WCP1636

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10. Letter from Columbia¹

Dec 24, 1852.

We have now a Post Office in Columbia. The rainy season has set in very early this year, it has been raining now steadily for a week with a great deal of snow in the mountains, provisions are very high, and the roads are almost impassable. It has checked our business and expectations considerably, as the miners do not work now durng the rain, and in many places the water will[ ]run for several days after the rain has ceased. Our works are nearly all completed, but it will be some time Before we reap the benefit from it, as we have a heavy debt to pay off, and the weather is very much against us. During a few weeks ago, we took in about nine thousand dollars, and if we have fair weather, and are in full operation our weekly average will exceed that amount. We now have aobut 18 miles og [sic] fluming, and about 30 miles of ditches to carry the water to different parts of the mines. We also have four large reservoirs for collecting and reserving the water, the largest of these when full will cover about 10 acres to an average depth of five feet. All these works have cost us in labor [sic] and materials, about three hundred and fifty thousand dollars, about 70 thousand of which we have to pay off before the company can receive anything, yet we are all in good spirits knowing it will pay well in the end, and that there is yet a good time comin[g].

… It has been raining and snowing for about three weeks, with every appearance of continuing. On some parts of out [sic] upper works the snow is three feet thick, and a man was frozen in it the other day, having lost his way in the mountains when night overtook him. The small pox has been very prevalent here for the last six months or more. I have just returned from the funeral of one of our members who died from it. He was President of our company and a very useful and active member.

The weather has caused a great deal of damage to some of our works from the rain so softening the ground on the mountain sides as to cause it to slide down, in some cases carrying the flume with it, in other places where we have deep cuts, the ground slides in and stops the water, which flowing over the sides causes further damage before it is discovered, also large trees sometimes fall down [and] break the flume. This storm has caused us damage to the amount of more than a thousand dollars, besides the loss of having the water stopped and no revenue coming in. Provisions are now high owing to the roads being so bad, flour half a dollar a pound and other things in proportion[,] fresh beef half the price of bread and salt pork double the price of fresh beef…

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Columbia, Tuolumne County¹

December 24th 1852.

My Dear Mother

I scarcely know what to do, how to write, or what to think, I having been now about 10 months and have not had a single letter from anybody[.] The last letter I received from Fanny² and Thomas³, and was written about this time last year, and received about March. Since then I have written two letters and this will be the third, but still no tidings from any of you. What can be the matter and what can you all be about, are questions which I am continually asking myself, and even echo answers not. I am at a loss to conjecture, and have at last given it up in despair, hoping that time and patience will unravel the mystery. As I cannot imagine that you have all neglected to write, I must come to the conclusion that the letters have been mislaid, lost or otherwise disposed of during their transmission and therefore I hope to have several very long ones letters detailing all that might, could, or should have beenn written in the other letters, and all the news of the day and above all where abouts you are now locating yourselves, as I am quite at a loss to know how or where to direct this letter. The last one I directed to you to the care of Mrss Sims⁴, Swansea, the previous one to Fanny to the care of Miss Young[,] Neath.⁵ These I hope you received. As for Alfred, I have not heard from him for so many years that I am quite in despair of ever hearing again from him, and I suppose he did not receive all that I wrote from here. According to your lastac accounts he ought to have been in England long before this, and I at least expected a letter from him, but still I am doomed to disappointment. We have now a post office on the T. C. Water Company's Office, Columbia. The rainy season has set in very early this year. It has been raining now steadily for about a week, with a great deal of snow in the mountains. Provisions are very high, and the roads almost impassable. It has checked our business and expectations considerably, as the miners do not work now during the rain, and in many places the water will run for several days after the rain has ceased. Our works are now nearly all completed, but it will be some time before we reap the benefit from it, as we have a heavy debt to pay off, and the weather is very much against us. During one day a few weeks ago, we took about nine thousand dollars, and when we have fine fair weather, and in full operation, our weekly average will exceed that amount. We have now about 18 miles of fluming, and about 30 miles of ditching to carry our water to different parts of the mines, We have also four large reservoirs for collecting and reserving the water, the largest of which when full will cover about 10 acres of an average depth of about five feet. All these works have cost us in labour and money about three hundred and fifty thousand dollars, about 70 thousand of which we have yet to pay out of the proceeds of the water before the company can receive any thing, yet we are all in good spirits, well knowing that it will pay well in the end, and that there is yet a good time coming", only we must "work a little longer".

I have very little ^news to comunicate[sic] to you and as I know actually nothing of home affairs I can not engarge[sic] on that topic. I shall have to post this here on Christmas Day, and it will leave by the mail on the first of January. Therefore I can only wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I have occasionally sent some papers and I should have sent more had I known where or how to direct them. The last one I think I directed to Mr. Sims[,] Swansea. I have never yet received a paper from England, but I think you may venture to send me a Times occasionally as I think ther[e] may be more chance of my getting them now that ther[e] is a post office in this town. The winter has set in her[e] now very early and very severe. It has been raining and snowing for about three weeks, with every appearance of continuance. On some parts of our upper works the snow is three feet thick, and a man was frozen in it the other day, havin[g] lost his way when night overtook him. The smallpox has been very prevalent her[e] for the last six months or more. [2] I have just returned from the funeral of one of our members who died from its effects, He was the president of our company and a very usefuo[sic] and active member. The weather has caused a great deal of damage to some of our works from the rain so softening the ground on the mountain side as to cause it to slide down, in some cases carrying the fluming with it, in other places where we have deep cuts, the ground slides in and stops the water, which, flowing over the sides, causes further damage before it is discovered besides large trees sometimes falling down and breaking the flume, etc.

This storm has thus caused us damage to the amount of upwards of a thousand dollars, besides the loss of having the water stopped and no revenue coming in. Provisions are now high owing to the roads being so bad, flour half a dollar a pound and other things in proportion, fresh beef half the price of bread, and salt pork double the price of fresh beef.

I see by the papers that the Old Duke⁶ is dead, and that the English papers are full of the details of his wonderful life. I see the Illustrated News⁷ occasionally as some parties here get it pretty regularly.

I have ^really nothing more to say, but must wait to receive some letters from home. Pray let me hear all the news from at home and abroad. Where is Alfred and why does he not write. Where is Fanny and Thomas and why don't they write? Pray let me know and believe me to remain,

Your affectionate son | John Wallace. [signature]