| Title: | John Orr, California, to Jane Orr, Portaferry. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2022 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Orr, John M/25 |
| Year | 1850 |
| Sender | Orr, John Malcolm |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | miner (gold digging?) |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Sacramento, California, USA |
| Destination | Portaferry, Co. Down, USA |
| Recipient | Orr, Jane |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | Copyright Retained By John McCleery, 80 Circular Road, Belfast, BT4 2GD |
| Archive | The Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh. |
| Doc. No. | 9701190 |
| Date | 17/08/1850 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 15:01:97. |
| Word Count | 1600 |
| Genre | |
| Note | N.B. John Malcolm died in 1851 (Did various jobs and decided to go west where he expected to do some kind of business) |
| Transcript | Sacramento City, Cal [California?], 7th Aug 1850 My dear Jane Ellen I expected before this to have had a letter from you giving me an account of your travels in Scotland and how you liked the land & cakes, but have not as yet had that pleasure, the second and last letter that I got from home was from father on the 29th June which said you were in Scotland. perhaps you may have directed to Stockton, if so I shall soon have the letter as I will write to the Postmaster to day. I feel a little anxious to hear from home as the letters I get are so few, dont let the expense to me be a hinderance [hindrance?] to you writing, for it is nothing in California. I hope my letters have arrived more regularly than yours and I know you all feel anxious about me in this golden country. There has been some serious riots here last week, between those who claim the land here, and squatters on the land who believe the land, belongs to the United States government on wednesday there were four men killed, one speculator and three squatters and the Mayor of the City it is feared mortally wounded, and a squatter dangerously - on Thursday the Sheriff was killed & three squatters, besides some on both sides wounded. since then they have been quiet and I hope will remain so dont feel at all alarmed about me as I have no desire to mingle in any of the fights but will endeavour to keep out of ball range if any thing of the sort is likely to occur again which I hope will not be the case soon. I dont think that I have yet given you a description of California nor could I in fact do so without having seen it at all seasons nor can I now describe any but the Sacramento valley. The City of San Francisco is by all accounts the most disagreeable place to live in that can be; I never have been there, but in winter the streets are impassable from mud and in Summer from dust, and it is cold enough for an overcoat all the year, and the bay is so large that it is not a safe harbour, several vessels are ashore & sunk. With the name of valley is associated the idea of a fine extent of beautiful land, covered with fine trees, grass &c when in a state of nature, now nothing of the sort is vissable [visible?] here, the valley of the Sacramento is large enough but is for the most part a barren waste, in the immediate vicinity of the river a tract of ground of from 1/4 of a mile to a mile wide is very low and is mostly overflowed at high water this is covered with good grass and the banks with a rather scanty growth of Oak, Sycamore and Willow early in spring the country has a beautiful appearance the grass on the bottom land is green and from that up to the rocks on the mountains is covered with a [variagated?] carpet of the gayest coloured flowers, while the small ravines in the hills are covered with Clover and wild oats - the chapperal [chaparral?] of the Sierra is thin in flower and the last rains of the season make every thing look fresh. but a few short weeks and all is changed, the rains are over the surface of earth is parched with heat of the sun, the flowers are withered, and nothing meets the eye for miles but an unbroken surface of red, dusty, barren soil covered with the withered stalks of the scanty herbage that so short a time before was so beautiful, the dust on the roads is now a terrible annoyance, the sun is hot and scorching when not mitagated [mitigated?] by the breeze which comes from the bay. the immence [immense?] numbers of horses mules & cattle now fed on these bottoms, together with the hay cut, which wont grow again till rain, comes, makes even them look parched and dry, this continues till December when the rain sets in in earnest, and in a few days makes the ground that was as hard as burned brick, so soft that walking on it is a very fatiguing and muddy opperation [operation?] of the beautiful blue cloudless sky you have heard of as the special canopy of this land, rivaling Italy in its beauty & serenity it is all nonsence [nonsense?], the sky is for the most part without clouds and certainly most monotonous, then the colour instead of the clear blue of an Italian sky. I judge by reading of it is a kind of washed out grey, pretty much as it looks at Portaferry when there is a thin mist and the atmosphere so hazy that the tall ranges of the Sierra nevada & Coast Hills are either invisable [invisible?] or look as fog banks at sea during the day; Sunrise however is generally a beautiful sight, the snow clad hights [heights?] reflecting the first rays of the beautiful luminary and looking like a sheet of silver in the distance; day succeeds night rapidly and darkness, light there is no twilight, with the suns departing rays the stars begin to glimmer and night is on. California is as rich in insects and reptiles, as in precious metals, of the former every possible variety from the little gnat, that you can scarcely see, but which is a perfect plague during the end of June & beginning of July to the large hornet musketoes are as bad as in the Mississippi, and ants in the mines are a torment, then of the reptiles we have rattle snakes and snakes of many other kinds, scorpions, centipedes with lizards & toads in endless variety, then we have the Grizzly Bear, Panther, Cougar &c, deer, Elk & Antelope, and of the feathered race, particularily [particularly?] waterfowl, there is any quantity then the Inhabitants are as diversified as all the others together there are some from almost every country here on search for the yellow metal, Queen Vics [Victoria's?] dominions have sent forth a large number and from all parts, Australia has contributed largely, India, Canada, and I believe all the British dominions have sent some, France, Spain Germany, & all the European dominions, China, Sandwich Islands & South American nations are largely represented, almost every language on earth is spoken here, and all the religions on the globe have professors here - Women are the only scarce people that is here, in a city of some 10,000 Inhabitants, you will not see more than twelve or twenty women in a day there are only about 300 in whole city. I had a letter from T Warnock some time since which stated that he was coming here overland and Mr Griggs had a letter from his wife saying he had started he has not arrived yet, but I hope will soon. I dont like the Country much, and the life we lead a great deal less, having to be our own cooks, to do our own washing &c I have got quite reconciled to lying on the ground with a Buffalo skin under me indeed anything softer is uncomfortable, this is also a great country for making money for the last 10 weeks I have made $20 per day - œ4.00 if a person could do that & stick to it at home he would soon get rich but expences [expenses?] are very high here but not in proportion to what they are at home - œ100 a year is thought first rate at home, I have made it in a month here, but of the numbers who are coming this season, who know nothing of the country, or what to do discouraged because their great expectations of the mines will not be realized, many will be worse off than at home and others having the means to go home, will start off immediately disgusted with the country - but necessity will soon drive those who have to stay behind to earn their bread at something as they neither can nor will be supported for nothing here - I have now written you a long letter on California & it is time to inquire about my friends. I hope that Father, Mother, you and rest of the family are continuing to enjoy good health, give my love to Grandmother, Uncle Robert & all my uncles, aunts, & cousins & remember me to Mrs Welch, Mr & Mrs McCleery & family and all my other Portaferry friends, dont forget Mr Warnock & James, and the ladies - I should like to see you all very much If that is scarcely possible for some time yet. I have now been three years left home, I often think of you all as I left you and the changes that will be when I see you again, should God spare us all to meet, as I trust he will, ere long - as far as regards myself, California agrees with me very well and I enjoy good health, although I should not care how soon I left it if I only had enough of the gold - I am dear Sister Your Affect. [Affectionate?] Brother John M Orr I dont think I am getting any better at penmanship 26th Aug [August?] 1850 Arch [Archibald?] & Thomas Warnock have got in to [Hangtown?], 40 Miles from here, I am going up tomorrow, all well, Miss Orr Portaferry Co Down Ireland |
