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

Mary Jane says the mules travel fine before the sleigh. They will be able to do a great deal of light work this sumer [summer] but I hope they will not be beat Kicked and abused simply because they are mules. Mules that are bad lazy and vicious is owing to bad treatment I hope James will do the best he can till I get home and then we will lay some plan of business that will be both honourable [honorable] and lucrative but from present prospect he can do better in Ill [Illinois] than in Cal for sure.

My moto [motto] is let them come here that cannot do any better. One look into a Cal miners cabin or perhaps no cabin or tent but the spreading branches of a tree -- would be sufficient to cool the gold fever in the mind of many an avericious [avaricious] visionary mortal, but my wants are few and I hope will soon be suplied [supplied]. I set down and estimate the cost of utensils, stock and barn that I really need and think I shall be quite contented.

My dear children one and all, I Know you want to see me and rest assured that I shall regard it as the hapiest [happiest] day of my life to return to your embrace and realize that our home is ours free from all encumbrance and may we all be permited [permitted] through the divine blessings of God to enjoy each others [other's] Society for time to come. You cannot realize but little of a parents anxiety but rest assured one and all that your hapiness [happiness] is my greatest care -- May God bless and protect you from all harm and temptation and again permit us to meet.

No more at present but remember me your constant true and affectionate husband

R J Boylan

Mrs M M Boylan

J J Kelley left last Monday on the Steamer Golden Gate

Coulterville Cal December 4th 1852

D [Dear] Wife and children, It affords me so much pleasure to comunicate [communicate] with those that are so dear and near to me. That I am quite impatient for the time to roll round for me to resume my semi monthly [semi-monthly] correspondance [correspondence] -- home my darling home and its immediate associates ocupy [occupy] my earliest and latest thoughts -- at evening when the toil of the day are over James and I sit down to our comfortable fire and talk of home affairs -- When I retire to my humble though comfortable cot -- I close my eyes with the lingering thoughts of home, and my dependance [dependence] on Almighty God, We have reason to be truly thankfull [thankful] that we are enjoying the blessings of health and I am anxious for the time to roll round when I shall bid a final adieu to Cal. I would start even sooner than february [February] but it will be impossible to arrange affairs so that James can have the mule, cart, tools &c and with the outfit for carting he probably can make a fair Summers work next Summer -- he is verry [very] ambitious to do something and appears to feel much anxiety to have me do as well as possible before I leave -- I most seriously regret leaving him here, but I have no particular cause to be alarmed about his habits or his taking good care of what he makes, but I assure you every thing [everything] in California is quite uncertain. If James had not come I should have started for home last fall but it may be all for the best -- he Keeps up good Courage and and does not feel to regret comeing [coming] -- he appears to enjoy living in the way Californians do live, and make the best of every thing [everything] but he undoubtedly has his thoughts of home and friends

The last letter I received from you, was dated Sept 24 you said Sister Oatman was quite unwell also my darling little Albert, but that they ware [were] in a fair way to regain their health. I feel anxious to get another letter, to learn how they and the rest of you all are getting along. I wrote to you when I left Frezno [Fresno] to direct all letters to me individually to Sanfrancisco [San Francisco]. I received a letter from Br Oatman [J. C. Oatman] last week he is doing a fair business in Sacramento and will undoubtedly do well. I wish he may succeed in securing a permanent practice. I shall try to go round by Sacramento when I start for home and see him before I leave -

Our present prospect is not verry [very] flattering. We have not had rain enough to run our long tone onely [only] one day yet but we have had suficient [sufficient] to make our road verry [very] bad and it requires a great deal of labour [labor] to Keep it in order so that we can run a loaded cart without danger of breaking down.

barley our onely [only] feed has raised to $14 per cwt and still raising we for the present will turn our mule out on the range and work in the ravines near by [nearby] -- flour is 35 dollars p. cwt. potatoes $15 pr. cwt. pork $40 p. cwt. beans 15 cts. pr. lb. beef 25 cts. sugar 20 cts. onions 25 cts. it costs us about 1.50 cts. per day, per man to suply [supply] our provision, but all can be had at those prices -- it is now raining and the water is raising and if we have enough to thorougly [thoroughly] wet the ground deep we shal [shall] have plenty from thence on till Spring. The grass is growing and thing wear quite a spring like appearance -- verry [very] different from what it is in Ill. [Illinois] at this Season of the year. The thoughts of the cold weather there makes me shudder for my family -- my dear wife -- use every dollar you have at comand [command] to make yourself and family comfortable and do not Suffer yourself and children to be exposed by going out but stay at home indoors as much as possible.

You wrote you had a prospect of getting a man and small family to live in the Kitchen and work by the month. I hope you have succeeded more for the sake of having some one [someone] to depend on to see to things and provide wood for you. I hope he will take good care of the mules and not abuse them if you think best for the sake of feed to thrash the oats it would be well to have it done. you probably will not have much hay, but if the oats are threshed they should be put up so they will be Kept safe and dry if you have a good faithful man I will give him a good chance on the farm next season for we shall have so much to buy. That it is quite doubtfull [doubtful] wheather [whether] we will find it profitable to Keep much hired help, and I shall make my arrangements to be employed on the farm and doing some thing [something] that will be making, money, either, sheep -- stock, or some thing [something] but shall disign [design] to do a safe business and Keep out of debt and live within our income and if possible within our wants. I never enjoyed better health and a more firm constitution than the present -- perfectly inured to hardship and toil.

I deeply regret that I did not go home a year ago last fall, and not gone into the quartz speculation but I cannot ccencure [censure] myself for making the effort and I feel sorry to learn that some insinuations should have been cast by my friends but my dear wife I well Know you will not censure me but otherwise prove constant and true and sympathize with your husband for in the many disapointments [disappointments] I have been called to meet had I have Known the future I should not have left my darling home but if I succeed in again joining my family I shall feel quite independant [independent] of what others may say or think, so that I only retain the confidence of my wife

My dear children I must say a few words to you. You are constantly my daily and hourley [hourly] thoughts. I have so often wrote to you to be good and Kind to each other that it seems unnecessary for me to repeat the request -- I hope you will bear in mind your fathers [father's] anxiety for your wellfare [welfare] and hapiness [happiness] and rest assured that my anxiety to see you is as great as yours possibly can be to see me. I hope you are comfortable and well -- little did I once think I should ever during my life be seperated [separated] from you so long -- but when I return to my darling family and home it seems now as though I should never be induced to leave you again. I wish you to stay home from school when the weather is cold and stormy and be quiet and learn all you can -- you must have good comfortable warm clothes and light shoes -- I often think morning noon and evening about what you are a doing (making the allowance of the differance [difference] of time) being about two hours later than at home. I have been so long in this warm climate that I am afraid the cold wind and severe frost of Ill [Illinois] would be dangerous to my health should I return during the depth of winter but I shall start in time to reach home early in the spring about all the ice and snow I have seen sure since I left home was in the summer on the top of the mountains.

My dear family I must bid you adieu again hopeing [hoping] the time is near when I shall embrace you at home

Your affectionate husband

R J Boylan

To my Dear Margaret