Letters from John Simpson Kirkpatrick to his Mother, 1912, Part 3 of 4

3 . 6 .12 
SS Kooringa 
Newcastle 

Dear Mother 
Just a line to let you  
know that I received  
your letter and 2 PC  
from Annie and a PC  
from Sarah with the  
three Photo's on it  
I was surprised when  
I got it considering  
that I have been out  
here two years and  
that is the first  
small PC that I have  
received from Sarah  
I suppose in another  
two year or so I will  
getting another surprise  
'my'  Sarah will write  
again.  Now the Photo  
were pretty good Now  
Mother why did  
you not have your  
photo with them it  
would have made the  
group up Now you  
were telling me that  
you sent me a photo  
of Father and that  
you have had it  
returned well after  
this send all my  
letters to SS Kooringa  
C/O Mc C/O McIlbur   
C/O McIlwrath  McEacharm  
Fremantle.  Please send on 

Now Mother how and  
you and Annie keeping  
I hope that you are  
still well I suppose  
things are pretty bad  
in the old country  
after the strike and  
now there is another  
strike in London  I  
suppose that everything  
is about done up I would  
have answered Sarah's PC  
but I dont know her address  
So Give my respects to  
Sarah & Sam and with  
Love to you and Annie   
I remain 
Your Loving Son 
 Jack 
PS I am enclosing  
P O for 3 quid 

12.7.12        
SS Kooringa     
Melbourne

Dear Mother 
Just a line to let you  
know that we arrived at  
Melbourne on Tuesday Tell  
Annie I received her Photo  
and I am glad to see that  
she is looking well tell her  
have bought some PCs of  
Melbourne but I will write  
her long letter tomorrow  
Now Mother you will have  
to excuse the shortness of this  
as I am a bit pushed for time  
Now Mother N dont send any more  
News of the World out to me  
as I get them in the shops  
out here a n every week  
and when mine have been  
folling me round they quite  
old by the time I get them  
I am enclosing PO for 3 quid  
I will now conclude with best  
love to you and Annie from 
Your Loving Son 
Jack

9  . 8 . 12 
SS Kooringa 
Geralton 

Dear Mother 
Just a line to let  
you know that I am  
still alive and kicking  
We arrived here from  
Fremantle this morn  
Now Mother Mother  
I received a letter  
and a N.O W and  
three Shields papers  
in Fremantle and  
two PC from Annie  
Now Mother I hope  
that you and Annie  
are keeping well  
and that you are  
having a pleasant  
Summer Now I  
saw in that Gazzette  
about Luios Haliday  
getting killed I  
am very sorry to  
hear it for I knew  
him well is is pretty  
hard luck him getting  
killed for he was  
a good sort of a  
chap. Now Mother  
I met a fellow called  
Cockburn in Fremantle  
he has just come  
out they used to  
live beside us in  
elden St He is firing  
on one of the [[ebcesting?]] 

Now Mother  I think  
I will leave the Kooringa  
when we get East  
again because the  
greasing is knocking  
me up I have getting  
very thin and as  
Pale as a ghost I  
weigh above eleven  
stone and a half  
now I cant eat I  
have lost my appetite  
for when I was  
firing I could eat  
like a horse for the  
Kooringa is a pretty  
heavy firing job  
and very hot  
so I think I will  
have a months rest  
and then look for  
another firing job  
Now Mother I am  
enclosing you a  
PO for three pound  
So give my respects  
to all my friends  
at home I and with  
love to you and Annie 
I remain 
Your Loving Son 
Jack

1 . 9 . 12 
SS Kooringa 
Adilade 

Dear Mother 
Just a line to let  
you that I received  
you letter this morn  
I am glad to hear  
that you and Annie  
are keeping well  
and that thing's  
are keeping all  
right at home   
I see by the papers  
at  home out here that the  
dock strike has  
not been settled  
yet and I see that  
the railway men  
who get a  2 /L 24 bob  
a week have got 

a rise of 3 1/2 per cent  
I suppose that they  
must have caught  
the owners when  
they were drunk  
and I a generous  
state of mind  
to have got such a  
hell of a rise I suppose  
that the railway  
men will be going  
about like Lords  
now that they have  
got a shilling a  
week rise _^but I suppose  
the Lords and Dukes  
will take it off  
them next year  
agian as the expenses  
will be to big  
for them to keep  
up that is just  
like the style in  
the old country  
Something like the 
Insurance Bill  
that is something  
else that will help  
to pay the mens 
_^wages with billits worth  
ten thousands a  
year I often wonder  
when the working  
men of England  
will wake up and  
see things as other 

people see them  
what they want 
in England is  
a good revolution  
and that will  
clear some of there  
Millionaires and  
lords and Dukkes  
out of it and then  
th with a labour  
Government they  
will almost be able  
to make their own  
conditions.  I am  
enclosing P O for 3 quid  
With Love to You and  
Annie from 
Your Loving Son 
Jack