Date:
8/10/1852
Place:
Hangtown
From:
Ann
To:
Mother & all
Hangtown
Aug 10th 1852
Dear
Mother & all,
At last
our long journey is most over & I am at
Mary Ann s
enjoying myself finely. Mr. Harker keeps a large hotel here, the best that is
known about. they are doing a large business. They are making money very fast, I
know. if we could make half they do I should think we were rich. They took
in a partner a week before we came but would have waited for us had they known
we were coming. Private / had we taken it and done as well as they are doing in
3 years we could go home with 30 or 40000. but I
dont want it. a large share of the profits come from liquors and Sunday custom.
They work like slaves on Sunday. never have time to go to church or even rest.
(dont mention it out of the house) There are openings here for making fortunes
in a few years but it is liquor and Sunday business, and we choose to be poorer
rather than enter it. Mary Ann s health is better than it has been for years.
She says she works harder here than ever before in her life. We came here the 6th
but I was very tired and had washing and some sowing to do, & the mail
would not leave San Francisco till the 15th therefore I did not
write. I am in a great hurry to get down to the bay and get letters from home.
it is a long time since I have heard a word. you must write long letters &
give all the particulars. Parker & Chit started this morning with the stock
down to the bay and I shall stay here till Parker finds a home for me. he will
be gone 2 weeks or more. I am well but very tired. Chit has excellent health.
he says if he was at home he could walk to Sunbury in the morning before
breakfast and not feel it, and he could too. The children are quite well &
as fat as they can be. Parker is well except a sore mouth. Green and Jim left
us at Carson valley & went a nearer route to the mines. We came over the
mountains alone and would and would have had more money, much less work,
trouble, & annoyance had we started from home and come all the way so.
Noyce was so insulting mean, & lazy. Parker told him he would not travel
with him. no danger of him in California. he cant be worse than he is any way.
Parker says all that hinders him from being a perfect desperado is want of
courage. Jim is the laziest creature you ever saw, perfectly destitute of
principle & gambled on the road. if he aint a ruined boy now it wont take
much to finish him. Green run out before he left & we had them to wait on.
the trip over the mountains was hard on Parker & Chit but would have been
harder had the others been with us. I must stop now but will write by the next
steamer. We did not starve as we sold 50 dollars worth of provisions before we
crossed the mountains. we had milk every day, & when we got through our cow
gave a gallon twice a day. We were
offered a 1,50 dollars for here but would not take, & the same for
the wagon. We have a wagon, 2 cows, a yoke of oxen & Chit s horse.
Any
quantity of love Grandmothers Fathers Mothers Brothers, Sisters, Uncles, Aunts,
Cousins, Neighbors & every body. Write often & long
Aunt Ann & Aunt Delia will get the next letter.
I want to
help Mary Ann, now but will write a long letter soon.
Good bye.
good bye. God keep & bless you all.
Ever your
affectionate
A kiss for dear Willie.
Ann.
P.S. dont mention how Harker is making. Mary Ann has written home
and is very anxious to get an answer. She dont want her folks to know how they
are making now. A.