19 Anerley Park
London S E
16 September 1887
My dear Chris
Rawson wrote to you last week asking for further information about your mine. It was of no use sending a wire message the requirements could not have been explained except at considerable expense. They will do the utmost to carry out the scheme. We ???? and can trust them, but if you entrusted the matter to each men as would take it in hand they would not be reliable. The old stock brokers that I know would not touch work of this kind. I think you may depend on Rawson and Clayton also but Rawson is an old friend of mine apart from business matters would do his very best in the case.
I hope you will be successful in your enterprise but away from that wretched country and life as soon as you can scrape some money together. Life in such a place and under such conditions is not worth living.
We are now settled in our present house and find it comfortable compact and much to our taste. I find the benefit of being near London.
All are well – Edie is at present with a family at Horsham. The younger children with ???? are under the care of Miss Maud at home and are intensely delighted with the Crystal Palace and its ???? and lights.
I am coming out again in the ship and will sail on the 3rd Oct from Plymouth. Archie is Chief. All the other officers are returned ????I would like to come round to see you but am not sure of being able to do so. Be sure and have a letter waiting for me at Melbourne.
I hope you will be able to find some work for Alec near you – a letter came from him the other day. He says he is kept close ???? at work until quite late always. It is certainly not either interesting or instructive work he is at. I am afraid his associations also are not of the best. You could find work for him to do as a clerk probably.
Harry Douglas has left the P & O and went north to Queensland some time ago. Have you seen him?
Chris Tatham got married soon after I left Melbourne but did not tell his people. Mater gave me the news. He got some money from me just before I sailed at which his father was very angry and I have not got my money.
I send a few lines to Alec which please send on to him.
Be sure and keep your affairs in strict order and don’t be like the men who pegged out lots of the site of ???? in the early days. They went away for a time to some other part of the country and found on their return that some one or more had jumped the land and built a hut or huts, and they could not be turned out. Get a title on your selections and deposit them at your bank.
The ship has filed fairly well but will not be full as usual.
With much love
You very affectionate Father
J A Elmslie
What about shares?