Gold Rush Letters of Henry A. Parker

San Francisco Dec 12th 1852 "Sunday Eve"

My Dear Mother,

I received your kind & interesting letter dated Nov 2nd, last Tuesday morning.

I also received long & highly interesting letters from Mr & Mrs Tucker & Miss Lizzie Lewis, also one from John L. Parker. I was glad to find them all filled with good news & happy to hear that you were all pretty well with the exception of Hattie who you wrote was unwell, & I shall feel anxious to hear how she gets along which I shall probably do in about one week from today as the mail is then due.

I was very happy to hear that you had enjoyed so good health this fall & had got you [your] work done up so nicely as I think judging from what you wrote that you have got your things fixed up much to your mind. I suppose in this you have had a considerable snow & cold weather, but I have as yet seen but two frosty mornings, but we have had a great deal of rain for a fortnight past & any quantity of mud. Last winter & winter before were the pleasantest part of the season but thus far this winter we have had more rain than for two winters past & to have six rainy days out of seven is any thing but pleasant, but as long as I continue to enjoy good health I shall not mind much about the weather. I still enjoy the best

Love to Charles & Hattie

[written upside down in the top margin] Wednesday Eve Dec. 15th, Am well & should be glad to write you a few lines had I time but must close in order to get my letters into

[written vertically in the left margin] the mail. Contrary to your wishes have written to Esq Jewett for $500; more which I will write you all about in my next. Speak a few words in my favor to him Love to all H. A. P.

of health & am getting along very well considering that I am in California. Since I wrote you last I have again changed my Lodging room having been obliged to move into a chamber in the same building where I was before & I think I shall remain where I now am the remainder of the winter.

Sam Tucker [Samuel P. Tucker] rooms with me & we try to enjoy ourselves as well as we can but after all we often wish we were once more at home among parents relatives & friends but as we have brought ourselves into our present situation we can blame no one & must try & make the best of it. The greatest pleasure we can enjoy in this country is afforded by the reciept [receipt] of letters from our kind friends at at home, & I hope we may continue to recieve [receive] them as regularly as heretofore & that we shall hear good & favorable tidings from you all. Mr Tucker wrote me a very acceptable letter of 8 Pages wherein he wrote that his health this fall has been rather poor so much so that he thought he should give up his store. I was very sorry to hear it & I hope he will speedily regain his health. The news which most surprised me was the marriage of John V. Ames & Jane Wolcott. It is the last match I should have thought of but if they are suited I suppose it is all right, but I think John V will find her a little different from his first wife. I was sorry to hear of the death of Martha Ann Sawtelles little boy whose death she must have felt severely

"Truly we all meet with misfortunes" Whenever you see M. A. or Mr Sawtelle please give them my kind regards & tell Mr S. I should be happy to hear from them & that I wrote him last August.

It is now getting late, therefore will lay aside my letter until tomorrow morning as the mail does not close until Wednesday night. I will say one word however about my affairs with F--k [Fisk] He is still tending bar for $200. per month & he comes out mightily fixed up I assure you & at no small expense either. I have succeeded however in getting the following sums of money from him on acct of the note which I hold against him. When I first bought into the meat business he paid me $75. & last week he paid me $35. Mon & night before last I took an overcoat of him for $11. so that if he does well I think I shall get my pay of him in time by being friendly towards him. This matter you will please not mention to anyone at present as I should not wish it to get to Orin. Good Night

Monday Eve Dec 13th .. Have just returned from the Market after having got through with my business for the day. Am well as usual & thought I would write you a few words this evening How I wish that instead of writing you I could see you & talk with you instead of being situated as I now am But I ought to be thankful that I can hear from you once a fortnight & for the present must content myself with my present situation. Should be happy to know how you all are this evening, whether

enjoying Heavens choicest blessing, Health, or laid down by sickness. I sincerely hope you are well & happy as you say I will "hope for the best as the worst is ever present"

Shall expect to hear from you all again in the course of a week & as the evenings grow longer & you have less to do hope you will find it convenient to write me a little longer letters although if you continue to write me by every mail will find no fault if you write but a few lines. Short letters thankfully received & easily perused, long ones in proportion. Try & have Charles & Hattie write as often as they feel disposed to do so as I am happy to hear from them at any & all times & I will try & write them as often as I can.

Before you recieve [receive] this I shall have been absent from home nearly eleven months & you will be almost Fifty Two years old although I can hardly realize it, butt [but] I hope I may live to return to you again & find you enjoying health & happiness & may you yet live many years & have but few trials to contend with for I am well aware that your life has been one of care & sorrow caused by the behavior of those who you had done for, all that lay in your power to do hoping to recieve [receive] from them in return a small share of the kindness which you so richly deserve. But thus far you have been disappointed in a great measure but I hope you may yet live to see many happy days & all I can do to make you happy I will cheerfully do with a willing heart hoping that by so doing I may in part return your continued kindness toward me.

[written vertically in the left margin] I have filled my sheet will close as I fear that you would be unable to read it were I to write crosswise. Please write often to your once ungrateful but now affectionate Son H. A. Parker [Henry A. Parker]

Directions for reading this Letter

Mother "First, read the letter from the first to the last Page just as though I had not written crosswise.

Then, read the fourth page across then the first one & lastly read the second Page across. Finis.

Son Henry [Henry A. Parker]

P.S. Give my kind regards to all my friends & advise them never to come to this country so long as they can make a good living at home.

Love to Chas & Hattie. H. A. Pr. [Henry A. Parker]

Tell them to write me often if I do not write them.