WCP1277

Mill Camp.

Dec. 28th. 1851.

Dear Fanny¹

I will commence this letter to you as I have not written one for some time, although as you are now all to-gether, it matters little to whom it is addressed, as it can serve for the family. I received a few days ago a letter dated Sept 4th., containing one from my mother, you[r]self, Thomas², and part of one of Alfred's³, which was very acceptable. I was much surprised and grieved to find in your letter the melchcholy [melancholy] account of poor Herbert's⁴ death in a foreign la land, and just as he was on the eve of returning to England although it is some consolation to know that he had some one with him who would be kind and attentive to him during his illness. I mean Mr. Bates⁵, who, it appears was with him, and I suppose about to return to England. I find in the le letter [sic] from my mother an account of a number of newspapers sent, none of which I have received. Also a letter, April 30th, which I have never received, although I may get that by and by, as I suppose it was directed to San Francisco. If I can get it by sending by express for it. It [is] rather singular that I have received never received any of the newspapers that have been sent, but the fact is the post-office here is small and all newspapers that are not called for within a short time after they arrive, are thrown on one side, and either distroyed [sic] or th given away, and as I do not go to Sonora oftener than once a month, I have a always managed to be too late. However that is the way I suppose it to be, but I shall manage to call oftener in future, and try to get one now and then. When you write next to Mary Webster⁶, you can express my kindest thanks to her for the paper she sent me although I can only regret that it never reached me. A few weeks ago I sent a letter addressed to my mother by private hands, but as this may p possibly arrive first, it is as well to acquaint you with it. My old companion, Mr. Wilson⁷, who is the bearer of the letters, will most likely stop a few weeks at New York, and perhaps at some other places, so that it may not arrive so direct as this. I/sent in that letter six small specimens of rough gold. I wish you and Thomas to take your choice of one each which may serve as a⁸ to a few, or any other way you may like, or my mother may dispose of them the others as she likes. The letter is directed to Weston [2] Super Mare, and I put two queen[']s heads on which I happened to have by me. I cannot make out how the difference in the postage occurs, which my mother speaks of. I paid for the last letter to England 29 cents which I expect is the whole postage, as it is only 6 cents to the United States. I thin[k] the lesser postage is as safe as the other, although it may not be quite so quick. The letter from Alfred is very interesting, and he appears to be going ahead with his travels and expects to come out strong some day as an author, although I am afraid he will not find it very profitable. However if he can make his travels and collections pay moderately, it is a very interesting employment, and one which he would prefer to any other. He talks about his hardships and privations, but I think if he was travelling in California, he would soon get used to them. I think it a luxury to be layion [laying] on a board instead of on the ground although when the ground is dry, as it is here in the summer, it is much the best bed, only the dust and dirt are rather inconvenient.

The winter is now thoroughly set in, although the falacy [sic] of not being able to work in the mines in the rainy season is entirely exploded. In fact most miners make up depend upon the rainy season for making up for losses during the summer and autumn months, when they are not able to work for want of water. The rainy season is therefore looked upon as a boon to most miners. There are many places, however, where it is impossible to work to advantage, even with any amount of rain, and to overcome this difficulty, ditches are cut from the nearest creek or river to supply these pl places with a stream of running water. It is for this purpose that we have been toiling among the mountains for nearly six months, and have not yet completed our work, although when it is completed it will be a valuable and extensive work, and will furnish water to gulches and flats covering an extent of upwards of twenty miles of the richest kind of mining district. Our sawmill is not yet completed, as the mill wright we employed to do the work left it in such an incomplete state that after the mill had been going only about a week or so, it got so much out of repairs that we were obliged to get some other mill wright to come to examine the works, and they found that the foundations were not put down low enough, and several parts of the machinery had to be made over again, so we are all now busy in digging out the foundation, and laying new timbers, and [3] doing everything to make it substantial. The alterations will cost us upwards of a thousand dollars, besides the loss of time, but we are determined to have one of the best mills in the country, and we are think, after our present work is completed, we may be able to sell boards and timber so as to make the mill a permanent source of profit. The great inconvenience is that we are so far from Sonora but we have a pretty good road made. We have also ox teams and wagons. You will probably imagine that I was very fooliish to join this company, and enter into such a large speculation, but the fact was none of us at first were aware of the magnitude of the work we had undertaken. Things of this kind are managed differently here to what they are in England. Instead of accurate surveys being taken and calculations being made as to the expense etc., a superficial examination was made of the probable route to be taken, and a meeting called of the miners and inhabitants of the neighborhood, speeches were made by different persons who had examined the route, and the probable distance to the river was calculated at from eight to ten miles, and the time required for a company of 150 men was estimated at not over three months, and it was at once determined to go ahead about the work on the following week. A code of laws and regulations were drawn up, directors and superintendants [sic] appointed, and I was chosen surveyor for the company. We all commenced with in high spirits the following Monday, which was the first of July, commencing at a pass in the mountains, which we named "Summit Pass", and working from th thence [sic] towards the river. Our first object was to grade a road on the side of the mountain, 6 feet wide, following all the inequalities of the ruggied [sic] mountain side, but keeping a perfectly level road as regards the height. I say a perfectly level road, but that is not strictly true[.] As we progressed we kept the road on a gradual rise of about 10 feet to the mile so as to allow the water to flow when we had completed the work. The setting out of the road or grade was of course my work so I had to keep ahead, and put down pegs at every ^road (16 ½ feet) for the men to work to. I had 3 or 4 men constantly with me cutting pegs and driving them in, measuring the distances, and holding the staff, while I carried the [t]heodolite and levelled and directed the driving of the pegs, etc. This took us about two months before we graded the road to the river, a distance of fifteen miles from the place we started from. We had originally intended to put up a water power Saw Mill at the place where we struck the river, but when we arrived there we [4] found there was not enough water for the purpose at that time of the year, and therefore some other place had to be decided upon. We accordingly agreed to send to San Francisco for a steam Engine and put up a steam Saw Mill at some convenient spot on the mountain, and first complete the canal from a creek 5 miles from Summit Pass where in the winter time we shall have sufficient water for our purpose, and afterwardw[sic] to complete the remainder before the ensuing summer. It took us upwards of a month before we could get the Steam Engine up here, and we have been ever since building the Mill. We are all ready now for building theflumeoor [flume or]canal as soon as the Mill can go cutting the boards, which I expect will be inaanother [sic] week, and we whall [shall] then soon complete this portion, if the weather is favorable, although there are symtoms [sic] of a very wet winter, as it has been raining nearly the whole of this week (Christmas Week), and we had a violent snow storm about a month ago. We have had a great deal of timber work to do on the grade in bridging over all the gulches and ravines which we pass, and also several rocky places which we are also obliged to put timber work round. We also have sleepers laid along the road 6 feet long and 4 feet apart, with two mortices in each for upright side pieces to support the sides of the canal. My being surveyor does not ensure me any pay, as we all work alike. This is another feature in California speculations which I suppose is not found in any other part of the world. Each member of our company contributes his labour to be employed in the most advantageous manner, and we are consequently all on the same footing. We have in our company lawyers, doctors[,] ministers, mechanics, sailors, and laborers, all working to-gether with Frenchmen, Spaniards, Germans, Norwegians, English, Scotch, and Irish, and of course, Americans, yet we are all on an equality, and have to work alike. We have several members who do not work at all, but they have to pay into the company five dollars per day, which is the average value of a man's labour, each member besides his labour, has paid in at different times nearly 100 dollars to defry [sic] expences⁹, so that you see we have paid nearly 15 thousand dollars in hard cash, besides our labour for six months. Our chief engineer and superintendant [sic] is a General Bernard, who has the general control of the works, assisted by the Board of Directors. We also have a President[,] Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, chosen monthly by the company. A great many of our members have from time to time, sold out their interest intthe [sic] Company, not being [5] able to keep it[at] it. We have therefore constantly new members coming in, in the room of old ones going out. The value of shares now is about 400 dollars, although each share, reconing[reckoning?] on man's labour has cost him much more.

AlI this account of the company will not be very interesting to you, but perhaps Thomas and Alfred might like to know all the particulars, as I feel very much interested in the Company myself. I have been very active, and worked very hard from the first, and mean to stick to it, if possible, to the last. There is probably no instance in a any [sic] part of the world where a small company of working men have projected and carried through a work equal in expence and engineering difficulties to many of the small railways in England, and under disadvantages which do not occur in more settled and civilized countries. When it is fully c completed, [sic] it will be one of the greatest works that has yet been attemtped [sic] in this country. There is one fact, however, of which ther[e] is not the least doubt, namely, that this company would never have been formed if the full difficulties and expences of the undertaking could have been discovered and explained at the first meeting, but our difficulties and expenses have gradually been coming upon us, till we had at last gone so far that it would not do to give it up, and have consequently determined to complete the work, and to show to the world what a combination of hard working miners in California can do.

I cannot say that I spent a very merry Christmas, as the whole of the week it has been raining nearly incessently [sic] night and day, and preventing us from working, there being a little gleam of dry weather on Christmas morning. I ventured on a walk to Columbia, about 6 miles distant, but before I arrived there the rain came on as bad as ever. I however, completed my journey at the expense of a wet jacket, and as there appeared no sign of its clearing up, I soon commenced my journey back again, the rain and wind raging furiously. The greater part of the road is along the ridge of a high chain of mountains, and along ther[e] the wi wind [sic] was most furious, and the rain heavy, and of course by the time I got to the camp, I was wet to the skin, moderately cold, and rather hungry. I, however, soon remeddied all these slight inconveniences, and spent the rest of the evening comfortably. This rain has set all the miners busy, and many are making from 10 to 20 dollars a day, and more while the water lasts, as there are some very rich diggings wound[round] about Columbia. One man, the other day, picked up a piece weighing 17 ounces, close to the town, [6] and on the surface of the ground, and many smaller pieces are continually being found. There are hundreds of acres of ground, round about Columbia, that will yeald[sic] gold at the rate of from 3 to 4 cents to a bucket full of dirt, from the surface down to a depth of from 2 to 6 feet, and sometimes more. This sort of dirt, if water could be obtained on the spot, would pay a man from 8 to 10 dollars per day to wash it out. In the ravines and gullies it is generally much richer, but the gold is there only found at the bottom, near the rock, and requires more work to get at it, as ther[e] is generally 5 or 6 feet of earth tot throw [sic] off before you can get at that which contains the gold.

I have nearly filled up this sheet, but I am afraid with not very interesting matter, but as the weather is now very dullaand [sic] cheerless, I am afraid my correspondence will partake of the same character. This will most likely leave by the mail of the Ist. of January, therefore I wish you all a happy New Year, and all the compliments of the season, Tell Alfred in the next letter that I saw insome of the an account of some of the new inventions in the Crystal Palace of an instrument called a "Self Acting Calculator of Surface," which by moving the tracer over the circumference of any figure, no matter how irregular, will at ance[once] tell the superficial contents, an instrument which would be very useful to Surveyors, etc. I have now worked up all my stock of imformation [sic], so wishing you all a merry Christmas,

I remain, Your affectionate Brother | J. Wallace

Letter of Dec. 28th, 1851.

[1]¹

Mill Seat Camp. Dec^r 28^th 1851

Dear Sister²

I will commence this letter to you as I have not written one for some time, it must serve for the family. I was glad to receive yours and part of one of Alfred's which was very acceptable dated Sep^r 4^th.³ I find by a letter from my mother an account of a number of Newspapers [sic] having been sent which I never have received, the fact is the post office here is small & all newspapers that are not called for within a short time after they arrive are thrown on one side & either destroy'd or given away and as I do not go to Sonora⁴ oftener than once a month, I have always managed to be too late; however that is the way it has been but I must endeavour to call oftener in future and try and get a Paper now and then, the letter from my brother⁵ is very interesting and he seems to be going ahead with his travels & expects to come out strong some day as an author although I am fearful he will not find that very profitable however ^if he can make his travels & collections pay moderately, it is a very pleasing employment and one which he would prefer to any other. He talks about his hardships and privations but I think if he was travelling in California he would soon get used to them and think it is luxury to lay on a board instead of the ground tho' the ground is much the best bed during the Summer when the weather is dry — only the dust [is] so<me> times inconvenient —

[2] The water ^winter is now thoroughly set in, although the fallacy of not being able to work in the mines during the rainy season is entirely exploded, in fact most miners depend upon the wet season for making up for losses during the Summer & autumn [sic] months, when they are not able to work for want of water, and the rainy season is therefore looked upon as a boon to most miners, there are places where it is impossible to work to advantage even with any amount of rain, and to overcome this difficulty ditches are cut from the nearest Creek or river to supply these places with a stream of running water. It is for this purpose that we have been toiling among the mountains for nearly six months and have not yet compleated⁶ our work although when it is compleated it will be a valuable and extensive undertaking and will furnish water to gulches and flats covering an extent of upwards of twenty miles of the richest kind of mining district. Our sawmill is not yet compleated as the mill wright we employed to do the job left it in such a incompleat state that after it had been going only about a week it got so much out of repair that we were obliged to get some other mill wright to examine the works and they found that the foundations were not put down low enough and several parts of the machinery had to be made anew — so we are all now busy in digging out the foundation, laying new timbers and doing everything to make it substantial, the alteration will cost upwards of a thousand dollars besides our labour and the loss of time, but we are determined to have one of the best mills in the Country and we think after our present work is finished we may be able to sell boards and timber so as to make the mill a permanent source of profit, the great inconvenience is that we are so far from Sonora, but we have a pretty good road made and have also Ox-teams & Waggons⁷ —

[3] You will probably think I was very foolish to join this Company and enter into such a large speculation but the fact was none of us [was] at first aware of the magnitude of the ^{work we had} undertaken; Things [sic] of this kind are managed differently here to what they are in England, instead of accurate Surveys being taken & calculations being made as to the expense &c a superficial examination was made of the probable route to be taken, a meeting called of the names miners and such inhabitants of the neighbourhood, speeches were made by different persons who had examined the route and the probable distance to the river was calculated at from 8 to 10 miles and the time required for a Company of 150 men was estimated at not over three months. It was at once determined to go about the work on the following week — a code of laws and regulations were drawn up directors and Superintendants⁸ appointed and I was chosen Surveyor to the Company. We all commenced in high spirits on the following week (Monday the 1^st July) beginning at a Pass in the mountains which we named "Summit Pass" working from thence towards the river, our first object was to grade a ro^ad on the side of the mountain 6 feet wide following all the irregularities of the rugged mountain side, but keeping a perfectly level road as regards the height. I say perfectly level but that is not strictly true[,] as we progressed we kept the road on a gradual rise of about 10 ft to the mile so as to allow the water to flow in when we had compleated our job. The setting out of the road or grade was of course my work so I had to keep a head [ahead] and put down Pegs at every rod (16½ ft) for the work men to work to[.] I had 3 or 4 men constantly with me cutting Pegs and driving them in measuring the distances and holding the staff &c while I carried the Theodolite & levelled & directed the driving [of] the Pegs &c[.] [4] It thus took us about two months before we levelled the road to the river a distance of 15 miles from the spot we started from. we [sic] had originally intended to put up a water power saw mill at the place where we struck the river, but when we arrived there we found not water enough for the purpose at that time of year & therefore some other plan had to be adopted. We accordingly agreed to send to San Francisco for a Steam Engine and put up a steam saw mill at some convenient spot on the mountain and first compleat the canal from a creek 5 miles from the Summit Pass where in the winter time there will be sufficient water for our purpose & afterwards to complete [sic] the remainder before the ensuing Summer. It took us upwards of a month before we could get the Steam Engine up here and we have been ever since building the Mill[.] We are already [sic] now for building the flume (or canal) as soon as the mill can go on cutting the boards which I expect will be in in another week and we shall then soon compleat this portion if the weather is favorable although there are symptoms of a very wet winter as it has been raining the whole of this week (Christmas week) and we had a violent snowstorm about a month ago. We have had a great deal of timber work to do on the grade in building over all the gulches & ravines which we have to pass and also have sleepers laid along the road 6 ft long & 4 ft apart with two mortices in each for upright-side pieces to support the sides of the canal — My being surveyor does not excuse ensure me any pay as we all work alike, this is another feature in Californian speculations which I suppose is not found in any [other] part of the world, each member of our Company contributes his labour to be employed in the most advantageous manner and we are consequently all on the same footing[;] we have Lawyers, doctor's [sic], minister's [sic], mechanics, Sailors & Labourers all working together with frenchmen, [sic] Spaniards, Germans, Norwegians, English[,] Scotch[,] Irish ^& of course Americans [5] yet we are all on an equality and have to work alike[;] we have several members who do not work at all[,] they have to pay unto the Company 5 dollars per day which is the average value of a man's labour, each member besides his work has paid in at different times nearly 100 dollars to defray expences [sic],⁹ so you see there has been paid to the Company near 15 thousand dollars in hard Cash besides our labour for 6 months. Our Chief Engineer ^{and Superintendant is} a General Bernard¹⁰ who has the control of the works, assisted by the board of directors. We also have a President[,] vice-Presid^t. Secretary and Treasurer chosen monthly by the Company [—] a great many members have from time to time sold out their interest in the Company, not being able to keep it up[;] we have therefore constantly new members coming in, the value of shares now is about 400 dollars although each share reckoning a mans [sic] labour is much more — all this account of the Company may not be generally interesting. I feel very much interested in it and have been very active and worked very hard from the first and mean to stick to it (if no accident befalls me) to the last. There is probably no instance on record where a small company of working men have projected and carried out a work equal in Expenses & Engineering difficulties to many of the small railways in England & under disadvantages which do not occur in more settled and civilized Countries[.] When it is ^fully compleated it will be one of the greatest works that has yet been attempted in this Country[.]

I cannot say I spent a very merry Christmas as the whole of the week it has been raining incessantly night and day and preventing us from working — there being a little gleam of sunshine on Xmas day morning I ventured on a walk to Columbia about 6 miles distant but before I arrived there the rain the rain came on as bad as ever I however compleated my journey at the expence [sic] of a wet Jacket[.]¹¹