Gold Rush Era Letters

San Francisco, Cal, Feb 25th 1853

My Dear Mother,

I received your letter dated Jany. [January] 6th, last Sunday. Was happy to hear that you were all well at the time you wrote, as also to hear that you were so fortunate as to escape being burned to death when you broke you fluid lamp.

Do not wonder that you were so badly frightened for I know I should have been myself ---

One year ago this morning, you will remember we were all together, when instead of being under the necessity of writing you, in order to have you understand my wants, wishes, & thoughts, I could then do the same by words. It was then that I left home & friends, as it then seemed to me forever. I never shall forget the time for I felt sad enough I assure you, although I done my best to appear happy & keep up good spirits -- I then thought, that the best thing I could do was to leave the town of P for awhile for I was at last, well aware, that after having conducted as I had done, & was then doing, it made but little difference where I was located & I felt as though I had better leave home than not & I hope that all will yet turn out for the best & that we shall be again united as a happy family. Good Night

Sunday 27th. I am well & comfortably situated. S. P. T. is well & we are still living together & we get (over)

San Francisco, Cal, Nov. 15th 1852

My very dear Love.

By this time I suppose you are fully at work in the scientific pursuits of the Neusselau Institute; & I hope you find there as much to your taste, and yourself as much adapted to their ready acquisition, as was the prospect that you would be the case when in your earlier boyhood you were there.

I trust you executed successfully & handsomely the pleasant task of taking your cousin Louise to Clarkson, & that you had a pleasant visit among your friends in that quarter.

I, a few days since, visited the quicksilver mine & works at New Almaden near San Jose (pronounced Hosay) about 62 miles south of San Francisco. The cinnabar is found near the top of a mountain in entirely irregular veins, beds, wasses [washes] & leads, there are about 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 miles of shafts, chambers, adits, tunnels & other subterranean passages, running up & down, hither & thither, in all possible directions, cutting up the interior of the mountain into a honey-comb char-

[written sideways in left margin and a the top of the page] I shall endeavor to Write Eva by evry [every] mail. My mind is fully made up to have Auther & Ellen join me, if nothing inhertant shall prevent their coming. I hope mother will find all right with you & Hacassy – that you & he may not prevent her coming