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things are for the best as doubtless they are. I hope
however that they may again soon be permitted to enjoy
good health & also all of my friends. There is a great deal
of sickness & destitution in this country yes, in this city

Hundreds there are here who sleep who sleep out of doors night
after night in piles of hay or beside a pile of barrels
lumber or something of the kind. The fact is $50 goes
but a little way toward procuring common necessa-
ries [necessities] of life especially when provisions are so high as they
have been for three months past, & when a person with small
means is unable to obtain employment, or is taken sick
he soon finds himself out of money. Thousands who leave their
homes to come to this country have barely enough to pay
their passage out here consequently they arrive here with little
or no money in their pockets & as there are now hundreds
in this city out of employment it makes it hard for new
comers who have not friends to assist them. They loiter a-
bout here hoping that they shall soon get employment
but as they do not succeed & having spent nearly all their
money, they get discouraged, take to drinking, gambling & their
sister vices & are soon completely ruined. This I am sorry
to say is a true history of many a smart young man
who left a good home to come to this country with his
heart filled with joyous expectations & high hopes which
alas are soon dashed low & his high & lofty feelings are soon
exchanged for feelings of utter disregard for himself or
friends & he ends his days in misery dying a young man --

By todays paper I see Passengers are to be taken through
to New York the 15th inst for $100. in first cabin & for $50 --
in Steerage & doubtless many who have heretofore been unable
to go home on account of the high rates of passage will
improve the present opportunity of going home cheap [underlined] &
leave this land of Gold behind them forever --

From your loving Son H. A. Parker [Henry A. Parker]