Jared Comstock Brown

Coloma Aug 2, 1856

Dear Father

Yours of July 2, is now Before me and I was Glad to hear from you it had been a long time since I Received a letter from you or one from Lockport This mail I Received one from Laura She Speaks of Mr Sages Health being very poor you Speak of David [David's] Health being poor & greaves [grieves] Me to hear that out friends at Home are Still to be afflicted with Sickness but it Seam [seems] that such is the fact

Business is very full it is very Hot and now the thermometer is as High as 107 in the Shade where there is a Breeze in the Dry Diggins there is no watter [water] and them Miners Have not got into the Rivers yet I have Had about all I can Do to Keep up my Business in the Store I am Doing nothing Scarcely in the Shop Sanford has got a large n run of the trade as it is impossible for me to work but little in the shop and I am depend [dependent] upon Hired Help My mining Claim & Ditch which I Paid one thousand Dol [dollars] for in cash and $200⁰⁰ interest for has failed and I Have lost it all almost every person Doing Business in this town for the last year – has failed

except my Self [myself] and I have had a hard time to keep from following Suit and Some times I think I shall have to close I am now about 3 thousand Dol [dollars] in Debt and my whole availible [available] Property if with my wifes [wife's] also if forced into Market now would not fetch over 4 thousand My Store cost me near 6 thousand but property is of no acct [account] at present almost every town of any note in the Mining Counties have been burned up this Summer Best this it is strange this is almost the only town in Calofornia California but what Has been fired at some time a few Day [days] ago an attempt was made to Burn this Town there was af a fire in the centre [center] of the town and also at the Side of my store but it went out of it-self, My wifes [wife's] Health is Poor the children are well I Have not heard from Morgan Sinc [since] he went Home But 2, and I care but little about ever Hearing again from Him Had he staid [stayed] and assisted me as he ought to have Done we Both Could have been Home now with Money to Spare it is impupossible [impossible] to send you any Money at Present I have been trying to Raise Money to send to Sanfrancisco San Franciso but cannot get it to do So with the vigalant [vigilance] committee

in Sanfrancisco San Francisco are still in Session Last week they Hung 9[?] men they are Cleaning the City of its filth it is Rumored here that the government at Washington will intefere [interfere] if they Do it will Couse [cause] Civil war the moment they opened a Battery upon Sanfrancisco San Francisco every government officer & Soldier would be Swept from the Pacific Shore and it might Be the cause of Raising the Standard of a Pacific Republic. The people of this state are alive to the Neglect of the General government in protecting this State and the Citizens Coming & going from Here to the Atlantic States and Back and now an armed interprise [enterprise] of the General government to prevent the people of this country to get Rid of Scoundols [scoundrel] Murderers and Theivs [thieves] from their midsts [midst] would cause a general Revolution which the government could not quell for there can be Raised over 150 thousand fighting men who are inured to all kinds of Dangers and it would of be fool Hardy [foolhardy] to attempt to Meddle here in a Local affair they have affairs in Kansas which they Had better look after before Meddling Here I think this State will go for filmore Fillmore Millard Fillmore at this fall Election but I think I shall support fremont John C. Fremont

for I Do not feel Like supporting Fillmore Millard Fillmore and the Democratic Party is nothing more now in a moddern [modern] Sense than Slavery extension & and Ballot Box Stuffers and favor those who are opposed to free speoch [speech] and the freedom of the press and are Represented by Scoundals [scoundrels] of every Hue this state Has 2 Members of Congress Both Democratic and Both Murderers Denver James W. Denver killed his man here in a Duel before going to Washington and Herbert Philemon T. Herbert Killed his man in the shape of an grist waiter at Washington and he ought to be Hung if He was in the Hands of the viglant [vigilance] Committee at Sanfrancisco San Francisco he would Hang We have one Senator in Washington – John B Weller the worst Black guard and obscene Bloat I Iever ever saw and He Brought to this Country a Prostitute and she is Just across the way from my store Such is the Representatives of Calofornia California and the great Democratic Party of this State our United States Marhil [marshal] whoese [whose] appointment was procured through Weller is a gambler & an associate of Prostitutes & Ruffins and as such I will no longer support such a Class of Men under the name of Democracy

I Have Received a Number of Papers for David I send you papers most every mail

From J. C. Brown to

His father Charles Brown Buffalo

Coloma March 16, 1857

Dear Father

having Leasure time I will try and improve it in writing a few Lines to you I have nothing of interest to write about. we have had quite an exciting time in our County upon the acct [account] of the Legislature passing an act of Removal of our County Seat from Here to Placerville, 3 times By a Direct vote have the people Located the County Seat here ad Coloma and now the Legislature have moved it and it will Ruin this town Completely my property will not be worth anything and our taxes will take all of that is left well, but they Do not spend anything Scarcely I Recd [received] a letter from Morgan the last mail it was a Dunning letter the first time I have heard from him in the last 18 months or more I will Pay him what I owe him as soon as I can but I do not think I ever ought to pay him, one cent. I sold my Claim for $75⁰⁰ dol [dollars] that I Bought by his advice which cost me over $1200⁰⁰ dol [dollars]. I have made a very nice garden I have got some peach trees and apple trees some Current [currant] Bushes and grapes growing and my peach trees and Strawberies [strawberry] vines are in Blossom I think I shall Have what grapes we will want to use this summer The weather is very Hot I have Planted the garden and the Corn and other things are up and growing finely