Letter, Ernest Paulin to Frederick Pauline, 7 Dec 1896

109 Whitehead Road, Aston, Dec 7^th 1896

Dear Fred

I received your kind and most welcome letter yesterday, Sunday 6^th having been the usual (lately) 17 days coming.  It is very kind of you to take so much trouble in endeavouring to collect the money Pleace owes me and I sincerely hope you will be successful.  I suppose all Pleace’s personal estate is by transfer merged into the Standard Co Ltd ? but at any rate a judgement against him would cover any estate he has; He had some property at Wellington, his own house at Nanaimo was in his own name and he has life Insurance and numbers of interests in departures of a more or less speculative nature in fact everything belonging to the Nanaimo business, either the hardward +c or property in connection therewith was recorded as Pleace’s, Tye was never even known in the business at all until I managed to handle the Pleace with the result as I left it last July, he then having paid Tye’s attorney out – what Pleace has been up to since goodness only knows.  The whole lot of them are a lot of scheming swindlers and the weakest among themselves will, I suppose go to the wall.

Re being employed –

I am surprised at the knowledge of old S[illegible] Kelly and can only trace it to the immaculate Thomson again; during Expressmen’s orations, because Amy was

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the only person who my wife mentioned it to and giving no particulars at all + I certainly have not mentioned it to anyone save yourself or the Dad = the fellow is a born idiot.

Next time Galley asks you as to the where abouts of the Kelly Estate books, it might be as well to ask him what business it is of his, the ignorant booby, if any particulars are required re the Kelly Estate, I or my co Trustee can only furnish same to interested people, not idle curiosity mongers.

Mr Hall the manager of Hudson’s Bay Co, is my co trustee and wanted me to call a meeting and tell the Crs there was nothing for them, as there is in fact not enough in the Bank BNA to our a/c (and which represents it all) to pay legal expenses but he went east for 2 or 3 months _ so it slid on again.

Emmie says the books were packed with my other things and are, if so, out at Oak Bay, there should also be some papers with particulars of what little money was collectable + a Bank + Cheque Book shewing account – there should also be a cheque given me by Mr E Crowe Baker in payment of an old widow’s a/c.  I forget the name, this cheque was given me when Hall was away on his journies and for months I was unable to get his signature to it for Banking purposes, the cheque was dated some little time before Mrs Baker died and after that I let the matter slide again + finally forgot to ask Mr Baker to write out a new cheque as the other

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Was too ridiculously old to present.  If Hall explains this to Baker + returns him his cheque I don’t suppose he would object to pay coin now, the amount (if the cheque is not amongst my papers at the Bay) is $15.  All the packing was done by my wife as you know, long before I knew she insisted upon visiting her people + says she packed the Kelly books but I don’t recollect them ever having been removed out of the (Tye’s) office except when Fred Nickells had them to make out what accounts he could, ≠ to called under my instructions, those he made out were paid out or covered by contia when he presented them (some settled after assignment by not to all some himself) or not to and finally given up as bad. Mind, if the books are in one of the cases at Oak Bay they are joint property of myself + Hall and the everlasting Galley crowd have no interest in them, than the man in the moon, they will want to possess the earth in reality presently.  I’ve no doubt their ignorance suggests to their own enlightened minds that it ought to belong to them.  If the books are found let Hall have them, but send any papers to me in connection therewith to me + I will put them into shape and with instructions to

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Hall to let one or two of the largest expenditures declare what shall be done with the money then at any time I can sign a Bank BNA cheque so that Ha; can hand the funds over to whom it may legally have the paid claim upon it – But I shall not go to any further expense in the trust, I have already paid sufficient out  without any chance of recovery.

11^th

I have kept this letter back a day or two as I could not convincingly spare the postage money just at the time  – I received the “Times” you so kindly sent me containing poor Fullers case + particulars of Wallis’ predicament.  The loss of Will must prove a terrible blow to his parents, and will I suppose affect the Esquimalt firm in some way or another.

I have not heard from anyone in BC but yourself and am sorry that some one doesn’t write if it is only a line to let me know how they all are  [illegible]

I don’t suppose this letter will reach you much before the New Year so will take this opportunity of wishing with all my heart that 1897 will be a prosperous one in business and that

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You and your family will be blessed with good health +

Give Emmie’s love to Cissie and tell her she will write a line shortly to her.  I have had Emmie down for a considerable time now with a severe cold, she caught it from the children at first and had check after check until she lately had to give up, if we could only get some dry weather and less changeable atmosphere, I think we should fare better.  Am very lucky in not being laid up myself, but mustn’t brag, there is a terrible lot of sickness around us; principally this being emplant + diphteria and am still without any line from Fry, so cannot give you any news of him or his idiosynchrisities.

Many, many thanks, again for your kindness to me and longing  to hear that you are coming over in the spring, which I should do, if I were you, I suppose someone of your firm will make the trip and it is about time you had a change.  When you write again please previously find out how dear little Harold is.  I shall feel more at home when he is with us again, in the meantime I am struggling along and so long as I am left without kindness, to nurse my present occupation, no one need fear the result – your little lecture as you term it if applied

[written in red atop the page]

I would like a letter from George and Bert is the latter doing anything he had better come here – there is lots of work for willing people, that is better than no work at all.

[G Kyncoch & Company, Limited Ammunition Works Whitton, Rolling Mills Lodge Road Birmingham Crucible & Siemens-Martin Steel Foundries Witton; Black Gunpowder Works: Worsboro Dale Cordite & Nitro-Explosives Works Arklow London Depot 25 Heddon Street, Regent Street, W]

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To intemperance or reckless living I accept as you desire as genuinely given + with good intentions, the whole “history” of what creates in you + other minds an idea of my moral + physical down run, is not well understood and I it is here, have always avoided excusing myself having nearly amply sound reasons for many matters which have misconstruction to my cost and possibly in my weakness  made me in ignorant anger worse and for which I have suffered alone, nevertheless Fred old man you will be pleased I know to hear – that what trouble I have now I have learned at all events not to abuse myself for, and this policy I adopted when I placed my foot on British soil last, amongst has never been left sight of + I do not think ever will was, and it is no more a necessity to use artificial + sont eating stimulants now I am happy indeed to sing in order to live.

I went over to Acocks Green last night to help them in an entertainment walked both ways, programme enclosed.

Let me hear from you again Fred as soon as you can get time.  Kind love and more Best wishes for you next year

Your affectionate Brother

Ernest