The Fassett Letters - Letter #49
One
sheet blue lined paper 9¾ x
15½” folded in half to make four sides
Date:
8/17/1858
Place: Pacheco
From: H.H. Fassett
To:
Mother, Father, Jane
Pacheco Aug 17th 1858
Dear Mother
Yours of June & July just received this morning read, and I sit
down to answer while in the humor & ere it gets cold wrote you
last month am located this place Contra Costa Co have built a store on
our Ranch and laid out a town sold several lots & business
commences well thing will make money here we also have a boat landing
and intend putting up a warehouse next year about half a mile from our
store shall then probably buy Wheat and Barley cannot say positive
though. time will tell
Our work is much easyer here than in P-ville as we deal in Dry Goods
&c Keep much such a store as Reed & Conditt in
Johnstown Buy Butter, Eggs, Chickens Turkeys Ducks &c
&c trade with country Galls Women old Folks & Young.
Like the business & are making quite a sensation in the county
by our cheap prices public spirit and accomodation. all important items
when I add we are the only American traders in the Co. The Jews having
having heretofore monopolised the mercantile business of the Co. I will
reserve the description of our store and arrangements in &
around it for some future letter when I mean to astonish you by our
countryfyed appearance & manners and then the pretty Girls
& smiling faces for the new storekeepers I tell you when they
are gone we have our own fun & when here, are positively
charmed Some put on Airs & some hoops some walk into the door
& some crowd in. Oh! what an invention hoops are and how the
dear little ones can expand or contract themselves to any desired
standard. delightful institution and since their invention I have fell
in love with ½ I’ve seen when dressed up but alas
when in the Kitchen attire I have as suddenly fell out & went
home cured I now have one hung up in the store (hooped skirt) and
transfer my affections to that as its every day the same. Hale is here
with me and does not know at what time he will visit home sure not this
fall wishes to be remembered to you. Ann only lives about 20 Rods from
the store & I see her any moment in the day. Hale & I
board with Mrs Carothers a good place & she is a fine woman Ann
& her live in the same yard.
[Begin side three.]
We keep a horse Dog & Cat & will soon get us a buggy
for general running about our Cat is Maltese & Wild Cat
& is very nice & playful. Dog a thuroughbred pointer a
present to us from a friend & cost him over 30.$ The horse very
much such an one as old Squirrel was when of his age, 6 years. We paid
$175.00 for him & consider him cheap. I was just to the door,
counted 6 wagons loaded with Barley & Wheat all standing at or
as near as they could get to our store besides men on horses &
mules & Spaniards mixed in with them & with their (Si
Senor. Yes Sir) all makes up a motley & interesting crowd.
Nothing like Cala for variety & spice.
As to songs I am glad to hear you sing sometimes. Oh! how I love
singing & yet I never hear singing now & if I should
fear I would feel no the better for it as memory would run wild with
other times & places & I fear make me so sad. but if
you want to Know some songs I really love sing “Ossians
Serenade” “Do they Miss &c.”
& “Old Dog Tray.” I know Criss Starks he is
a fine young man am sorry to hear of his Fathers death. Now Mother I
would like to laugh at you to got your Chair & have a general
good time but when that may be is very uncertain so good bye for this
time Yours &c
H.H. Fassett
[Begin side four.]
Dear Father
When I commenced this letter I thought I would write a short line to
you and the balance to Mother & have by the dint of an active
½ hours work accomplished 3 pages of stuff and leave you the
little corner. Well we are all well & business fair. I have
been so unsettled this spring & Summer I have not written
regular but in future will attend to it my leisure time though is very
limited & what I write have to do in the store & in the
interim of attending to the wants of our numerous customers. I am aware
that I do not write you often, but then I am so often writing to mother
I cannot find the material for more than one at a time and what I write
to Mother is for all of you & must all so consider it Our Post
Office is Martinez in this Co. but we expect soon to get one here if we
do shall be P. M.
Write me as often as you can &
believe me your
Aff Son
H. H. Fassett
Jane
If I owe you a letter write to me & let me know & you
shall be answered soon & if you owe me a letter do please write
it right off & tell me all about the Beaux & Beauees
Your Bro
H. H. Fassett
Go To: Previous | Index | Next