Gold Rush Era Letters

a good mining claim & what is still better 112 hens & chickens & five turkies [turkeys] which they intend to eat between now & spring. After relating the above I will leave you to guess whether or no they will not have a nice Thanksgiving dinner but after all I am afraid that I shall be unable to accept of their kind "invite" as it is quite a journey from here to Columbia "but I" hope they may have a nice dinner & enjoy it too, although I fear they will not enjoy themselves quite as well as they would do in P. were they there ---

You wrote that you should like to know if Henry Shipley was married in answer to which I can only say that last spring while on a visit here from Sacramento he said that he was to be married soon to a young lady & was then going across the plains to the States. A few weeks afterward I saw him again when he told me that soon after starting on his proposed trip his wife died & that he concluded to return back again -----

He exhibited no signs of grief, & did not wear mourning for here, which is all I can say of him.

Judging from his stories, he has made many quantity of money in this country & is in a fair way of making still more. Now you can judge for yourself, I understand that Pepperell folks think that Wm. E. Shipley has made himself rich out here & that now they want him to come home right away.

I rather think that if the truth were known that

Think I will write you a few lines more however before I retire to bed. I received a letter from Sam P. Tucker [Samuel P. Tucker], this last week. He was still at work mining near his old location. I saw, (several days before I received his letter) by the papers that "Tucker and Company had struck it rich in their claim above Hatch's Junction" and I thought at the time it might mean Sam, and it turned out that he was the "lucky hombre"

He writes that for two or three weeks their claim paid them larger wages, but since then it has only paid good average wages. When he wrote he thought some of seeling [selling] off his chickens, claim, &c and going to work in a River Claim which he in company with seven others had taken up. His health remains good, and I think he is doing very well, and I hope he will continue to do well so as to get pay for coming out to this country.

He never writes when he thinks of returning home --

Your cousin Wm. E. Shipley [William E. Shipley] is well as usual as are all the Pepperellites. I saw James Bolles yesterday. You probably remember who I mean, as he is a nephew of Mr. James Bolles of Pepperell and used to live with him. He has been here in the mines for two years nearly, but has not done very well. He has shipped in the Barque Archibald Gracie and is going to the Sandwich Islands, and then back here again

He would like to have you inform his Uncles folks of what I have written you about here. He says he has written them three times since they last wrote him and he is now waiting to hear from them.

I must now draw to a close. Please give my love to Charles and remember me to my friends.

From your affct [affectionate] Son H. A. Parker [Henry A. Parker].

Mrs. Ann Parker E Pepperell Mass

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

Tuesday morning, August 1st The mail arrived yesterday by which I received letters from J. A. T. [J. A. Tucker] and Miss Lewis but as yet I have not received yours, but think I shall find one from you today. I am as well as usual this morning and I hope you are all enjoying good health at home. I have just heard from Sam Tucker [Samuel P. Tucker] by way of Charles Valintine who has just come down from Gold Springs. Sam is well.

James Bolles did not go to the Sandwich Islands as he expected to do I have not seen him for two or three days.

Tell Chas I have sent him some Papers --- Your Son H. A. P. [Henry A. Parker]