Gold Rush Era Letters

him about it & I will also write him & have him send it as he did the other through H. A. Walton. I want to have you also write me how much I have had as you will find it put down in the book where I used to keep my accounts

I have seen Mr Wm Shipley [William Shepley]] two or three times this last week & he tells me that Frank Mason is out here & is clerk in a wholesale Grocery Store. He also told me where Samul Tucker [Samuel P. Tucker] was so that I wrote him day before yesterday. I think Shipley is doing pretty well here now as he has left off drinking & he looks very well.

There has been considerable excitement here for the last 4 or 5 weeks caused by the news of the Presidential Nominations also a depression of business caused by the news of the death of Henry Clay & the stores are now draped with black & there is to be a funeral procession next Tuesday in honor of his memory.

I am now living as economical as possible. I still board at Mrs Millers & get along with two meals per day for which I pay her 7$ per week. We have fitted up some bunks in our store where we sleep. We bought us a Palm Leaf Mattress which with our blankets make us a very good bed & we have lessened our expenses from 15$ to 7$ per week. We do our own washing with the exception of our shirts & we are bound to live as cheap as possible & to make & have money if we can do it. Sunday Eve.

I have just returned from church where I heard an excellent discourse by Rev Mr Hunt of the congregational church. His text was taken from Exodus 20 chap 13 ver. "Thou shall not kill" also Matthew 5 chap [chapter] & a part of the 39 ver "whosoever smites thee on the right-cheek turn to him the other also" The selection of these words was suggested by the fight-

shall do) we shall then be satisfied to remain there & enjoy those comforts which can be enjoyed at no place but a good home, & thank Heaven that we both got a home & kind friends which we may well feel proud of.

I was pleased to hear that you had been visited by so many of your old Friends during the past summer as it must be pleasant to meet with those who were your friends & school mates in your youthful days & relate to each other the scenes of life through which you have passed during your separation from each other & I think as your health has been pretty good this summer, that you must have enjoyed yourself very well at least I hope you have done so although I fear I have caused you to pass many unhappy moments, but I hope in you receive this you will rest assured that all my resolutions are such as will tend to make me what I once was "good & respectable" & if I ever again am allowed the privilege of reaching Pepperell & meeting you all, I shall endeavor to return your kindness which you have continually shown me.

By last mail I received a few lines from Esq Jewett [Esq. C. Jewett] also from H. A. Walton N.Y. containing a draft on Turnbell [Turnbull] & Walton for Four Hundred Dollars & it came in good time as you will see by the letter which I wrote you the 19th inst. by Express informing you that I had again made up my mind to go into business & as I have done so the money from Esq Jewette [Esq. C. Jewett] was very acceptable. I have bought one half of a Meat Stall with the Fixtures, Horse, Carb &c. The Stall is situated in what is called "The New World Market. So you see I am now engaged in the Butchering business. All the particulars I will not related to you until I see how I prosper. Suffice it to

moments before retiring to bed no better than writing you

I wish when you write me again after receipt of this letter that you would write me a little about the situation of my property, the amounts & any information you can give me about it, I shall most thankfully recieve [receive]. You need not however make any inquiries about the matter but merely write me what you know about it yourself, as I do not wish to have some of the Pepperell folks know about my business. If they know I am agoing to have $7000. & am obliged to get married & cant back out of it no how &c? If they know all this (as they pretend to) they know enough, at least as much as I intend they shall know Anything you wish to know about my business or habits I should be happy & willing to write you about, but wish it to be kept in the family.

As I may not have time to write to Esq. Jewette [Esq. C. Jewett] I wish you would say to him that I recieved [received] a draft from him through H. A. Walton of N.Y. on Miss Turnbull & Walton & shall draw the money & send him a draft payable to H. A. Walton on the 20th Dec or 90 days after date of his last letter.

I see Samuel Tucker every day & I think he is gaining health & strength quite rapidly & I think if he is careful he will get quite smart again but I think he will never enjoy so good health here as he did at home & I should not think it strange if he returned to Pepperell next Spring. As I have nearly filled my sheet will close after wishing you to remember me to all my friends & to give my love to Chas. & Hattie to whom I shall write if I have time

[written vertically in the left margin] "That I may yet be a comfort & blessing to you all" is the sincere wish of [written vertically across the horizontal text of the letter] Your affct [affectionate] Son H. A. Parker [Henry A. Parker]

as they afford me the greater part of my enjoyment & I hope you will keep your promise that is to write me by every mail if it is but a few lines just to let me know that you are all well &c I am aware that you are at this season very busy but hope you will find time to write me a few lines every fortnight. Tell Charles & Hattie to write me also as their letters are very interesting & are perused with pleasure. I shall write you by every mail as I have done since I arrived here & I shall also write a few letters to Brother & Sister often. Please tell them that when I do not write them personally that they may claim an interest in your letters & that I hope they will answer them. I intended to have written them by last mail but neglected doing so but shall write them this afternoon as I received from them a week ago today very acceptable letters & I hope I shall continue to receive letters from them often. Small favors thankfully received & larger ones in proportion .. -- I shall send by this mail which leaves here Tuesday morning a draft on Esq Jewett payable to H. A. Walton New York City & shall draw the money of Mr Wm. Walton [William Walton] of this City. Please accept my thanks for your kindness in helping me about my business as you have done from time to time & rest assured that I will endeavor to return it. Probably before you receive this letter Mr Chas Milkins [Charles Milkins] will have arrived at Pepperell on his return from California having I understand met with very good success since he came out here the last time. I was glad to hear the P. news & to hear from my friend Miss Jennings but sorry to hear of the illness of her brother. I had previously heard of the birth of a young Parker over the river but it interested me but little & you need have no fear of my being obliged to father any of these Smelts as you call them. As I have filled my sheet you must now excuse me from writing any more & I will commence a letter to Sis HaP [Henry A. Parker]

[written vertically in the left margin] From your loving Son H. A. Parker [Henry A. Parker]

at least as well as we could expect to. Sam has now got to be quite smart & has just now seated himself by my side at the same table & is writing a letter to his mother. Perhaps it would not be altogether uninteresting to know how we look at the present time and as you cannot peep in upon us I will endeavor to give you a faint idea of our apartment as it now appears.

First imagine yourself standing in the door, which leads directly out of doors. Looking in you first see Mr Harrisons bed on which he is now fast asleep having sit down on it a half an hour since. To the left of his bed stands the table on which Sam & myself are writing to our kind mothers. The candle sits between us & in front of me lies the contents of my writing box consisting of Paper & other little things which you fixed up for me so nicely just before I left home Your Miniature together with that of Sis & myself also lies on the table together with the letter recd from you by the last mail also letters recd from Andrew Lewis, H. A. Walton & Esq Jewett. To the left of me as I now sit stands my bed which consists of a cob & a straw mattrass [mattress]. My bedding includes the nice blankets you gave me, (which are now not quite so white as the driven snow) & two old coats with a bag which I made stuffed full of dirty clothes for a pillow. At the foot of my bed is some shelves filled with my clothes & little knicknacks [knickknacks], while at the head of my bed stands a chase cupboard minus the chase. I am seated upon a stool made of rough boards & Sam is seated upon a box. Partly behind me is the fire place & on the same side of the room is a