Gold Rush Era Collections

I suppose you too miss J. A. Tucker & his family very much, at least I think you must for they have always been kind to you as well as me, being ever ready & willing to assist us in any way, & I hope Mr. T. will be successful in business while in Boston & in a short time remove again with his family to Pepperell & make that his home for life, for aside from Mother, Brother & Sister I have no friends in this world like them & as I intend to spend my days in P. after a short time I of course should be happy to have my friends settle there also

In all my wanderings although I have seen many pleasant places none seem to equal in natural beauty & advantages for living pleasantly, my own native town Perhaps I think so because it is my home. Be that as it may I hope I shall be permitted to return to it ere long & find my friends the same as when I left.

I was sorry to hear that Esq Jewett was so feeble when you wrote & I hope he is more comfortable at the present time & I hope that he & Augustus both may continue to improve in health & strength

Mr. T. wrote me a long letter by last mail saying that he had recieved [received] the "Power of Attorney" which I sent him & that he should endeavor to effect a speedy settlement with Esq. J. which I hope he will be able to do as it may as well be settled up first as last, as I have often said before

best, which I certainly hope it will do, and that I shall come out as well off in every respect as I should have done had I remained until now in a Boston Dry Goods Store. Business seems to be very dull in Boston, and I believe in all the Eastern Cities at the present time, as I notice that a great many have failed there within a few weeks past, and a great many more I dare say are liable to fail and will soon do so providing business remains as dull with them as it is at present. You write that you heard Mr. J. A. Tucker had failed -- I hope it is not so, -- but if so, I hope he will manage to come out all right, for I should be sorry to have him lose in Boston, the capital that he worked hard for, in Pepperell, to obtain. Probably he will be able to settle off with his creditors and soon resume business, again

I did not receive a letter from Mr T. by this last mail, nor from any one of his family, but I shall look for one from them by next mail and I do not think I shall be disappointed for it is seldom that they omit writing me --

[written vertically in left margin] Wednesday Jan. 31st. I am as well as usual this evening -- I recieved [received] a paper from Chas. this morning and shall send him one in return. I also recieved [received] a paper from Cousin Jennie

I do not know as I was ever more surprised at any thing of the kind, than I was when I read your account of the manoeuvering of Lovell Shattuck. ad you written me all the particulars of the forgery, & then left me to guess the person who committed it I should have guessed a great many men in the town of P. before I should have guessed Lovell Shattuck. Your Cousin Shipley was as much surprised as I was, when I told him about it. I dont [don't] see what possessed him to attempt such a thing. A. man as old as he is -- one who has always received the confidence of his townsmen & friends, to go & do such a thing must I think be insane. Just for two or three thousand Dollars he has forever destroyed his happiness, & peace of mind, as well as that of his family, & is now an outcast from home & friends, which he will never dare look upon again.

He could not have realized the sacrifice he was making, in order to obtain this money, for if he had he never would have done it -- Wo be to him now if he is ever found in P. unless he can make just amends for his conduct.

From all accounts it appears that strange things do happen even in the quiet town of Pepperell.

I will now close this hastily written letter, after wishing you to give my love to C. & H. & my enquiring friends & you will please accept the love & good wishes of Your loving Son H. A. Parker [Henry A. Parker].

[in left margin:]

Mar. 30th How do you do this evening? I am as well as usual. No news. H. A. P. [Henry A. Parker]

[dark line runs from the left to right margin]

You will see an account, in the paper which I shall send Charles, of the death, at Honolulu S. I. of Edmund P. Hutchinson of Pepperell. It appears that he died twenty days after his arrival there from Boston --

Poor fellow! Instead of regaining his health as he hoped to do, he only left home to die among strangers in a strange land.

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Mr. William Walton will leave here tomorrow, accompanied by his wife and one child, on a visit of a few months, to the Atlantic States.

He would willingly take this letter to you, but I think I will not trouble him with it for you will receive it as soon, if not sooner, if I send it by mail, than you would if I sent it by him. --

Large handbills have been posted about the streets this week announcing that a certain firm in this city were prepared to sell nice, dry sound Potatoes for 20 cts per bushel -- Cheap enough for California.

There are plenty of chestnuts now in market brought from the Atlantic States which sell readily at retail for $1.00 a pound or 25 cts for a small tumbler full. They do not taste much however like chestnuts at home although they are very good. Wishing you all health and happiness I remain

Your affectionate Son H. A. Parker [Henry A. Parker]

Mrs. Ann Parker E Pepperell Mass

[written vertically in the left margin] Give my love to Charles & Hattie -- My regards to friends in general.

her looks since that time, (wish I could say as much of myself). Hope she will enjoy good health through the summer and be able to attend school as closely as she wishes to. As for her music lessons I suppose she has now got about through with them for this quarter, and no doubt she can now play quite well. How I wish I could give you a call and have a good chat with you all and hear H. play on the Piano -- then in the morning take a look at the garden, fields, forest &c [etc.], -- how nice it would seem. It does not seem to me now as though I should ever want to leave home again for more than a week at a time if I were only back there again, but I am naturally of such a roving disposition that I should not wish to make any very binding agreements to always remain in Pepperell, without ever going out if it for a day or two, but one thing I am certain of and that is that I never wish to be absent from home as long again as I have now already been which as you are aware is now two years and five months. It does not seem a long time to look back, at least not to me, not half so long a time as it does to look ahead to next Spring, at which time I shall if convenient make arrangements to visit New England providing my life and health is spared me until that time. I did not think when I left home that I should remain away so long as I have already done, but I hope everything will yet turn out for