R. J. Boylan, Gold Rush Letters, 1850-1853

Coulterville Cal. January 9th 1853

Dr [Dear] Wife, I write again, as usual every mail but owing to the bad condition of the roads and unfavourable [unfavorable] State of the weather it is quite uncertain, wheather [whether] I shal [shall] be able to get the letter to Stockton, but I cannot feel contented in my mind without writing every mail. I have not received any letters from home since the one dated Sept 24. I expect I have letters in Sanfrancisco [San Francisco], but I am troubled to get them, no express going beyond Stockton from here. I have not heard from Dr Oatman [J. C. Oatman] since I last wrote to you, I have no news to write in particular at least nothing verry [very] cheering. We have had so far a verry [very] Stormy, rainy season the streams are quite high provision[s] verry [very] high and scarce prices, vrz, flour 65 cts. potatoes 37, sugar 50 ham 65 cts. bacon 65 cts. fresh beef none in the market, butter 1.25 lbs. molasses $3.00 pr. gall., owing to our living on the main road and near town we watch when pack trains pass and obtain a suply [supply] at present it costs us about two dollars per man to live pr. day but that I would not mind if the claim would pay good wages and loosing so much time by bad weather makes it come pretty tight but I do not feel any uneasiness for we can walk to Stockton in two or three days and there find plenty and besides a friend of ours brought us a quarter of good venison to day and says he hunts all the time and will give us the preference to obtain all we want we have as yet and probably will have provision plenty

but I presume there are some who see verry [very] tight times -- and strange as it may appear all Kinds of intoxicating liquors are plenty and drunkeness [drunkenness] is on the increase -- we sold our mule and Cart for $225 thereby making $55 and the extreme wet season enabled us to join with others and turn a stream of water on our claim on black hill it onely [only] cost us one day work but black hill as well as every thing [everything] else proves to not be of much value the gold is verry [very] fine and large quantity of black sand and small iron stone prevents saving gold, we can make from three to six dollars pr. [per] day pr. [per] man we only work on the hill during time of storms and high water.

Nearly a month ago we took up an old claim on the creek about a mile distant from our Cabin about 250 feet of the ground never having been worked we have spent some time and labour [labor] to turn the water and open a tail race but owing to extreme bad weather, and much water have not been able to prove it yet and if it fails as nearly every thing [everything] has for the last year I shall not look any further in California -- an acquaintance of mine who has been here a long time and not having been successfull [successful] he was perfectly discouraged but was determined to Keep trying his luck turned he struck in to a bank and has been making an average of an ounce pr. day since, he immediately conveyed inteligence [intelligence] to me of a favourable [favorable] looking place, in the creek in a verry [very] obscure place which is the place we are now about ready to test.

The weather appears to be much more Settled and if our claim proves good there will be work enough for me while I remain and enough for James. One year there are some good mining ground in this vicinity yet and emence [immense] quantity of gold has been taken I Know one claim to sell for one thousand dollars. I hope you will not feel any alarm about us I give you a full account of the scarcity of provisions and prices thinking you may hear some awful reports from news papers [newspapers] &c but I am not at all uneasy. The cost of transportation from Stockton is 30 to 40 cts. pr. lb.

and a fair prospect of the roads being better we have a suply [supply] for some time and the traders Know we will pay and they give us notice of their train coming -- James is verry [very] industrious and econom-ical he seldom complains he says California owes him for coming and he will have his pay he is verry [very] steady and is generally respected and more than all he is verry [very] Kind, and respectful to me, I aim to treat him in every respect as a partner he will feel verry [very] lonesome when I leave him. I scarcely Know how he could have done without my assistance and the Kindness of br. [brother] Oatman [J. C. Oatman] on the passage. Their expences [expenses] on the mines and other expences [expenses] drained James of funds and br. [brother] Oatman [J. C. Oatman] let him have to bear his expences to me which I readily advanced for him and then the long time we ware [wear] on expences [expenses] and the loss of time and expences [expenses] during his sickness has thrown him some $150 in the rear with me which he is verry [very] anxious to refund before I leave and enable him to Keep the Cabin, furniture, tools &c which are all, new, good, and worth more than half the amount he is in my debt. I think it best for me to square up everything possible before I leave one thing certain we do not owe a dime.

I have in my belt $270, besides our company purse to answer our present wants. I give you a full detail of my affairs so you can judge what is best for me to do I still think I shall be able to leave for home soon. I was determined to leave by the middle of february [February]. I still hope to leave in time to be home in time to attend to affairs early in the Spring. I shall probably rent out all the land for Corn I can and reserve the privaledge [privilege] of sowing rye or wheat in the corn and have the ground that is fall plowed if any to be sown to Spring wheat and oats. I would advise if any chance occur to let corn ground before I get home you had better let all the ground you can on as fair terms as possible. I would be willing to geather [gather] our share of the corn.

My Dear Wife I dearly wish myself home. I do not go out for a bucket of water or to bring in our supply of wood without thinking of all the necessary chores at home -- and feel a deep anxiety to Know how my dear wife and family are provided for to night [tonight] but console myself by thinking they are comfortable and feel the same anxiety about me. I would not exchange one hour or days enjoyment with my family at home for a round year of absence here. Yet I have but little to mar my daily rounds of life. I have scarcely had my feelings aroused to any thing [anything] like anger for months or even years all treat me with much respect and I aim to treat every man respectful and I sincerely think I have many warm friends here. To my dear children I have nothing new to write but they are constantly on my mind. I feel much anxiety about Clarra's eyes I hope every effort will be made to restore them possible I hope you will all be Kind to her.

To the rest if the children I can only say do your duty, and pa will love you the more. I feel all the anxiety to see you that can be felt by a parent -- I hope you will make yourselves as comfortable as possible. I think we will have a great time when I arrive at home. James is verry [very] well and healthy he cuts down the large Oak trees near our little cabin for wood the trees are verry [very] scattering. The little birds are so tame they come in our door and pick up crumbs like little chickens. Some times [Sometimes] the squrrels [squirrels] come in and pick up crusts and eat as unconcerned as Kittens. Some men caught a young grisley [grizzly] bear in a trap it weighed onely [only] 400. Large bears weigh from 10 to 1500. I had a piece of the bear meat to eat it was verry [very] much like pork. They are verry [very] plenty but seldom do any harm. We have quails whenever we take time to shoot them. I will write the mail before I start for home so you may Know about what time to expect me

My Own Dear Margaret & Children

R J Boylans