Letter #6 One
sheet of blue paper, 15¾ x 9¾ folded
in half to make four sides.
Date:
8/8/1852 Place: Placerville From:
N.C. Fassett To:
Father
El Dorado
Hotel
Placerville
Cal Augt 8th 1852
Dear
Father
We are at last
safe in The
land of gold. arrived here on The 6th inst.
Parker & family
& myself all well. We have sold nothing yet. Parker and myself
expect to
start down on the Bay to Mr Browns by way of Stockton, and should we
not sell
there will probably leave it there until it is in good marketable
condition. we
have had very good luck the whole trip, having lost no stock that we
started
from the States with. I bought a cow on the road & lost her. We
are
stopping with Mr Harker (Mary Ann Buels husband) who keeps this House
and is
doing a good business. it done Ann a great deal of good to find Them.
Ann will
write you so to have her letter go by this Steamer. Mail goes 1st
& 15th each month. There is reported to
be considerable Cholera
& Small Pox on the plains and must be a great deal of
suffering. we have
been ahead of the Crowd & sickness except some small Pox we
passed on the
first part of the trip. Water for mining is pretty scarce just now and
many
poor homesick fellows wish they were with their Mama’s. To
day is Sunday but
how different from ours, it is always the busyest day here The street
is
crowded to its utmost, traders all busy. Auctioneers every few feet
selling
stock of all Kinds, goods goods &c. Gambling houses all
crowded. The music
and jingling of the Devil & other inducements are all too much
for the poor
miners. he stakes his pile & if he wins is sure to play until
he looses
all. I will give you a description of the Houses some other time I am
very
anxious to get down the Country & get some news from home. Then
I will
write you fully. I have seen The Elephant but at last we are through
what I
call The Elephant is so long a trip and that has to be ended for 500
miles with
the desert and then Mountains which are enough to turn most any person
back on
any other road. but this one is too long for a trifle to set a man
flying on it.
Jim Morrow and Noyce Gregory proved to be very poor help and we let
them both
go on the road. bad stock that. Hope I never will get such help again.
We can
sell our teams & wagon &c for considerable advance over
cost on the
states. Miners seem to be doing as well as ever, but I think this fall
and
winter will be hard time for newcomers, there are so many coming it
must have
an effect much like that of the large Emigration of 1850. On coming in
here we
first heard of the Nominations for President & the death of
Henry Clay. I
do not expect to get to Mr Browns in time to write by this Steamer but
will be
certain to write by the one leaving 1st Sept.
can then give you some
idea of the condition of affairs in California. please write me often,
and I
will answer frequently when I get settled some where. Ann will probably
stay
here while Parker is gone. Good Cows & good horses are high
here. hoping
you are all well I am as ever
Yours
Truly
N. C.
Fassett
Envelope,
tan, 5½ x 3¼", postmarked Placerville C, date
illlegible, stamp cut off, addressed to