Gold Rush Era Letters

of Whiskey which was handed to him by bloated looking toper when he crossed his right leg over his left an [and] commenced smoking his cigar also the ardurous [arduous] task of watching the Ballot Box now I have given you a description of Election which I think will amuse you. I will give you a [an] amusing incident or rather accident that occurred to me. I started to go to placerville Placerville on Friday Dec 2d a distance from here about thirty Eight miles over a more mountainous country than you ever beheld. the first mountain I had to climb was from one mile And a half to two miles in height and so steep that a person cannot go straight up but has to wind round the mountain several times before he gets to the top. I got into Georgetown about noon took dinner and started for Culloma Coloma a distance of ten miles by the waggon [wagon] road but unfortunately we were informed that by taking a left hand trail we could cut off two or three miles of the journey. we accordingly took into the mountains at this point and after traveling six miles we arrived at peru Peru, California where we were informed we were farther from Culloma [Coloma] than we were when we were at Georgetown. now this was vexatious for as when we left Georgetown it commenced raining in torrents and when we arrived at Peru we thorouly [thoroughly] wet through. my partner wished to stop at Peru that night but as we started for Colloma [Coloma] I determined to get there that night rain or shine so we started from Peru about one hour before dark and about dark we got back on the main road about one mile from where we left it and

The Scuvey [Scurvy] took a great hold of Some of Our Men and their legs Swelled and got quite black nesct [next] the [they] lost the use of their legs alltog -ather [altogether] and could not even go on Crutches. Their health otherwise was good and had a good apeti -te [appetite]. Capt. Graham and E. Cummins has been the wr [worst] cases of Scurvey [Scurvy].

Sutters [Sutter's] Mill or Coloma as it it is commonly called is not much of a place for Mining as every thing has been turned over Several times, however had we all been able to work we would have done well enough as it was

Owen W. Donald died at Sutters [Sutter's] Mill Coloma on the Evning [Evening] of the 12th of octo. [October] 1849 after a lingering illness of fifty days he was one of those men that was Sick in Panama and the first who took Sick after our arival [arrival] at the Mines.

This Poor Man has left a Wife and four Children in Charleston to lement [lament] his Loss he was Buried on Saturday Evning [evening] at Coloma on top of a hill. his was the tenth grave that was opened there.

Owen W. Donald was a Native of Heerins Town Co. [County] of Meath

Coloma is building up fast with tents log cabins and a few frame houses these Settlers are al [all] Speculating and taking every advan =tage of the oporators [operators] in the Mines. Provision is rather high. flour is Sold at 65 cents the pound pork from 50 to 60 cents per pound Fresh Beef is fifty cents vinegar one dollar per quart Wine four dollars per Bottle Whiskey three dollars the Bottle Corn Meal 40 cents per pound Cattle feed is also very high as there is nothing like grass within miles of the Mill Irish Potatoes is one dollar

knee deep, and the streets almost unpassable; now it is quite dry and the streets very comfortable. It is a delightful climate. I like this city much. It is all go ahead, bustle and activity, and, although burnt to ashes but a few days ago, is many alive as if nothing had happened.

Moses Brown, Ben Frazier, and their company all arrived here safe. I saw Brown last Wednesday just as he was starting off North, did not see Frazier; he had started off before we ran across them. They were all well. Brown told us he saw you and you were all snart the night before he started. They were longer coming than we were a number of days; had some sickness and deaths on board ? bessels [vessels]. They have gone about seventy five miles north of this to a place call Coloma, though I am not sure I spell it right.

We board at a Hotel, the man we work for living out of town a couple of miles, but we are all paid so much $75. and boarded. In almost every thing but clothing, there is a difference if about 1 to 4 between here and at home. A man can get $75 for doing what he might get $15. for there; board is $12. here when it would be $3. there; and a glass of Grog (of which there is an immense amount sold) instead of being six cents, as there, is here twenty five cents. But clothing of many kinds is almost as cheap here as at home. Boots and shoes are rather high, say as high again as at home. And then it nothing to work here, if what we have done is a sample; ten hours is a day's