Gold Rush Era Letters

along nicely. His health continues good & from what he has said for a few days past about returning home, I should judge that he had about given up the idea of doing so at present & I do not blame him for I should not care about returning with less money that I brought with me to this country although my real friends would be just as glad to see me as though I brought my thousands, provided I had tried hard to lay up something but by meeting with bad luck had been unable to do so & I am not sure but what that if I ever return I shall do so money out of pocket by my California trip. I will now tell you how my money affairs stand. In the first place I brought with me from home, or had rather, when I landed here, $190. & I sold my cards for about $60 making $250. From Esq Jewett I have since received $800 in all $1000. & out of all that I have got $2.25 in my pocket one note of $80. perfectly good, one of $350. perfectly good, two of $400 each, doubtful & the balance due on Fisks note which is about $150. or $160. together with some little accounts amounting to about $70. doubtful. So you can see where my money goes

Fisk together with a man by the name of Patten have opened a nice & splendidly furnished drinking saloon & I think they are making money very fast so that F. will probably soon pay the balance of the note I hold against him. I do not wish you to mention anything of the above to any one not even

of the Golden State. --- It is feared that a much worse disaster has befallen a California Steamship belonging to Vanderbilts Line the Independence.

She left from San Juan the first week in Feb. with from six to eight hundred passengers for this port & should have arrived here about Feb 20th, but the Golden Gate passed her Feb 13th about 2000 miles from here since which time she has not been seen nor heard of & it is feared that she has gone to the bottom of the ocean together with all on board. It is hoped however that such is not the case, but that her non-appearance has been occasioned by the breakage of some parts of her machinery, obliging her to put into some port below here, & in order to ascertain for a certainty her situation the Steamer Sea Bird has been sent out in search of her & it is to be hoped that she is still safe, for it is horrible to think that six or eight hundred persons should be hurled in an instant as it were from life & health to eternity & a watery grave. I will write no more on the subject as I have already occupied a good share of my sheet by so doing, but I will send you a Steamer Paper containing full particulars .. I was happy to hear that you were all well with the exception of bad colds which of course you cannot well avoid being afflicted with at this season of the year, but it will soon be warm weather again when I hope you will all come out bright & well --

I am well & hearty as usual, have lived through the rainy season & my room is now quite comfortable as I am not troubled with the rain driving in on to my bed &

other things as when I wrote you two months since For the last 4 or 5 weeks we have had but 2 or 3 dull days. These together with an occasional shower during the night is all the stormy weather we have had for more than 2 months, so that the mud & water in the streets is nearly dried up & the weather has been warm & pleasant very much like weather in Mass during the month of May although we have some weather such as you experience in July. Most of the seed has been sown for the present years crop by the farmers located in the valleys which is a little ahead of Pepperell farmers time I intend taking a trip next week through San Jose valley which is said to be the Paradise of California it being much pleasanter in every aspect than most parts of California

Mr Shipley, this day received a letter from Henry dated at Sacramento. He is well & writes that he succeeded in finding Mr Huntington who I believe married Isaac Boyntons sister who I think is now living in P. She wrote to W. Shipley supposing (that her husband was dead), wishing to have him find out if possible the particulars of his death, &c After making diligent inquiries concerning him to no affect he says, he has found him alive & well in Sacramento at last

It is now nearly 10 Oclock [O'clock] & I will lay aside my writing until tomorrow. Wishing you all a good nights rest I will bid you Good Night -- Sunday 3 Oclock [O'clock] P.M. Have just returned from my work & eaten my dinner consisting of Baked Beans & Brown Bread which we got at the bakers. For about one quart of beans we paid 50 cts & for a loaf of Bread 40 cts & they are not very new at that, but good for California

[written vertically in the left margin over horizontal text] March 14th Monday P.M. We are having a dull rainy day. I am well however as usual. Henry Leighton arrived here this morning safe & well & leaves here today or tomorrow to join his father somewhere up country. He told us lots of news & I was glad to see him

Give my love to Charles, Harriet & my friends. Tell C. & H. to write me as often as they find it convenient to do so. Also tell Charles to be sure & send me his miniature as soon as he can conveniently do so.

Wishing you health joy & happiness I remain as always Your affectionate Son H. A. Parker [Henry A. Parker]

P.S. Tell C to hand Mr Tucker the paper which I send him by this mail after you have read it yourselves H.A.P. [Henry A. Parker]

probably remain here for the present & I can invest money here so that it will pay from 3 to 5 per ct per month. In answer to this letter please write what you think about it. I feel sorry to hear that they (Esq J's family) continue to suffer so severely from lameness &c & I sincerely hope the warm weather will prove beneficial to them & that they will be able to go about again. Their sufferings are truly great. I suppose you have already written me, how you have arranged your farm work for the coming year which I should be pleased to hear all about & I hope you & Chas will write me from time to time how you get along farming.

You say J. A. Tucker has sold out his store to C. Lewis. Lizzie wrote me about the middle of Mar that Mr T. was then taking an account of his stock of goods & expected to sell to Mr Lewis, since which time I have not recieved [received] letters from them although there are several for me here in California & I expect some of them are from Mr Tucker's family, so when I recieve [receive] them I shall probably get the particulars of the Sale I think Mr T. has done very well there & by close & undivided attention to business has made money & from what little I know of Mr L. do not think he will succeed as well as his predecessor has done although I may be mistaken in my ideas & I sincerely wish Mr L. success in his new place of business.

I suppose you will continue to trade there to the same amount as you have done heretofore

Give my love to Charles & Harriet & ask them to accept from me a small present, consisting of a Gold quarter dollar which I shall send them, thinking that they will be something new to them as I believe they are carried in no place excepting California & it is but a few weeks since they first made their appearance here. Tell C & H to write me if they recieve [receive] them. The postage stamps you sent me were very acceptable & I fear you robbed yourselves as you wrote that you bought only 25 & you sent me 15.

I can procure them here now at the Post Office for 3 cts [cents] each so that you need not be to the trouble & expense of sending me any more at present.

The reason why I have sometimes Sent you letters without paying the postage was because I would get out of stamps & carry my letter to the P. O. when it was closed, so that I could neither purchase stamps nor prepay the postage. Therefore I have often forwarded them at your expense.

I think I shall write a few lines to Esq. Jewett & enclose in this letter which, if I do you will please forward to him. I intend also to write a few lines to C & H before the mail closes. Give my kind regards to all my friends & you will please accept my love with many kind wishes for your happiness & general welfare. I hope I may hear from you regularly as heretofore. Your affct [affectionate] Son H. A. Parker [Henry A. Parker]