“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.

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.

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.”

In response to family requests for his picture as a rough, full-bearded miner, has had a Deguerreotype [sic] of himself made “in a medium state...passing from the rough barbarian state of early Californian life to the more peaceful and mild state of civilization.” Emphasizes that he is not a miner, but chief Engineer to the Toulumne County Water Company which supplies great quantities of necessary water in to hundreds of mines. Happy to report that his Company is a success. Requests picture of them in turn. Brother helped him (by letter) calculate the amount of water discharged to be 11 ½ million gallons every 24 hours. Describes system of reservoir and delivery system, which frequently is disrupted, sometimes flooding the town. Expresses interest in fad for mind over matter experiment, later known as telekinsesis.

No summary available.

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.

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.

No summary available.