Gold Rush Era Letters

Saint Louis May 8th 1851 [Written in pencil] (Should be 1852)

Dear Sister

I have got this far on my journey without any accident and very little delay I arrived in Buffalo on friday [Friday] the thirtieth of April where I stayed all day and had plenty of time to look around to see the City. Business at the present time there is very Brisk there. in the afternoon I engaged a passage on the Baltic for Toledo for which place we sailed at Eight in the evening. at Daylight on Saturday the first of may [May] we arrived at the town of Erie where we lay two hours. we touched at Snadusky Cleveland a [at] seven in the evening touched at Sandusky at Eight o clock [o'clock] on the morning of the second and arrived at Toledo at ten o clock [o'clock]. here we were to have taken the Cars but the track had been washed away with the late rains so we had to go to Munroe where we landed at three in the afternoon. we stayed in Munroe all night an [and] got on board the cars for Michigan Sapos La Porte in Indiana Stopping at all the principal places the names of Which you will see by refferring [referring] to the little Guide book you have. we got to Laporte [La Porte] a Six in the evening and stayed until the next evening at the same hour when we took the stage for Michigan City. got there at Eleven o clock [o'clock] and found the cars ready to take us to Chicago where we arrived at two o Clock [o'clock] on the morning of the here

[At very bottom of page] cousin consen

Michigan City

Jan 8th 1854

Dear Sister

I am yet in the Land of the Liveing [Living] and enjoying good health at the beginning of the New Year and have no cause of Complaint neither for myself or family although I am utterly ignorant of how you folks is getting along at home. I once in a while get a Albany paper from Dyer Sathrops Son. Day before yesterday I saw the Knickerbocker Express an Evening Journal and Switch of Nov 9 in one of the papers I regret to Learn the death of Miss Lydia Newton and leaves me in Suspense as to the fate of my own folks

Christmas past off very well and so did New Years no accidents or fights in this place but on friday [Friday] there was a very serious Accident. occurred about a mile from this place at a place called El Dorado

We received another from John at the same time we received this it was dated two days later and he had received your letter directed to Michigan City and mine also written at the same time. so you see he has received the news of Ann's death and you can imagine how he feels about it. She said he would answer yours by the mail Feb 1st so keep your eyes open for the next mail. When he writes be sure and send as the letter or the exact copy of it.

In Haste Yours "Tilly"