Gold Rush Era Letters

I saw James K. Bolles yesterday. He has shipped again in the same vessel he was in last summer, and has made up his mind to go to China again and from there home. -- Thinks he will be at home, in about eight months. He sailed yesterday in the Bark "Samuel Merritt" was well and in good spirits.

I received last week a letter from John H. Griffin -- He, Sam Tucker, Chas. Wright [Charles Wright], and others of my friends in the vicinity of Columbia are all well.

They are all engaged in mining, but I guess are not making as much as they were a few months ago on account of the scarcity of water. It has rained however, considerably the past week, and I think they will do well throughout the winter. They would be glad to have me make them a visit, and I should be very glad to do so if I felt as though I could leave here, as well as not.

I shall try and go up there I think in the Spring, before Mr Noyes [Ephraim Noyes] leaves here for home, unless some of them should come down here, in the course of the winter. They write that they have a large log cabin and a plenty to eat --

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Tuesday Eve Dec 4th Am quite well this evening -- Hope you are well also. I have no news to write --