Gold Rush Era Letters

San Francisco Cal. July 27th 1853

Dear Mother,

I have just finished writing a few lines to S. P. Tucker [Samuel P. Tucker], & as the mail leaves here again for the States next Monday, thought I would commence a letter to you so as to be in time to have my letters go through more regularly than they did while I was at Natchez [Natchez Creek]. Your dated June 17th was recieved [received] the 18th inst. when you wrote that you had not received a letter from me by the previous mail, the reason of which I can easily account for. When I was at N. I wrote you. I think, the 9th of May intending it to go by the mail which left here the 16th May but I did not have a chance to send it down here until about the time the Steamer sailed so of course it could not go until the 1st of June, but I suppose you have recieved [received] it ere now. I was indeed happy to hear that you were all well & very glad to know that you got over your lameness so easily & soon for a "rusty nail" I think is the very worst thing any one can wound them selves with

My health remains good & I have been engaged the past week in fitting up a place to commence business again in the company with a young man from Bangor, Maine by the name of Wade. I can inform you of our success better by 9 by "poco tempo"

I received a letter from S. P. Tucker [Samuel P.Tucker] the 19th inst. the first I had heard from him since the 2nd of May