| Title: | James Williamson, [California?] to Robert Williamson, Co. Armagh. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3356 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Williamson, James/29 |
| Year | 1854 |
| Sender | Williamson, James |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | gold miner |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | California, USA |
| Destination | Richill, Co. Armagh, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Williamson, Robert |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | T 2680/2/9: Copied by Permission of W. P. Williamson Esq., Ahorey House, Richhill, County Armagh. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9007149 |
| Date | 08/10/1854 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by JM 06:09:1993. |
| Word Count | 1111 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Buckeys Ravine Oct [October?] 8th 1854 Dear Robert I received your very welcome letter dated June 26th I was very glad to find by the Contents that you were all well at home There is nothing strange or wonderful going on in this part of the world so I will have to put on my considering cap & fill this sheet with sense & nonsense. I am still to work in the same place as when I wrote to you last only I am on my own hook I bought an interest in a Claim last week for $75 which will keep me to work until Jan [January?] I think it is good for $3.00 p [per?] day as long as it will last & a Chance for doing better. William arrived with his children here in July they were all well & had very pleasant passage from New York he & his family have gone into the mountains to try their luck mining I do not think it probable that he will go to lower California before next summer, the great reason that he did not go was because the greater part of the valleys are held by Mexicans who had large grants of land given them by their goverment previous to the Mexican war, the titles of the owners of these grants are now being examined by Commissioners to prove the title to these grants those who cannot prove their title the land is then at the disposal of our government now you see if a man buys a tract of land before the title to that land is proved he runs a great risk of losing his money & land too I have heard very little from Wm [William?] since he went to the mountains viz that he had got a Claim and was acting as Clerk for a man until the rains sets in. While he was in New York he saw Benj [Benjamin?] Peebles he speaks of him very highly and also of his sister Caroline he has had his Daguerotype [daguerreotype?] & that of his Children taken & left them with her to take to Ahory. He saw Jonathan Peebles at the same time but between you & I he was not much preposessed [prepossessed?] in his favor he thinks he treated him very Coolly all our acquaintences [acquaintances?] on [bon--?] were all well when Wm [William?] was there Jo [Joseph?] Taylor was building in Belvidere & had all the work he could do Mrs Jno [John?] Sinclair had got a young daughter #PAGE 2 & he had just Bought 80 acres of land. well it is bed time so you will have to wait till tomorrow night Here I go again after a hard days work throwing mud & goold [gold?] from 6 to 8 feet High. It has rained some to day [today?] & I hope it will keep at it until we have plenty of water. I think we will have a wet winter this year. I have had no letters from Tom McClure since I wrote to you although I have written to him. I have had no letters from either Robt [Robert?] or Jas [James?] Bain. I intend to write to Robert next week. The smith work pays very well here If a man has a good Capital to start with On rivers the principal work is on picks to make & sharpen them the price for new picks is 3 & 4 dollars $1.50 to lay them 25 cents a point to sharpen them In the town Horse & mule shoeing & repairing wagons is the greater part of the business for every new shoe $1.00 & to set one 50 cents to set wagon tire $8.00 I am glad to hear of Mr & Mrs Astons welfare I hope they will have the best of good luck I am glad to hear that Richard is well I enclose a little gold dust for him which I dug in Pennsylvania Ravine. These is a great difference in gold here on rivers & in the mountains the gold is gennerally [generally?] of a better quality than in this place some of the former will mint from $17 to 19 to the oz [ounce?] while this mints $13 & 14.50 to the oz [ounce?]. I think that butter would be the best article that could be shipped to this Country it is worth from 35 to 40 cents plb [per pound?]. Potatoes and Onions are Cheap here they are sold in San Francisco for 2 1/2 cents plb [per pound?] pork is worth 16 plb [per pound?] & corn beef 17 to 19 plb [per pound?] There has been a great deal of Flour shipped back to New York & sold there at a higher price than they could get here for it There was so much of it shipped to this Country that they Could not get first Cost on it. The ground is very different here in some parts of the Country it is a red sandy Clay in others it is black loam wherever there is a Difference in the Bed rock the soil is different in the mountains the Rock is gennerally [generally?] slate while here it is a soft granite it is easy to tell what the bed Rock is by the appearance of the ground on top How will you get the Maine liquor law there? will it be by the vote of the people or an act of parliament #PAGE 3 Have you got that turbine wheel finished. I am glad to hear that Mrs Tuft & my namesake are well Tell her I would like to have a chat with her I think I could coax her to write me a letter in a very short time. I am happy to hear of John & his family being in good health. I have had no letters from him since January. Do you know whether he got the Belvidere Standard or not I [took?] it for him for a year & have never heard anything of it since. Wm [William?] Preston has got married to a sister of Jas [James?] Robinson & is now engaged buying Hides, Salt, lime &c. I suppose you will have more Weddings before this Can reach you. I was much disappointed to find that Hugh had not got married. If he hangs off much longer it will be of no use at all. I am glad to hear that Mother is in good health I hope that she will long Continue so. I am out of news so I will have to Conclude Give my love to all & beleive [believe?] me to be your afft [affectionate?] Brother Jim [James?] Williamson |
