WCP1283

[1]

Columbia, Tuolumne County, California¹

March 1853.

Dear Alfred

I have received your two letters dated respectively Oct. 24th and Dec.12th. although owing to some misunderstanding management in the postooffice department I received the latter one about a week before the former one. However they were very acceptable, although short, and I am happy to hear that you are not utterly ruined, and that you will be able to realize something out of your three years travels and hardships. I should like to have an account of your fire, and water voyage, and some accounts occasionally of some of your adventures in the forests of the Amazon, or up the river, or in your hunting expeditions, You must have had several incidents which would be very interesting to me and which I would like to hear. I will now endeavor to answer some of your remarks in the letter now before me. In the first place you hope my water speculation may enable me to return soon without enough to carry out some scheme which you proponded[sic] some time ago. Now this scheme I know nothing about, or have entirely forgotten it so if you let me know it, it will be as good as new. In the next place, I have quite given up the idea of making a fortune in California, or elsewhere, and shall be quite content if I can live and pay my way, lay by a little for a rainy day. I should certainly like to go to England, if only for a few months, but I am not enabled yet to decide whether it shall be this year or not. You seem to wish me very particularly to obtain some butterflies and send me some instructions for keeping them, but I am obliged to tell you that the chances of my getting any are very small, and even Sundays as I am constantly engaged from daylight till dark and even Sundays I am generally busily engaged, and to catch butterflies in your hand, after having knocked them down with your hat and then to carry them several miles in your pockets would not make very creditable specimens for your cabinet. Without [With] regards to beetles, I think I might collect a few of them, although last summer I remember I carried a bottle in my pocket for several weeks, without getting a single specimen, till I broke the bottle and could not get another. Although in the spring there are thousands of beetles everywhere and I will endeavor to collect a few. I am rather, surprised to hear [2] that Mr. Wilson² is in London, and more so about his now[sic] invention, as your intimation is the first I ever heard about it. However I hope he will be successful, and that/he may make his fortune by it, although it does not appear to me to be applicable to ocean steamers in rough weather, as the propellers would be more likely to be damaged, and when the vessel turned over considerably on one side, the one propeller would be out of the water, while the other would be almost Immediately under the vessel. I think also the effect produced by the action of the propellers tending to lift the vessel out of the water would not be appreciable, and the power expended in that would be better applied to the onward motion of the ship. However whenyo you see him again, give my respects to him, with my best wishes for his ultimate success. I <suppose> if he should not be successful, he will go to Australia for which there is such a rage now here.that I know of upwards of 20 of my own acquaintances here that have gone and ships are leaving every day. I expect it is the same there as it was <with> the accounts from California, all the luckym miners blazoned forth their success, while the unfortunate ones sunk into p forth their success, while the/unfortunate ones sunk into obscurity and laboured on for a bare subsistance[sic]. I am glad to hear that George Webster is doing well, and that Mary³ is pleasantly and profitably employed. Give my kindest respects to the family,

You seem surprised at Mr. Wilson's three year beard, and I suppose it is rather strange in London, but here it is quite common. I have ^not used a razor since I have been in the mines now nearly three years, and I suppose you would not recognise me if I presented myself as I now am, but I expect I must begin shaving again soon, as many now do, and it is well to follow the prevailing fashion. In fact, the conventionalities of a civilized life are beginning to be terribly prevalent among miners, many now appearing clean shaved with respectable hat, boots, coat, etc. In the good old times of 49 and 50, miners never thought of such luxuries as water proof boots, coats, waistcoats, cravats. During my river mining in 1850, iny only dress was a woolen shirt and a pair of light trousers or as they are termed "pants". No shoes or stockings or other encumbrances to the full developement of physical strength. I had during the greater part of the time a pair of Mexican sandals which are made from a piece of raw hide cut to the shape of the sole of the foot, and fastened by thongs of the same [3] material, one passing between the great toe and the next one, and another thong round the instep. I found thom very pleasant after I became used to them, and have frequently walked several miles inthem [sic] , without any inconv[en]ience, and although I was at work nearly the whole ti time among rocks, blasting, etc. I never cut or otherwise injured my feet in the least. Since then I have usually worn boots and socks, but since I have been in the mines, I have never worn a waistcoat, braces, or neckhand[k]erchief or a white shirt.

⁴I have no doubt of your heroism during the trying circumstances of your shipwreck, but I have some doubts of the genuineness of your "jollity" under the circumstances you mention.

On Saturday last our company had the regular quarterly meeting for the election of Officers, on which occasion I was elected Superendant [sic] or Chief Engineer, in the room of Gen[eral]. Bernard (resigned). I have now the charge of the whole works on a line of upwards of fifty miles of ditch and flume. besides surveying occasionally for new ditches extensions etc., so thatmmy time is now fully occupied. I have a horse kept by the company for my use, and I frequently have to ride 25 or 30 miles a day and generally on very rough and mountain roads. The pay is not very high, amounting to about six dollars per day, but it is about the best and highest office in the company, and I expect to hold it almost as long as I like. The worst part of it is that Sunday is almost the busiest time I have, as we generally have some repairs in the main flume which can only be done on Sundays when we can stop the water, as to stop it on any other day would involve a loss of about one thousand dollars or more. We are doing a very good business in the water company line, although not yet out of debt. We expect it will take us nearly two months more as we have about fifty thousand dollars to pay off, and then we hope to receive some interest on our two years labour.

I have sent you several papers lately. I hope you receive them some of them. I send two with this letter. I have never yet received a newspaper through the post-office but I think you may try one or two occasionally, and I will let you know whether I receive them or not. I have a few problems connected with my work business to which I wish you to send me answers, as I have no scientific books to refer to, and I will let you know whether your answers ag [sic] [4] agree with the facts as I can sometimes ascertain. Our main flume is 45 inches wide and the average depth of water 18 inches at a grade of 10 feet in one mile. I wish you to let me know at what rate the water will flow in it, and the quantity of water it will discharge per hour. Also whether the velocity will be altered, supposing the water was only 9 in[ches], deep, or if it were increased to a depth of 24 in[ches].. I would inform you that the flume is 5 miles long and very crooked, but no very sharp turns. Also with the same flume with a grade of 16 feet to the mile, and 32 f[ee]t to the mile. I shouid wish to have the velocity, and the quantity of water discharged per hour, supposing the average depth of each 18 in[ches].

Without regards to the accounts between us, I will let you know as soon as I can get the book in which it is, but at present my chest with all my books, papers, etc. are stored at Sonora, but I will have it brought here in a few days, and I will let you know in the next letter. The money that I borrowed I shall endeavor to pay as soon as possible but the interest does not to me appear so very exorbitant, compared to the interest money fetches in California. You cannot borrow money here in the mines at less than 5 per cent per month, and in many cases, 6 per cent per month. There are very few members of our company but what have borrowed money to keep up their shares at the latter rate, and the company had to borrow 6 or 8 thousand dollars at that rate, which is, however now paid off, and the money we now owe, there is no interest on as it was principally for labour, for which we gave script, payable out of the first dividends of the Company. We take it, however, in payment for water, and thus redeem a great quantity of it every week. One member of our Company has 2 or 3 thousand dollars continually out in small sums at 6[?] per cent per month and the security is very good, as he takes a mortgage on the shares whenever he lends money to any member of the Company, and they are the persons he generally has dealings with. I have avoided borrowing any money hitherto and I hope to get on now without it. I think I have nothing more to say now except to give my love to all at home, and remember me to all other friends, and believe m me,

Your affectionate Brother, | John Wallace [signature]