Search: Wallace, John in author 
Alfred Russel Wallace in collection 
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Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Frances ("Fanny") Sims (née Wallace)
Date:
28 December 1851
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/3
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/100
Summary:

Not being able to work mines in rainy season “exploded as a fallacy.” Most miners depend on working during rainy season to make up for losses during dry months. Ditches are cut in mountain streams when rain is scarce to supply running water; we’ve been doing that for six months. Our water will supply well over 20 miles of mines. Now chief surveyor for the Company, working on alterations with new steam-driven saw mill, and has supervised design and building of 15-mile road, using ox teams and wagons. All 150 workers toil without pay for future shares of company, expecting big payoff at completion. None of us were aware of the great magnitude of project at beginning; it “will be one of the greatest works yet attempted in this country.”

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
7 March 1852
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/4
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/101
Summary:

Have been surveying mountains in this region of northern California to find better route for completion of our Canal or flume, ten miles from the Stanislaus river. We hiked where “no white man had been... only “Indian trail & the footprints of Grizly [sic] bear and Deer. Found better route for our water, 1500 feet higher up mountain; “a framework of timber will have to be constructed”; we installed a water saw mill at the river, which cuts 10,000 feet of lumber a day. “Our Company...is thought much of in these parts [as] a Great work.” Much water necessary to extract gold, as very little found on surface. Accident with lumber coming down chute unexpectedly and killing a worker; only man that “we had killed on the works.” I had “just time to jump out” of the way.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Alfred Russel Wallace
Date:
March 1853
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/9
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

Will answer some of your questions. ‘I’ve quite given up on making a fortune in California;” but am financially comfortable, will not return to live in England. Was just elected Superintendent and Chief Engineer of our water company, can have the job as long as I want it. Company has provided a horse, “frequently have to ride 25 or 50 miles per day on rough mountain roads” to maintain water system. Doing good business, will soon be out of debt and into profits. Gives specifications of five mile long water flume, and asks family to check his estimates of daily flow. . Will be able to pay back loans soon.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Alfred Russel Wallace
Date:
8 May 1853
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/10
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

Discusses promising new technology of the Erickkson [sic] (Ericsson) Caloric Engine, an innovative heat transfer machine, fueled by wood or coal. His job as head of the Water project includes “laying out branch ditches, building dams and bridges, fluming across valleys, etc.” Must be on call at any hour “when anything happens to the ditch”; must immediately assemble a crew of laborers to repair damage. He supervises every detail of the whole system, 40 miles long “over roughest country and steepest hillsides.”

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
1 December 1853
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/14
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

One of a set of letters providing in-depth descriptions John Wallace's life in the gold mining town of Columbia, California, building a system to bring water to gold mining operations in the town.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Alfred Russel Wallace
Date:
11 February 1854
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/15
  • California Historical Society
Summary:

One of a set of letters providing in-depth descriptions John Wallace's life in the gold mining town of Columbia, California, building a system to bring water to gold mining operations in the town.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
12 October 1854
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/17
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

One of a set of letters providing in-depth descriptions John Wallace's life in the gold mining town of Columbia, California, building a system to bring water to gold mining operations in the town.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Frances ("Fanny") Sims (née Wallace)
Date:
17 September 1856
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/19
Summary:

One of a set of letters providing in-depth descriptions John Wallace's life in the gold mining town of Columbia, California, building a system to bring water to gold mining operations in the town.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Wallace, Alfred Russel & Wallace (née Greenell), Mary Ann
Date:
[10 Oct. 1853 & 4 Dec. 1853]
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/107
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/13
Summary:

No summary available.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
22 June 1851
Source of text:
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/97
Summary:

“Little town of Sonora, Tuolomne County, has grown into a city.” No chance of me “settling down with a Wife” at present. Doing moderately well working in the mines (5-6 dollars a day); working at own company brings no cash, so must hire self out as ordinary miner during slow season; cannot “stand idle in California.” San Francisco had fire on 4th of May “destroying nearly the whole City;” last year Stockton also burned down, “but such is the magical influence of Gold that both Cities are now nearly the same as before.” About a thousand miners live and work in this vicinity.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann? Wallace (née Greenell)?
Date:
August 1851
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/98
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/1
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

Has left nearest town “to be a sojourner in the wilderness.” Speculating on an immense construction project; joined 160 miners to build a canal or flume made of wood 20 miles long in steep rocky mountainous wilderness inhabited only by grisley [sic] bears, deer, and coyotes. It will convey water from Stanislaus River to Columbia region, which is rich in gold but requires water to extract it. Labor is furnished by unpaid miners, who also pay for equipment in exchange for shares in the Company; when system is operating, they will pay for use of the water to work their claims. As the only Surveyor here, it fell to me to engineer, design, and lay out the whole project. “There is no place like California for freedom of action and scope for enterprise.” Longs to hear more of the Great Exhibition and the Chrysal [sic] Palace in England “as every American paper is full of it.”

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
23 November 1851
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/99
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/2
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

One of a set of letters providing in-depth descriptions John Wallace's life in the gold mining town of Columbia, California, building a system to bring water to gold mining operations in the town.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Frances ("Fanny") Sims (née Wallace)
Date:
25 May 1852
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/102
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/5
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
  • California Historical Society
Summary:

In answer to questions, there are a few animals here not found in England: Grizley [sic] bear, Elk, polecat, wildcat, racoons, coyotes, and the “Cougar or Lion of California.” They mostly prowl about at night; not dangerous if left alone. With their arrows, local Indians kill birds, squirrels, and deer, which they chase to exhaustion on foot. After wounding one, they drive it toward their camp, so as to finish off the animal as near home as possible, eliminating need to carry it there. Great variety of wild fowl; insects in abundance, also scorpions and tarantulas. Also lizards, rattlesnakes (only dangerous one), and bizarre lizard, the “horned toad”, which can harmlessly spray blood out of its eyes. Could help ARW succeed here as either an insect hunter or gold miner/surveyor. “Times [have] changed surprisingly and rapidly; necessities and luxuries all now obtained at moderate charge.” Water works now returns 500 dollars a day to the Company; will soon be finished; has revealed new gold deposits; “no place in the world for a hard working man equal to California.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
September 1852
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/103
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/6
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

No summary available.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
24 December 1852
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/104
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/7
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

John Wallace describes for his mother the progress of the large engineering venture: building water supply flume to provide vitally needed water to the gold mining vicinity around Columbia, California. Complains he has received no letters from home in ten months. Rainy season came early, and they now have 18 miles of fluming done, plus 30 miles of ditching; has cost our company about $350,000, but we’re “all in good spirits...it will pay amply in the end.” Losses from flooding and smallpox among crew. Notices news that the Duke of Wellington has died.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Wallace (née Greenell), Mary Ann & Alfred & Fanny & Thomas
Date:
10 January 1853
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/105
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/8
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

“Grieved to hear of the great loss my brother has suffered.” Unfortunately, fires at sea and shipwreck have become common. He will survive “and the name of Sir Alfred Wallace may [yet] shine forth.” Columbia is a gold mining community of fifteen thousand inhabitants, and is growing rapidly based on the achievements of our Company in providing water for the mines. Miners mostly get their own way. Foreigners are supposed to have a right to employment if they pay a state tax, but “Chinese and Mexicans are not allowed by the miners to work at all...and they carry out their ideas of liberty and equality by driving them out.” But our Company would not be pushed around when some miners protested that our rates are too high. I told them we must maintain current prices, and cut off the most prominent activists from buying water at any price, which deterred other “insolent” complainers.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Alfred Russel Wallace
Date:
18 July 1853
Source of text:
  • Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/96/11 WP1/3/96/12
  • Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

No summary available.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
28 August 1854
Source of text:
Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/3/31
Summary:

Rebuilding and surveying after fire in the town; presumed loss of the steamer City of Glascau (Glasgow); Wilson's plans to emigrate to Australia; widow McCann; mining speculation; quartz mine; Dr Pownall sharing house; growing tomatoes; interesting Californian spider and fly; ARW's assistant; hot weather.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Mary Ann Wallace (née Greenell)
Date:
11 February 1854
Source of text:
Wallace Family Collection (private collection)
Summary:

No summary available.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
John Wallace
To:
Alfred Russel Wallace
Date:
August 1853
Source of text:
California Historical Society
Summary:

John’s instructions to ARW on paying back debts of 180 lbs borrowed in 1849 to their mother and others. Will also send some beetles he has collected to find out if they may be valuable.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project