Gold Rush Era Letters

At the same time they are praying around professing religion, spending their time & money on some person who preaches & prays to them merely for their money -- & my opinion is that if there is any more of a hell than there is on this earth such persons will go there. --

I shall write Mr. Tucker by this mail & give him power to do business for me in my name & instruct him to settle up my affairs with Esqr. J immediately Mr. T. wrote me that he thought it would be best for me to effect a settlement with Esq. J as soon as possible & that he had told you that he thought it best for you to have him resign his guardianship for C. & H. as he did not think him capable of taking charge of any business whatever so long as he remains as feeble as he has done for several months past -- & I think his (Mr. Ts) advice good.

Aug 31st I am well as usual -- have just finished writing to Mr Tucker. I have drawn up a writing authorizing him to settle up my affairs with Esq. Jewett & have also instructed him to settle with him as soon as possible. I shall enclose the letter to Mr T. & he will forward it to you from Boston. Hoping that it may find you all well & happy I remain,

Your affct [affectionate] Son H. A. Parker [Henry A. Parker]

To Mrs Ann Parker E Pepperell Mass

over seriously & if you think it an object to accept my proposal, you will please write me accordingly. One thing more, in case you should return & come into my store I will assure you that you shall make some thing more than a mere living to begin with. (wish I could say I had done as well as that since I have been in California)

Now do you not think this a generous offer?

I have a great mind to accept it without further consideration, but then I cannot return home at any rate for several months so I think I shall be obliged to decline accepting his generosity.

Mr Tucker is certainly without any exception the best friend I have got in this world with the exception of you Chas. & Hattie. Do you not think so? Lizzie writes me that she enjoyed her country visit very much & that since she returned to Boston she has felt a little homesick.

As I wish to write Mr. T. & his family I must close my letter to you. Please give my love to C & H & tell them I shall answer their letters as soon as I receive them. Wishing you continued health & happiness I remain,

Your affct [affectionate] Son

H. A. Parker. [Henry A. Parker]

To Mrs. Ann Parker E Pepperell Mass

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You will see an account, in the paper which I shall send Charles, of the death, at Honolulu S. I. of Edmund P. Hutchinson of Pepperell. It appears that he died twenty days after his arrival there from Boston --

Poor fellow! Instead of regaining his health as he hoped to do, he only left home to die among strangers in a strange land.

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Mr. William Walton will leave here tomorrow, accompanied by his wife and one child, on a visit of a few months, to the Atlantic States.

He would willingly take this letter to you, but I think I will not trouble him with it for you will receive it as soon, if not sooner, if I send it by mail, than you would if I sent it by him. --

Large handbills have been posted about the streets this week announcing that a certain firm in this city were prepared to sell nice, dry sound Potatoes for 20 cts per bushel -- Cheap enough for California.

There are plenty of chestnuts now in market brought from the Atlantic States which sell readily at retail for $1.00 a pound or 25 cts for a small tumbler full. They do not taste much however like chestnuts at home although they are very good. Wishing you all health and happiness I remain

Your affectionate Son H. A. Parker [Henry A. Parker]

Mrs. Ann Parker E Pepperell Mass

[written vertically in the left margin] Give my love to Charles & Hattie -- My regards to friends in general.

I suppose you remember of my writing you about my walk to Fort Point a few Sundays ago and also about the boquet [bouquet] I gathered at that time.

I have since pressed two or three of my wild flowers which I intend to send on to you in this letter and I hope they will look as pretty when you recieve [receive] them as they now do, for if they should I know they will prove acceptable -- still if I could have done so I should much rather sent you the fresh boquet [bouquet], so as to have shown you a fair sample of California wild flowers, but that I knew was out of the question so I took the next best method.

Tell Charles that I have recieved [received] papers from him regularly by the last four or five mails and that I am very glad he sends them, still I want he should write me once in a while, or twice in a while would suit me better, but if he cannot write me why then I should be glad to have him continue to send me papers and I will send him some in return. Tell Hattie not to neglect sending me her miniature for I shall expect it along in about two months and a half after the time I sent for it. Give my love to them both, also to Uncle Bradley and family, and all my inquiring friends

You will also please accept a liberal share of the love and good wishes of

Your repentant & loving Son

H. A. Parker [Henry A. Parker]

To Mrs Ann Parker E Pepperell Mass

[written vertically in the left margin] Monday May 15th, Am well as usual with a prospect of remaining so, no news H. A. P. [Henry A. Parker]

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

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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]