cam_hparker_2311_f001_003.2

We looked about a little through the place which is quite
large for a mining town containing 2 or 3 stores eating houses
&c. We also examined several of the diggings in the vicinity.
One place a party of 3 men often take out a pound of gold
from a cart load of dirt & the week before we arrived there
they took out $3200. while others within a few feet of them
hardly made a living. Some persons that we conversed with
told us that they had been digging for several months
& scarcely paid expenses while others had made a fortune
& after hearing the stories on both sides I came to the con-
clusion that it was like a lottery. One might win & again
he might not, although if a person would make up his
mind to dig 2 or 3 years steady I think he could make
money. After stopping a few hours at Murphys we started for
a place 2 miles from there called Douglass Flats where Fisk
had some acquaintances at work mining who treated us
very kindly as did all of the miners. They offered us the use
of a Log cabin as long as we were of a mind to stay with
them. Also food &c & assistance of any kind. The living at the
Mines however is what I call awful & many of the cooking
utensils are not thoroughly cleaned once a year if I might
judge from the looks. Still they do not mind these things but
on the other hand they seem to enjoy it & they all say that
they are happy, & that it costs them but 4 or 5 dollars per
week to live so that you can judge for yourselves whether
they live in very good style or not when I name the prices
of articles of food. Flour per lb. 15 to 20 cts vegtables [vegetables] 25 to 40 cts Pork
30 to 35 cts chickens 40 to 50 dollars per Doz Eggs 2 to 2 1/2 dollars per Doz
Milk 2 1/2 dollars per gallon butter 75 to 80 cts per lb & all other