Mormon Emigrants' Letter

[Manx Liberal 21 August 1841]

LETTER FROM A MANX EMIGRANT IN AMERICA

Copy of a letter from Mr. and Mrs. Quayle, now in America, to their relatives in Kirk German, in this Island.

Lockport, June 23., 1841

DEAR PARENTS,—We, by our duty, feeling, and natural affection, wish to let you know we are all alive, though our situation is not very pleasant, at present. So far as we have travelled, this land has not answered the accounts given to us of it, neither in health or ways of living. This country is very warm at days and cold at nights, and being informed the western States are still worse, we do not intend going any further. We wrote to Charley Cowley some few lines in a hurry at leaving New York, which we expect he has received. About the company which we were with we mean to tell the truth, so far as we see and know. I wish you to show Cowley this letter as soon as you can, by reason of his circumstances we do not wish him or any other person to come into the troubles we have met with. We came from Liverpool with about one hundred and twenty; of this company some were respectable and honest persons, but Mr. Taylor, who preached In the Island, acted very foolish and unbecoming to the company that were with him, which caused them to be rather uneasy. He acted not as a friend, but an enemy. Kitty is greatly troubled at these things, and longs very much for you and her friends at home, and wishes to return, but if she continue so, I will be obliged to return with her. We understand that a man of the name of Fielding was to come to the Island to preach, who is a particular friend of Mr. Taylor’s. I do not know but the man may be good, but he has undoubtedly Taylor’s advice, which has been proved by us bad, and not worth depending upon it, nor upon himself either and some others of the company seemed too much like him, therefore we wish no persons trouble by coming here. We have travelled so far as Lockport, about five hundred miles west of New York,-expecting, as the accounts from that quarter were good, to have done well, hut ‘we find a great difference from what, was reported—the wages are high but the work is scarce. and money cannot be had., Mat Cowley and Bridson have stopped at a place called Utica, two hundred miles below us, at the house of one Thomas Cowley, from the Isle of Man—their health is not very well. The land is a great deal cheaper here than at home, but it does not appear to me to be so good; the weather is so dry this year, that it is hard to judge of its quality. The markets have no certain place and are in no order hero, the people selling off and removing, and in no way settled—it is hard to understand the value of any thing. We have seen many things which we cannot judge to be right, and from which we have cause to fear that all is not right among the Mormonites. I wish they had more knowledge of what this place is, and what it is to come here, than we had; I think if they knew what it is they would not remove. We wish for all your company, but we do not wish to see you in trouble. This country is not so good as the accounts give of it. You may blame us for removing, but we were seeking for truth, and wished to obey it. We would be glad to see you again, if the Lord permits; so we close this letter by letting you know that we enjoy a measure of good health.—Yours, affectionately,

JOHN & CATHERINE QUAYLE

P.S.—The so-called, hard hearted crew and officers of the ship showed us more kindness and respect on our passage, than those Mormonites did to what they call their brethren and sisters. However, we should not blame the whole sect for the conduct of their leaders. My advice to Cowley is to try to recover back his own place again, for so much unrighteousness and fraud as we have seen, which has caused us to wander so much to and fro. Let him be in no hurry in coming here, but weigh the matter well. The Mormonites may speak a deal of truth but their conduct and works are contrary thereto