The following letter was written by Ray Scholes’s grandfather, William
Scholes, five months after he arrived in the U.S. from Oldham, Lancashire,
England. Writing at length, he enthusiastically promotes Wisconsin and
defends the Potters’ Emigration Society that helped him and his family
to emigrate. Historical accuracy compels me to add that the society went
bankrupt late in 1850. How exactly this affected the Scholes family
isn’t clear.
I (Harold) received this letter through the good offices of Roger G. Bentley,
Quebec Canada. He is researching the history of the Potters’ Emigration
Society in England and America. Spelling and paragraphing have been
retained exactly as published in “The Potters’ Examiner, and Emigrants’
Advocate,” Volume IX, No. 74 (November 1849), pages 587-588.
Fox River, Winnebago, [Wisconsin]
September 23rd, 1849.
DEAR SIR, -- I take this opportunity of writing these few lines
to you, and to all our friends of the Branch [the Oldham branch of the
Potters’ Emigration Society], hoping they may find you all in good
health, as they leave me and family at present. I promised when I left
you that I would write, and give you some account, and that a correct
one, of the land and of our future prospects, as far as I was able to
judge, and I am now about fulfil that promise to the best of my abilities.
We arrived here on the 19th of May, and found Mr. Twigg at his post,
where he ever is, and he received us very kindly, and he set us to work
immediately, and have been at it ever since, with little intermission.
The land is rather of a sandy nature throughout Wisconsin. As far as I
am able to learn, it is so on this settlement; some parts are more so
than others, some of the bluffs or small hills are sandy, but the low
flat lands are of the finest black mould; some people said that it was
too sandy to produce anything, but I only wish I had it in my power to
send you a sample of some potatoes that have been got up this week, and
I think the most prejudiced would admit that finer potatoes were never
grown, they have not had one particle of manure, the sets were put under
the sod; and that is all they have had, except hoeing up, and the crop
is a surprising one; and Twigg has sown near 100 acres of fall wheat;
on the third day after sowing, it was up, and at this time is four
inches high, and looks beautiful, in fact, the land will produce anything
and in abundance, but there are some men that would grumble even if Manna
where to come down from heaven. I have got five acres of fall wheat
sown and it looks very well; I have also got a cow, and a young stear,
that will soon be ready for the yoke, with poultry and pigs, I think this
is no bad beginning for so short a time, but any man may get on here if
he will work, and if he will not work he had better stay at home.
James Grey has left here for England, after a stay of three months, during
which time he has saved 40 dollars, besides paying his board, but he was
never content, he was ever grumbling about something, and never content;
he was afraid that the winter would be too cold for him, and he could not
live; he owed me some money, and he agreed that his shares in the Branch
should be transferred to Samuel Mills, of Bow street, my brother-in-law,
and enclosed is the document, signed by himself, and witnessed by the
store-keeper and Twigg, and there are more besides Grey that have left
here.
There is a man from Birmingham named Farmer, who only used the axe
one hour, when he threw it down and would work no more, and he is
telling the most pitiful tales about the settlement. I could say with
Sterne, “alas! poor Yorick,” there has come a set of men out who would
rather grumble than work, but I hope our friends will not be discouraged
by such men, men who are not content to work any where; heed them not,
for their statements are false; they have gone to Milwaukee, and told
people that we had nothing to eat, and were starving, and numbers
believed them, when nothing could be more false. We have had plenty
of food ever since I came, plenty of the necessaries, and many of the
luxuries of life, and that is something, considering the distance from
any town or market; we are ten miles from the post office, and about
120 miles from Milwaukee, about the same from Galena, but in a few
years we shall have a market of our own, and every thing requisite to
make man comfortable. I expect next year to have 10 acres of wheat
with my yoke of oxen and plough, which, together with my labour for
others in a few years will render my work much easier, and my family
out of the reach of want. How many of our friends in Oldham can say
the same? Not many, I think. For my part, I would not come back for
the best shop and two pounds per week in Oldham, for I think I can do
much better here; I am only sorry that I did not come sooner, but
perhaps I might if the Potters’ Emigration Society had come into
existence sooner, but I shall always feel thankful that ever I heard
of it, and so will thousands besides me, for I assure you that the
exchange to the back woods, from the stinking factory is greatly in
favour of the former, and I often wish that more of our hard working
townsmen would leave their sickly toil and come to one of the healthiest
spots on the earth.
Some of our grumblers complain that there is too much marsh to be
healthy. There are four of us from Oldham here, and we have all better
health than at home. Any marsh, or the greatest part of them are quite
dry at this time; we can go over them without the least wet, except where
there are springs. We have some Yankees here who say that this part is
the most healthy. So much for the marshes.
But what can people know who come and go back the same week; but go who
may, or come who may, there is a goodly number here that are determined
to stay and carry out the plans of our society, in spite of all our
enemies, for you will see that we are not without opposition here. T
here are men not far from this, who are doing all that they can to
upset the concern, but they will fail in their diabolical attempts.
As we were coming about 10 miles from this, we met with Pickering,
[Editor’s note in original: This man owes the society upwards
of £70; and left the Pottersville estate to get a more comfortable
living by preaching the gospel. To escape his debt, he has done all he
could to break up the society, and to defame the characters of its
managers.] who told us some dismal tales. He said it was a pity that
we had come, and we asked him why we could not do as well as him, and
he said it was not a pity that we had come into this country, but it was
a pity that we were going to the Indian land to be starved to death;
and there are others who complain that there is no company. Why, there
is as much company as any one could expect in the Back Woods, but it
is the wrong sort; there is not the jerry shop -- there is not the swill
bowl to bezzle in, in which some men delight so much -- there are no
fairs and wakes -- there are no such amusements as these, and some people
cannot endure it; but it is as the Indians say chop, chop, chop, and make
the Dear Puckagee, that is, run away ten miles back. If men must come
here, they must ply the axe or the plough; and if they come with a
determination to do that, they need not fear.
I have got 35 acres of first-rate ploughing land, and six acres of
marsh land for the cattle. We mow our hay from the marshes, which
some people grumble about so much, indeed, the marsh land is very
good; and now, sir, you may assure our friends that they have nothing
to fear in coming here, but every thing to hope for the best. There has
been some talk about Twigg leaving here. I hope the society will keep
him here another year, at all events, for such another man cannot be sent
out, and get through the affairs of this place as he can. I assure you
that he has the confidence of all well-meaning men, and if he were to
leave us at present, I fear the worst, as the Colony is in its infancy,
and he is just the man to carry it through; he deserves well of the
society, and long as he does his duty with the same activity as at
present, they cannot be better served. Henry Matley is living with me,
and has got his forty acres of land, and cow and calf, and is in very
good health; he thinks it strange that he should not hear from his family
since he came here, as he wrote to them, and sent several newspapers
since he landed at New York, from there and Buffalo. John Goulding is
also with me, and in good health, and with me he deprecates and
contradicts the false statements that have been circulated by designing
men, for if we were so bad off as some of them say, we should not stay
here, for we can, any of us, get away when we think proper. Ask James
Grey how he got away from here after a stay of three months, for he had
not a cent when he came, but he was indebted to others for getting up at
all, so that he must have had something somewhere from somebody to bring
him back again to Oldham. There are a many coming out this fall; they
are coming in crowds, so much so, that I fear some inconvenience will be
felt for want of houses, as every one cannot have a house all at once;
and we are all busy getting in the seed, and attend to the new comers.
Mr. Haslam has arrived here, and is at present with me for a few days,
until his house is ready. William Hallam is also here, and is working
for the society at present, till such time as he gets on his land. He
is in good health, and getting on; and now I think that sufficient has
been written to put you and all our friends on your guard against
designing men, and frightened old woman, who have no business from home
without some one to look after them, and to take care of them, and to
keep them warm in winter, and see that all their wants are supplied in
summer. Poor things! I despise the former, but I can but pity the
latter. The former may spit his venom, it falls quite harmless, and
hurts no one but himself and the latter; but I will soil no more paper
with them, for if our friends at home do their duty, we will do ours,
and we shall prosper in spite of them all.
Please to remember me to the Branch, and to all friends of the society.
I must now conclude with my respects to you all, and hope that our
friends will not be led away by the false statements of men coming
from here, for there no is one comes out but may do as well as I have
done if they will, if they wont, they have no right to go up and down
the country crying the society down, and striving to injure those that
injure them not. J. Goulding wishes you to remember him to friend Cole,
and all our Temperance friends, and to all inquiring friends -- Mallam
and Mately the same.
I should be very happy to hear from you when you can make it convenient
to write, as we hear nothing from Oldham concerning the state of the
society, and the affairs of the town and neighourhood, and newspapers
sent from England scarcely ever reach here, not one in twelve coming to
hand, except sent by some one coming direct here. Please remember me to
all our friends and relations, and to all inquiring friends, I remain,
yours respectfully,
WILLIAM SCHOLES
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