cams_FrankLawton_b16_F005_001_001

Vernon City
Mouth of Feather river
Jan 8^th 1850

Dear Dan

I have often thought of you and as often
"made up my mind" to write you but California is one of
the places where one never has a quiet moment nor an un-
occupied hour the great strife is to use every instant for the
purpose of gain that the sooner you get where you can enjoy
it. I will give you a little programe [program] of my movements since
arrival, on the way from San Blus (the point of our embarcation
from Mexico) I formed an intimacy with the captain of our
vessel whichh on landing led to an offer of copartnership with
many advantages, one, a lot of lumber sufficient to construct
a house 50 by 40, a thing not to be found out of San Francisco
at the time of our arrival in this country, locating livires and
building was just in its infancy this I at once perceived was the
quick and profitable game we concluded to push up the
Sacrimento [Sacramento] to the head of navigation and locate, some parties
had already purchased the site but offered us liberal inducment
to build on that point (Vernon) we accepted and I have been
located here ever since. Now commenced my labors whils't the
house was in process of erection I amused myself with ferrying
the trains from Oregon across the river their rout [route] brings them
direct to this point, and with six canoes and a tribe of Indians
located here which we have under our controll [control] through Cap Sutter.
I frequently earned $2.50 a day this was my startes I next bought
teams and took merchandize to the diggin's this at that time
was very profitable always clear 800 pr ct besides gaining a