T. S. Hogan, Attorney-at-Law, Los Angeles, California
May 16th, 1950
Dear Maureen:
I just got your letter of the 11th and was glad to hear from you. Just saw the headlines on today's newspaper reporting the settlement of the railroad strike. Was worried about how the strike would affect your salary. It is a good thing it is over.
Mary and Kate Sheehy [his nieces by his sister, Mary Hogan Sheehy] will have an interesting trip to Rome and Ireland. My mother [Bridget Ahern Hogan] was not from County Cork but from Waterford. My father was from Clonmel, County Tipperary, and Mama's father, John Donovan, was from Cork.
I do not know what town was near Mother's birthplace but I heard her talk of it being on the banks of the Blackwater River. The old Irish folks never talked much about such things and I have always regretted that I did not question Mother about the many interesting things she experienced in her younger life. She told about being 11 weeks at sea when coming to America due to the fact that her ship drifted off its course by a terrific storm and landed in New Orleans instead of New York as was intended. She was probably about 17 years old at the time and it must have been an awful experience as such immigrants travelled second class. She must have later moved to Ohio as father was there and I think they were married in Ohio. I guess you know mother's maiden name was Ahern.
Of course you know about her, father and Mary who was then 1 1/2 years old, walking 96 miles on Indian trails to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. There were two other men in the party and at that time there were only four white people in that part of Chippewa County.
What an interesting story could have been written about her 93 years life if one had the facts!
Jim Manning should make a lot of money out of that beet loader. I think he has invented several machines and probably has some of them patented. Guess Dave is still Senator from that County. [Jim and Dave Manning are his nephews by his sister, Amelia Hogan Manning.] If it were not so expensive, I would make a trip to Montana, but one is usually depressed by returning to old stomping grounds. When I last made a trip to Butte, it was in such sad shape that it shocked me. By this time the mines must be running out of good ore. No, I don't have a copy of the letter which you asked about, but there is a possibility that it is somewhere in my bundles of documents and papers. Much of my stuff was lost when left in storage, when shipped to Fort Worth.
Love,
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