Some boats have been making great hauls, as much as £1000 has been realised for a single night’s shot. The men also fish for white fish during the time the nets are down, and the proceeds of these are divided entirely among them. One small boy to whom I was talking had £3 for his week’s share, over and above his wages; another had £5. So you see they can very well treat each other to tea and “buskits.” Stornoway 2nd Feb. 1919

Mr and Mrs Gibson have been learning poetry, and Mrs Gibson has been hectic with catering duties. Mr Gibson describes the astounding scale and profits of hauls made by the local fishing fleets. The next in our series of letters from the W.J. Gibson collection held by Museum nan Eilean. Please get in touch if you have any comments: archives@cne-siar.gov.uk

Jean dear,

Mr. Miller has just been in to say good bye.  He is better than he was when he came but not nearly well yet.  He does not sleep well.  Mamma and I have been reading “The New Age.”  We have also been repeating to each other, until we can say it, your poem “Heraclitus.”  I have now got it located – written by Wm. Cory who died in 1892.  It is printed in the Oxford Book of Verse, and it must have been there I originally made its acquaintance, though I did not remember where.

On Friday evening Mr. C. J. Maciver was in and waited till late talking over things – school, business, Stor^y affairs, public life here, etc.  The school children are very sorry he is going; he has always been very popular, as he was in your own days.  He will be a loss to us.

Dr. Robertson is paying his usual visit to Stor^y for his meetings.  He has been in at school once or twice.  The fishing is in full swing now.  There was the usual huge crowd of fisher lads at the Hut on Saturday evening.  The takings amounted to £3.14.  The biggest Sat^y before had been £3.4 and it formed a record.  Mamma and her three assistants were kept busily at it supplying food and drink for them.  Some boats have been making great hauls, as much as £1000 has been realised for a single night’s shot.  The men also fish for white fish during the time the nets are down, and the proceeds of these are divided entirely among them.  One small boy to whom I was talking had £3 for his week’s share, over and above his wages; another had £5.  So you see they can very well treat each other to tea and “buskits.”

Ellis was in this evening and had tea with us.  The children are better now.  Mr. Pryde’s three are getting on also.  Miss Pope has had a very bad cold and had to give in at last and be absent on Friday.  Miss Murdina Mackenzie has been off all week with neuralgia.  There are many colds among the younger children; nearly 50 per cent of the Infants are off.

I think this makes up the budget of usual news.  We didn’t get your letter to-day, as I did not rise early enough to go to the post for it.  We’ll be getting it at breakfast to-morrow, if the new post girl is quick enough.  She is not so smart as the last one was.  To-morrow our school exam. week begins.  Barrie is out at present, so cannot send his compliments as doubtless he would if he were here.

Our best love.

Papa

Ref: 1992.50.64iii/L26

Transcribed by Dawn MacDonald, Archives Collections Assistant