Gold Rush Era Letters

Dear Father & Mother & Brother Peter N. Ryerson I set down this day to write you a few lines to Inform you that Myself & Peter has good health hoping these few lines find you and Peter N. & Lorenda and all the children in good health at this steamer I do Expcet you will hear great tales of Calafornia and on the Rout It is true here is some bad fellows as well as there is in new york But as a genrel thing here men that stays out of bad company and minds his own buisness dont See any more difuleaty than at home so I Judge from what I have seen here is some cholera Just now and also at sanfrancisco But I am In hopes it wont last long time will tell But me and Peter I am In hopes may Esscape the pestelence & it is all along the cost from panama to here So we may be as safe here as anywhere else me and Peter is In Buisness at sacremento which you have heared before this time and I think if we find and have our heath we will do well we are doing quite well just now and time will tell further I Received your letter dated Oct 5 1850 & Also the Bill of Laden Dated August 24th 1850 for thirty Six tierses of Butter & a cetifeate for the lot in June which makes three Bills of Laden & two sertifacates up to this time which I Judge is all that has been sent up to this time I sent some time a go 30 ounces of gold dust to Nicholas N. & directreed In a bag to the goshen Bank which I am Inhopes Nicholas has Received none of the Butter has arrived yet But I begin to look for it now for it is almost time I am In hopes that Nicholas will Send all the Butter. I was Sorry when you wrote to me that you did not write how you and peter was a getting along In new work and how Nicholas & Peter & the rest is getting

on the form I received A letter from amos Meunson and [?] Dauter Catharine Dated Sept 8th 1850 and it was a plasure to Carry yourn & their letters in pocket & Read them now and then I have them Before me now when I am writing this line & you and Peter must write Evry opportunity as for a Description of calforna I have Written all I can write But so it is some men come here and make a few thousand dollars very quek My digging & go Dealing & here is a great many Broken down men verry Poor & It is an awful country if aman is poor and sick Even if he has friends I would Reccommend Evry man that Is in good buisness at home to stay I would not di in the mines I would come Right home first there are a feew miners that make a few thousand verry quick that they aint Plenty smart Buisness men generly that has some Capital do well me & Peter live well & have a cot to sleep upon & I have prety good health of late But when I started from home with my thick close I weighed 200 and at panama & Before I got here & some time after I got here I was not verry well & I got below 170 & Now I am over 180 & I think I shall soon some up to my old mark Peter [?] Brown has held his own well since he started from home & I am In hopes that this may find you all In Equally good health till we may see you all fase to fase which will be a great Pleashure to me which cannot be much short of a year andperhaps over I think the coming year that our Butter had Better be sold at home all of us But time will tell that for if it should be sent here and I wanted to come home the Butter would not Be here for the first lot is not here yet & the last lot may not arrive till next spring so if I had any Butter to be sent here next season I could not git home in one year from this fall

So I do not want any sent next year without directions from me next season But I am Inhopes the Butter of this season may come In good order tell Nicholas to send me the Bills of all the cost & his seveses and all so that I can send the money what may Be due & if any at the last mail I writ home to Hannah My Wife & to Albert & Anna & Intend to write Evry mail home which is Evry two weeks so you will be likely to hear from us often tell My sisters & Brothenlaws to write to me Evry opportunity for I do like to hear from you all tell Capten Row to write to me and send me a news paper and I woud have written to him as I promised But Could not see what to write to benefit him But tell him what I say smart Buisness men some times caon do out here But Remember they can do the same at home some times But I Know Busisness men here that makes more I think in one month than they could at home in the same buisness for one year We have sent home by a man by the name of Cester an acquaintance of Peter from patterson $30 In specemens to Delea & $30 dlly Wife Hannah & Brstpin for Amos Munsen & a specemen for a Brest pin for Catharine which he promised to take to them on his arivel at Paterson You most likly hear from [?] But it is hard to Know any boddy here or find your acquantance one of the amety Boys has gone home the Edsell Bys called at our store at Sacremento & I was was sorry I did not see them Wm Edsells son from hamburg I saw some time a go they say he is doing well But the goshen Edsell Boys I had not seen nor heared from till they called & Peter told me they was there from what I heared they are doing well I saw David Sinn from what he told me he has not made much I send an order for you to git them old Mortgages of Henry Prises & John athrew hides off Record & see that Eve does What is Wright I am Claring up all of thse old mortgages and taking them off [missing paper here] Write November 1st, 1850 Nomore But [missing paper here] affectionate Son & Brother

John N Ryerson

Dear wife and children I take this opportunity of In forming you that myself and Peter is well hoping these few lines may find you all the same I Rec a few days since a letter from amos morsen & Catherine & at the same time one from my father with a bill of laden for thirty six tierees of Butter which Makes three three one dated May 29th 1850 & one dated June 29the 1850 & one dated Auguts 24th 1850 [?] firs 14 & 24, & 36. making in all that I have Received billls of laden for up to this time 7& which as I thought was all that you have sent up to this time I Received your letter some time a go & Catharine which I noticd in a former letter which I am Inhopes you have received which if it gives you as much Pleashure to Recive as it does me it is a [?] to have them lost By the way I also Recived one from Nicholas & my Brother Peter & Also one to Abert I write to you Evry mail hoping you may receive them and I am Inhopes that you may write so I an receive letters as often Peter Received a letter from Delia a few days ago my health now is quite good when I was on the istmas [?] home weight when I started was about 200 pounds when I was on the Istmas I was not well and weight got town to 170 or less so was not well in sometime after I rived But none I am well my weight is 180 and over something like myu home weight at this time of year But never mind I am here if nothing turns more than I Know of at present I shall Remain here a

a while yet some of the Butter has arrived yet But I Expect some soon But how soon I cannot tell just while I am writing this line they are telling about a steam Boat being Blowen up in sanfrancisco where I am this night which Blown up about six oclock and said to be Sixty lives lost I Expect to write to amos monsen this mail I was verry glad to hear that the children had got well of the fever and ague & that you was all well and doing well he said that sister Jane had been quite sick But getting Better which was Pleast hear & munsen Said that he had Renewed the Insurance on our busisness for 2250 for Building stock furniture & which is a good thing tell Nicholas N Ryersen that I write this line for you and him Both and all the rest I shant rite any secrets in it so you can show it to all the friends to let them Know That I am among the land of the living if any of your friends Enquire why I do not give more a description of the country tell them to write to me that they wish me to write for I have given in my letters my travels in calaforna me and peter is doing quite well Just now But how long it will continue time will tell & am Inhopes that Nicholas had send all of the Butter according to contrace & if it comes out here in good order it will make some money I sent in Adams Express line some time a go 30 ounces of gold dust directed to Nicholas N Ryerson which he can get at the goshen Bank which I Expect he has Received before this time I want Nicholas to send a Bill of the whole cose of the Butter with his Expences and all & tell him to write for I have to Write

to Each one It makes a [gr?][hole][?ial] of writing so they must Excuse me any how till they write to me I dont wish any more Butter Sent after this season is out for if it was Sent I cold not come home in one year to come for you may see the first lot of this season is not there yet and the last will not arrive Before next spring. I may git two tired of calaforna to stay here more than one year longer as to the situation of the People under my Eye here is some that makes a few thousand dollars By mining Verry soon & more that mak it in trading when men are Poor and Sick in this country it is a hard country which first at just at this time it is quite sickly some Cholra & disentarys disentary is a common complaint in this Country when you write let me hear how Isaac & his family gets along & Jane Forese and all the neghbors let my ams have this letter to read often and hanah so they donot forget me and Nights when you go to bed You Kiss all the children for me and tell Jane to do the same when I write & cannot give much directions what to do for amos for you must do the best you can and I will do the same the last letter I rit I sent an order der for Eve A Martin to git some paper of Mr Brown - which I am In hopes he has Received tell all to write and direct their letters to sacremento Citty Calaforna when you write write how you git alnog & all the neigbors Remember Uncle Joseph Carmen & Also Your Mother & Uncle John & Mathew & all for I have not heard from them by you or any of the rest Each one can use a pen to write I think But I have No More room So I must stop at this Mail November 1st 1850 but Remain a friend to all and your affectionate Husband

John N Ryerson

Sacremento Citty Calaforna Nov 30th - 1850

Dear Wife I Write you a few lines to let you Know that I am well hoping thse few lines may find you all the same I went to the post office Evry mail Expecting to find letters from you or some of you I have Expected letters from some of you Sisters husbands But have Received But on from your own hand and none from paterson I have written two or three to Paterson and have Received none and have made up my mind to write no more to them without they write to me I was Informed By Alletter to Wm Hunter from Peter Browns sister & Also By John Brons letter to Peter & also By delias letter to Peter & all of you or some of you should have written to me or Some of the paterson folkes the sorrowfull news comes to me from letters written to others which I think some of you should have taken time to write to me amediately that my Daughter Anna Was Dead and buried the lord must have his Will he gave her to me and has taken her away from me in my life time so all we all can say is we must follow for we cannot stay his hand But It would have been more satisfaction to me to have seen her fase once more before she was laid in the dust but it may be the lord has blest her and if so we not complain for this World is nothing But vexation and troubble so I shall not Complain for it will do no good I should have written to paterson this mail But will not till I Receive letters from there Peter Brown & Myself have been quite Well of late But It has been verry sickly In this country till a few Days past here has been hundreds that has fawlen here with cholria but me and peter has Kept right on with our Buisness as though nothing was the matter I Never had Death than now have

And Peter Also OUr Buisness appears to look quite prospering as yet none of the Butter has arrived here yet But I think it will soon for it Begins to be time and if all arrives here safe it will make something nice I think as soon as the Butter arrives I will let you Know I have written & Written for Nicholas to send me the Bills of all the cost and weight of all the Butter and told him to so so Before I satarte but I have received the bills of Laden But no Invoice of cost and expences and weight &c which I am [?] I will Recive soon tell Nicholas not to send any thing here for I could not tell him what to send to make money on it Except Butter But I dont want any sent only what you have sent for I want to come home some time within a year from this time so when I take a notion to come home I dont Want to have any thing in the way [?] Butter is cheap her But good Butter fetches a good prise just as I told you I thought is was before I stared from home so if the Butter Was Packt and managed Just as I directed it will do well I suppose nicholas has Recd the 30 ounces of dust I sent to the goshen Bank the Butter you make next season sell and take care of the money as soon as the Butter arrives I will the money home and make all Straight

N. B tell Uncle Joseph Carmen that he must be [?] doing for I undrstand the Whighs has been whipped she came full last fall & Amos munsen also I am Whig yet Sanfrancisco Calaforna January 30th 1851 [hole] wife and Children this is to inform you that I am well hoping these few lines may find you all the same I Received your 2 letters two at once on the 20th of January one Dated in December and in november I did not write for some mails I was waiting to Receive your letters one of them got behind time so they come together But It pleased me verry much to receive your 2 letters In my leashure hours and I will try and write of tener I have had the sad news of the Death of my Daughter Anna it was sad news indeed But so it is We must all follow the lord gave her to me and for some wise purpose has taken her from me in my absence his will be done I sent aletter to albert and I am in hopes she [?] have sent two or three letters to peter on and have not Received one from from them so I think I shall not Write to them till I Receive one at least the Brig Nor the men has [?] at sacremento citty with the first lot of 14 tierses of Butter all safe and we have had it out of the vessel about ten days and it turns out first rate it is almost as sweet and nice as we have it at home and will make some money we get 65 cents a pound for it and I think it wll be higher for us good as this soon but at this prise it will make quite something the second lot had arrived safe here at sanfrancisco with 28 tierces the S O Horton two or three days ago and is going up to see [?] which I think we will have it out in the course of two or three weeks ( think the next mail I will send the money home Start from here on 15th Febuary by adams Express to the goshen Bank Me and Peter Both have good health at present

Buisness plenty to occupy my time but labor not hard with out I write to my father & told him to send it by Peter N if he was not up himself and let you all see it if I send any dust to the goshen Bank Let it go on my account till all straight which I calculate & send in small sums so that cannot be much loss to any boddy at one time so Keep good courage for as yet all my plans has done nearly as well as I Expected before I starged from home and In hopes it may continue the same till I arive safe home there I think I will be satisfied to stay there the rest of my Days long or short I Now Board at a [?] in Sanfrancisco Board is high in a good house twenty five dollars a week But plenty to Eat and that that is good wild geese & Ducks & vennison & Bears, meat a plenty in market all the time most of [?] like pork flour and almost Evry thing is as cheap add the freght as in New York it is a wonderful country for Improvement the like I suppose is not Known in the world Cities grow up soon evry thing goes with a perfect rush Either up r down It requires a sharp look out for Rent & Expenses is so high But we keep up our end for the chance we had as yet tell your Brother Mathew & uncle John & your Mother & sisters & Brothern laws to write & [?] two so that I can hear from their hands how they get along you told me the buildings was Inshured which was as it should be you told me in your letter that Beam Demerest was there to stay this winter use him well for he is a good man if he cannot do so much work for gold will prosper his work let him be where he will show to Amos Munsen & Betsy & catharine & let my amos Read itover & ove again & do All that is rite with all & all will be well Give My love to all My Neighbors and friends and I Remain your afectionate Husband & friend John N Ryerson