Gold Rush Era Collections

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]

S. P. Tuckers [Samuel P. Tucker] health is not very good as yet, he being troubled more or less with the fever & ague -- haves a chill & fever time every two or three days which winds up with a bad head-ache. He has also been troubled somewhat with a cough for several weeks & I fear he never would enjoy good health if he were to remain here for a long time but I hope it would be otherwise as he rather thinks of staying here through the summer if not longer

I remembered that you were 52 years old the 1st of Feb & I should liked very much to have been at home with you all -- hope you will yet live to see many more birthdays & happy ones too, hope also that the remainder of your life will be free from the care & trouble which has thus far during your life seemed to fall to your lot

The little treat which you made for C. & H. was no doubt very nice particularly the Tomato Figs & I hope that I shall have a chance to eat some of them myself ere long.

I was glad to hear that you had so nice a Pig as I know that you like to have things nice & when you have the management of them yourself that you will have them so. Wish I had a piece of the Pig to fry for supper as I have not eaten a piece of fresh pork since I left home.

I think you have been fortunate in getting your wood up in such good season, although I do not know as you got it done any earlier than you commonly do, as last year when I left home the last of Feb. Campbell had got it nearly all cut up -- hope you will succeed in getting your fencing stuff up in season & the rest of your spring-work done. You & Mr Tucker both wrote me that Henry Leighton was about to leave P. for this country & Mr T. wrote that he had given Leighton a letter of introduction to Mr Wm. Walton [William Walton], but as yet we have none of us seen him. I have now filled my sheet & as I wish to write to Mr. Tucker I will close for today but shall probably write a few lines crosswise before the mail closes I remain Your Truly affectionate Son, H. A. Parker [Henry A. Parker]

Mrs Ann Parker East Pepperell Mass

attending school, assisting you &c so that I could not reasonably expect them to write me at that time, but I hope that they will write as soon as they can conveniently do so, for I should be glad to hear from them at any time

As you did not write anything about Hattie's Music I concluded she had not yet got her Piano & was not taking music lessons at present. Tell her to write me if she can by next mail & tell me all about her studies &c. I saw T. P. Tucker at San Francisco last Saturday. He was comfortably well, enough so to be about & that was all -- do not think he seems to gain much if any of late & I think he would be better off at home than here for there he would recieve [receive] good care & I think soon recover

Sometimes he will be very well for two or three days the very next perhaps, he will have a chill & be obliged to go to bed & be troubled with the headache & chills for a day or two, so that he is able to do but very little work.

For aught I know the rest of the Pepperell boys are all well. I have not heard from Henry Leighton since he went up country to find his father, I understand that his mother felt very bad about his coming to this country & tried to persuade him from doing so, but without avail.

She will no doubt be pleased to hear that he arrived here safely. Nothing has yet been heard from the Steamship Independence which I wrote you by last mail was supposed to be lost together with all on board & it was fortunate for Henry L. that he was not a passenger on this ill-fated Steamer but it is hoped that she will yet make her appearance & that all those who took passage on her are still living

San Francisco Jan 10th 1854

My Dear Mother,

I take this opportunity to return you my sincere thanks for the nice "New Years" present which you sent me by Mr. Geo. F Leighton, [George F. Leighton] consisting of two fine apples, a box of Tomato Figs & "last though not least a kind letter" all of which were recieved [received] the morning of the 2d inst in fine order.

Miss Leighton & Lawrence came out here by the Nicaragua route & it was very fortunate for them that they came that way as those passengers who left New York by the mail line at the same time that Miss L & L, left have not arrived here yet & probably will not arrive for a number of days to come ---

I was very glad indeed to see some one who had just arrived from Pepperell & I guess they thought so too for I asked them thousands of questions in the course of the day while they were here.

They arrived here Saturday night, but did not find me until Tuesday morning, & Tuesday afternoon they left here for Auburn where Mr Albert Leighton was located while he was in this country & where Henry Leighton now is. They were both well when they arrived here & Mr Lawrence had gained 5 lbs. weight on the passage out here & from what little they had seen of the country they liked very well.

They have promised to write me as soon as they get settled

Mr Noyes [Ephraim Noyes] sends his kind regards to you -- Mr. Wm. Shipley [William Shipley] is well as usual and wishes to be remembered to you. I have not heard from Sam Tucker [Samuel P. Tucker] since I last wrote you, or from John Griffin either who I suppose is at work near where Sam is. I promise they are all well, or else I should probably hear from them. I have not heard from Thos G. Lawrence [Thomas G. Lawrence] or Mr Leighton or Henry Leighton for a long time in fact nothing definite since they first arrived here in San Francisco. I have never seen, or heard from Nathan Baker, or Charles Wheeler and should never known they were here if you or Mr Tucker had not written me that they had left home with the intention of coming out here, and in fact I do not know as they are in the country at the present time ---

Give my love to Charles & Harriet -- to Miss Lewis and others of my friends.

Thursday Eve June 28th. Am quite well this evening and have just done up three papers to send to Charles. -- Think I shall send Harriet one also, "A Pictorial Wide West"

Since I commenced writing my letter, I have been called upon to attend the funeral of a friend -- Mr William F. Green of Townsend Harbor Mass --

He died very suddenly, -- was taken with an attack of Painters Cholic [Painter's Colic], last Sunday Evening (until which time he was smart and well) and died last Tuesday morning at one o'clock, and was buried Tuesday afternoon. He leaves a brother in this country who was at Marysville, and has not arrived from there yet.

[written vertically in the left margin and over the horizontal text]

Friday Eve June 29th Am well this evening and must finish my letter and deposit it in the Post Office tonight as the mail Steamer leaves early tomorrow

The mail from New York 5th inst. has not yet arrived, so of course I have not yet received your Miniature, but I expect to though, in a day or two H.A.P. [Henry A. Parker]