WCP1278

Saw Mill Camp.

March 7th. 1852

My Dear Mother,

I am afraid yo [sic] will think it a long time since I wrote, but I have been so busy lately, that I have had no time, and probably should not have had time now but for a violent snow storm, which is now raging and will prevent our works from progressing so rapidly as we could wish. I received your last letter on New Years day, just after I had posted a letter directed to Fanny¹, which I hope arrived safe. I meantioned [sic] in it having sent a letter by Mr. Wilson², but as he did not leave San Francisco till January, he cannot arrive in England as soon as anticipated. I am still engaged on our great work, and with a better prospect now of a speedy completion. I have been lately in company with our chief Engineer Genl, 2Bernard [sic], engaged in a survey of the mountains round about this region of country, endeavoring to find out a better route for the remainder or first portion of our canal, which I think I explained in a former letter, was 10 miles from the creek to the river, according to the grade which we had made on the mountain side. In this survey we travelled over some of the most rugged and grand mountain scenery that the imagination can conceive, and where, I suppose no white man had before ever trod, and where the Indian trail and the foot prints of the Grizzly Bear and Deer were the only marks of animated nature. However we managed at last to find a better and easier route than our old grade, and although we have to go ten miles further up the river, and about a thousand or fifteen hundred feet higher. Yet we manage to get a shorter and quicker route than the old one, seeing that in this new route the nature of the ground is such that about two thirds of it can be dug, and the rest of it., [sic] which is about three miles wide will have to be flumed and tresselled. That is a frame work of timber will have to be constructed to carry the aquaduct over some craggy points and deep ravines, about two miles in length, and then about one mile will have to be flumed over some grading and slight timbering. It will then flow into the bed of the creek, and from thence down to where our flume which we are now completing will receive it. It will have to run about five miles down the creek, but when once [sic] there we have no further trouble with it, as it cannot get away. We have contracted with a man toe [sic] put up a water saw mill for us at the river (where there is a capitol [sic] location, and plenty of timber) for four thousand dollars and he is to get it completed in five weeks. Our saw mill here is now in a substantial and flourishing condition, cutting about 10 thousand superficial feet in 24 hours but we have had very bad luck with it till very lately. The alteration which I told you in my last letter we were obliged to make to it cost us 15 hundred dollars in cash, besides loss of time, and soon after that was completed, one of our main cranks broke, and we had to send to San Francisco to get another one cast, which delayed us upwards of a week. Since then the mill has been going very well, and we are all in hopes of getting the first part finished in about two months, and the whole of it in about three. Our expenses now are very great. We spend weekly in cash about one thousand dollars. I calculate for the next four or five weeks to spend about 3 thousand weekly in script, payable after our work is completed, when we expect to have a handsome revenue. Our present income is caused by several men who do not work, but pay into the company five dollars a day instead.

In your last letter you mention that I should receive the Illustrated News³. In that however you were mistaken. I received the letter, but not the News, and the post of Times papers and double news I have never received. I have never received a paper oout [sic] of all you have sent, and I therefore think you had better not send any more, as I can get no satisfaction whatever about them here. I continually enquire about them here but they say none comes there, and that is all the satisifaction I get. They must be detained either in San Francisco, or at the Isthmus. I rather think, at the latter place as they are very bulky for transportation. I sent two papers last week directed to Thomas⁴, but they will most probably go by the same mail as this letter. They are small provincial papers, but one of them contains an article about our company by which you will see that it is thought much of in these parts, and is to all extents and purposes a great work.

I was much surprised to hear of the death of Michael Webster⁵, as he used to be to all appearances a very healthy boy, although not so much aas [sic] George⁶, who appears to be doing pretty well in Australia. Most likely however, he will now go to the gold diggings, or if he does not, wages will most likely rise where he is if it is any where near the gold region I should think George Wilson⁷ would most likely go there, although I should [2] not expect him to have much success, as he has been unused to hard work.

I am sorry to hear such a sad account of the Ellis⁸ family, but England is a poor place for a man that ccannot [sic] work, and very hard for some that can. Your discription [sic] of the Somersetshire cheese making is very c [sic] clear and forcible, but does not interest me very much at the present time. The extract from the letter from Oregon is more interesting, but I do not suppose I shall ever go there, but I understand it is a fine agricultural country, with plenty of timber, etc. I could not make out for a long time what the grains of barley meant, till I accidently found a few words about it. If I have an opportunity, I will sew it up here in the mountains, and see what it comes to.

Two or three days ago I unexpectedly received a letter from Alfred⁹, the only one I have received for two years. It was dated last Sept., when he was preparing for an eight months voyage to some out of the way place, which he says is one of the most savage districts on the face of the earth[.] He had not heard of Herbert's¹⁰ death, but that he was very il [sic] with the Yellow Fever, and that Mr. Miller¹¹ had died, but could not hear any more about Herbert. He says he expects to be in England by July or August, and that I am to answer him there, but there is nothing particular in his letter to answer, except that he wishes me to collect him some butterflies. This I am afraid I cannot do, as I have no means of capturing them, and no time at present for it, and there is no place to keep them afterwards. I might perhaps collect a few beetles as I should chance to meet with them, and they appear to be more numerour [sic] in this country than betterflies [sic], and as they are easily procured and preseved [sic], I will try and collect a few, but I expect they will be very expensive to send to England, perhaps more than they would be worth.

The weather is very changeable here in the winter. It is now cold and damp, with snow thick on the ground, and raining hard. Two months ago, some days it was so hot that we were glad to get under the shade of a tree to eat our dinner.

We had rather a serious accident on our works a few days ago. Our mill is situated on the top of a mountain, at about ¼ of a mile distant from the grade, and about 400 feet in perpenducularh [sic] height above it. The way we take our lumber down is by means of a large trough or chute, constructed on the sloping side of the mountain, into which the planks are put at the top, and they slide down with great velocity to the bottom where they are immediately removed and carried on trucks along the grade. The signal had been given from below to stop sending down the planks till something near the bottom of the chute had been fixed, and two Frenchmen that were attending at the bottom were sent to repair it. They had been there anly [sic] a minute or two, and I was going up to assist them, when the man at the top, who could not see to the bottom, having misunderstand [sic] the signal, sent a large plank down. I heard it coming, and cried out to the men to jump out of the shute. One of them did so, but before the other could the plank came down with immence¹² velocity, and struck the Frenchman, knocking him completely out of the shute, and into a ravine about 20 feet below, the plank falling on top of him. I had just time to jump out before the plank struck him. When I went to him he was laying on his back, quite insensible, with his thigh broken, and the bone protruding through his trousers, and he appeared to have injured his head in the fall. We immediately removed him to a tent close by, and sent for medical a advice to Columbia, about 6 miles away distant. Two or three surgeons came in the course of the day, but could not do anything for him, as he was quite insensible, and in too weak a state to suffer amputation. He expired the next day, and was burried [sic] on the following one, on top of the hill, near the saw mill, all the men attending, and one of the Frenchman gave an oration over the grave, shich [sic], as I could not understand much of it, I shall not attempt to discribe¹³. This is the only man wwe [sic] have had killed on the works. Last summer a frenchman [sic] was accidently drowned while bathing in the river, and about three months ago, one of our members died here partly through excessive working drinking, and another man, a welshman [sic] was injured in the back by a large stone rolling down the hill upon him. He was laid up for several months, but is now able to work again.

Give my love to all at home, and accept the same from

Your loving Son | John Wallace. [signature]

[Letter from John Wallace to Mary Ann Wallace]

Saw Mill Camp¹

March 7^th 18523

My dear Mother²

I take the opportunity of a little leisure to write to you, a violent Snow Storm has been raging some days which prevents our progressing with our work³ while it lasts, I have lately been in company with our Chief Engineer General Bernard⁴ engaged in a survey of the mountains round about this region of Country endeavouring to find out a better route for the remainder or first portion of our Canal which I think I explained in a former letter <is> ten miles from the creek to the river according to the gr<id> which we had made on the main [1 word struck through, illeg.] mountain si<de> this survey we travelled over some of the most rugg<ed> grand mountain scenery that the imagination can conceive and where I suppose no white man had before ^ever trod where the Indians trail & the foot prints of the Grizly [sic] bear & Deer were the only signs of animated nature, However we managed at last to find a better and easier route than our old grade and although we have to go ten miles furth<er> up the mountain river and about a thousand or fifteen hundred miles feet higher, yet we shall obtain a shorter and less expensive route than the old one — seeing that the nature of the ground here is such that about two thirds of it can be dug and the remainder which is 3 miles will have to be flumed & trusselled — that is — a framework of timber will have to be constructed to carry the aquaduct over some craggy points, deep ravines about two miles in length and then about one mile will have to be flumed over some grading & slight timbering, the water will then flow into the head of the creek and from thence down to where our flume (or Canal) which we now are [2] compleating⁵ will receive it[.] It will have to go run about 5 miles down the creek but when once there we have no further trouble as it cannot get away[.] We have contracted with a man⁶ to put up a water saw mill at the River (where there is a capital location and plenty of timber) for four thousand dollars and to be compleated in 5 weeks. Our saw mill here is now in a substantial and flourishing condition cutting about 10 Thousand superficial feet in 24 hours but we have had bad luck with it till lately, the alteration (which I told you of in a former letter), we were obliged to make to it cost us 15 hundred dollars in Cash besides loss of time &c soon after that was done one of our main cranks broke and we were had to ^{send to} San Francisco to get another one cast which delayed us upwards of a week, since then our ^the Mill [MS torn] been going very well and we ^are all in hopes of g<etting> [MS torn] the first part finished in about two mon<ths> [MS torn] the whole of it in about three more. The expen<ses> [MS torn] now are very great, there is spent weekly in [MS torn] above one thousand dollars. I calculate for the next four or five weeks to spend about three thousand dollars weekly in scrip payable after our work is compleated when we expect we expect to have a handsome revenue. Our present income is caused by several members who do not work and who pay into the stock five dollars per day instead[.]

I must tell you as I have before that I never have received any of the many Newspapers you say you have sent, letters are generally forwarded regularly but Papers never — therefore have come to the conclusion that it will be better not not to send any more — when I Enquire for Papers all the satisfaction <I> get is "none comes there". They are doubtless detained at San Francisco or at the Isthmus[.] [3] I send with this letter a two provincial papers one of them contains an article about Our Company⁷ by which you will see that it is thought much of in these parts — and is to all intents and purposes a great work. I was surprised and grieved to hear of the death of my old master’s [1 word struck through, illeg.] M. W.⁸ he used to be to all appearances a very healthy lad I hope his brother⁹ is doing well in Australia either in his business or at the Gold diggings — but none but those who have been accustomed to hard labour can expect to succeed — as it is not a general rule to pick up the Gold on the surface — tho’[ugh] there are exceptions which some luck few ^have availed themselves of and then report their success in glowing colours to their friends, thereby inducing young Shop men and Clerks to quit their sedentary employments for the land flowing with milk and honey which most of them repent of when too late —

A few days ago I unexpectedly received a letter¹⁰ from Alfred ^{my Brother11} the only one that has reached me for two years, it was written just as he was preparing an eight month voyage to some out of the way place ^{up the Rio Negro12} which he says is one of the most savage districts on the face of the earth. He says he expects to be in England by July or Aug[us]^t and that I am to answer him there he wishes me to collect for him here Butterflies and Beetles, this I am afraid I cannot do as I have no means of and no time at present of capturing them, and then no place to keep them ⁱⁿ afterwards, I might collect a few beetles as I might chance to meet with them, they appear to be more numerous in this Country than Butterflies. The weather is very changeable here in the Winter it is now cold with snow thick on the ground and raining hard — two months ago some days I ^it was so hot that [4] that we were glad to get under the shade of a tree to eat our dinner. We had a serious accident on our works a few days ago, the mill is situated on the top of a mountain at about a quarter of a mile distant from the grade and about 400 feet in perpendicular in height above it, The way we take the lumber down is by means of a large trough or shute constructed on the sloping side of the mountain into which the planks are put at the top & they slide down with great velocity to the bottom where they are immediately removed and carried on trucks along the grade (or canal to be formed) the signal had been given from below to stop sending down the planks till something near the bottom of the shute had been fixed two frenchmen that were attending us below were sent to repair it. They had been there only a minute or two and I was going up to assist them when the man at the top who could not see to the bottom having mis misunderstood the signal sent a large plank down. I heard it coming and cried out to the men to jump out of the shute one of them did so but before the other one could — this plank came down with immense velocity and struck the poor French-man, knocking him compleatly out of the shute into a ravine nearly 20 feet below the plank on top of him — I had ^but just time to jump out before the plank struck him — When I went to the poor fellow he was laying on his back quite insensible with his thigh broken, the bone protruding through his trousers & appeared to have injured his head in the fall we immediately removed him to a tent close by and sent ^{to Columbia} for a medical man about 6 miles off — two surgeons arrived in the course [5] of the day, but could not do anything for him as he was quite insensible and in too weak a state to suffer amputation. He expired the next day, we buried him the following one on the top of a hill near the saw mill all the men attended and one of the French men gave an oration over the grave of his countryman which as I could not understand much of it I shall not attempt to translate it.¹³ This is the only man we have had killed on the works, last summer a french man was accident^ally drowned while bathing in the river, and about three months ago one of our members died here partly through excessive drinking, and another a Welchman was injured in the back by a large stone rolling down the hill upon him he was laid up severally days months but is now able to work again.