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

                                        Harry Fassett M.D.
                                                     Granville
                                                         Lick Co
                                                                 Ohio

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