Ella L. Frazer (?) a farmers daughter from near Paris and of course I think she is an exceedingly nice girl now twenty four years of age and was only thirteen when I first met her.     Jemmie was married about two

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years before me although he is two years younger. his wives maiden name was Louisa Chapman and they have one of the sweetest little girls Mita (?) that ever grew just fifteen months old. they are living in a town called Onillia (?) in Ontario.

The last but not least is Herbert, he is on Fathers country farm in Muskoka and was married to one Lola Gilbert almost one year ago. They like ourselves have no children.

Sister Annie was married about fifteen years ago    They have quite a large family three boys and one girl also one boy dead. Harry. Minnie Willis & Arthur. They are four nice children.

The youngest in our family is sister Lizzie she is seventeen years of age and a nice girl, is at home in Bracebridge with Father and Mother.

Quite likely cousin Charlie has told you as much as I have already written but perhaps not so much in detail.

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Charles has very likely told you about out first acquaintance not long after he came to this country the first times. During our visits together we became quite intimate he told me about you in such a way that I became very much interested in you all in the old country and since he came to Chicago he asked me to write you. I concluded to do so and that is the foundation of this letter.

When Charlie went home nearly three years ago I felt very bad although we were one thousand miles apart I could not help but think I was losing my best friend. He was bona so quick I scarcely had time to realize what had

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happened. Not long after he got home commenced a series of letters to me which were so very interesting (?) that the lonely feeling which had woven it self around me when he left was beginning to break away. But I was not thoroughly satisfied until he was in Chicago with us. He had been here about one month when he left to work at a place called Terra Catta (?) about forty five miles from here. We received a very nice letter from him last Friday in which he does not seam to be altogether satisfied with the surroundings so taking all things into consideration I rather expect him back to Chicago before long. He will be in to spend Sunday with us on March 12th if all is well.

Most of the time since we have been married we have been living back of the store but Ella’s health has not been good at all times so we have now moved away, about ten minutes walk from the store

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Ella likes her new home very much and I think her health will be all the better for it.

Well now dear friends we are located just two miles west of the great World Fair grounds and in a very pleasant portion of the city with good accommodations to all points of interest in the city as well as the fair, and as you are coming over to the fair we would be delighted to entertain you on the occasion. Our accommodation under the circumstances may be somewhat limited but you will have an easy bed on which to rest after the tiresome hours of sightseeing is over each day. Will you come with us!

Father and Mother have said they will not come but we will try and have them here at the same time you are if possible.

Ella’s Mother is coming in about four weeks and will stay for about

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three months. Father Frazer will come and acompany her home.

Now one word or two about business and I will close.

Until last Thanksgiving business was exceedingly good but at that time or a little later the bottom seamed to fall out of it most business men claim that the presidential election always causes a lull in business circles however we have been doing very little since then. March is now upon us and with it spring trade is almost sure to come (?) so we soon expect to be quite busy again.

Hoping to hear from you soon.

Trusting you will allow me to sign your affectionate nephew & niece

Will and Ella.

506 63rd St

Englewood.

Ills.

Front of Envelope Transcription:

From Will C. Slater

Fine Custom Tailor.

506 Sixty-Third St.

Chicago, Ill

Miss Sarah Slater,

The Rope Walk,

Langley Mills,

Notts, England

Postmark:

Englewood

Mar 8 1893

Back of Envelope Transcription:

Postmark:

Nottingham

MA 15 93