Jereminah Evans went to California in the gold rush of '49. These are exact copies of letters he wrote to his wife while there.
They were saved in Hannah Quimby's old Bible.
April 6, 1850
Deare wife and childrin. i take this opportunity to inform you that iam well at presant hoping these few lines may find you the same. I am working with Captain Chaplin i think i shall work with him this Summer and come home this fall or winter if i can make anything worth coming home with.
My Deare little childrin i hante fergot you yet nor i never will. My Deare little son Hiram, i want to see you very much wonce more. But i now i cant see you yet. i am very much worried a Bout you. I Dream So much a Bout your beeing Drowned. Now my Deare Son remember what i wright to you a Bout your Beeing Drowned. Be a good Boy and goo to school all the time and i will not forget presents for you all. Jane and John and william i love you all and hope to see you all wonce more and give to you Some fine presents. Now my Deare wife i want to tell you what i want Done. Dont work from home atall, take good care of my Deare little children for they are my true Delight. Now my Deare wife i will tell you something about my situation here. The company Broke up and i Bought my time for five hundred Dollars and i have got it pade and have got two hundred Dollars over. i think if i ceep my helth this Summer i am in hopes i can make a thousand Dollars. in one month from now i shall send another hundred Dollars and a letter two. i received your letter on the fifth Day of April. i was verry glad to hear that you got the hundred Dollars i Sent to you first. i must ask you wonce more to take good care of my Deare childrin and to not fale to ceep them to school. Hiram, my Deare son, take my advise and Dont go about the river for i am verry afrad that you will get Doorunded, mind your mother and gow to School and Bee a man. When i come home i will fetch you a gun or anything that you want, and Jane and john mind your mother too, and i will fetch you Something purty. You told me that you had got a letter from my father. if you rite to them give them my Best respects from California. So give my Best respects to your father and mother and all your folks.
So no more at present
But remane your
helper and friend
Jeremiah Evans
i forgot to tell you to write to me, i want you to right to me every month. Let Gardiner or mises Chapin Direct your letters to the Same place with Chapins.
June the I, 1850
Deare wife and childrin. i take this opportunity to inform you that i am well at present, hoping these flew lines may find you all enjoying the same comfort. The minds are getting rather pore here now. We cant averige more than fore or five Dollares a Day. But we are not gowing to Stay here, we are going to move a Bout one hundred miles on Bo river. There the digings is Sed to Bee much Beter than here. i received your letter June the first, i was verry glad to get it, but i was verry sorry to hear that you was not well. i have Sent to you another hundred Dollares and a hundred to pay BarBar. The first i sent it just like i Did the other By Chapins order and you can Draw it from Mr. BarBar in money or anything you want. Direct your letters just as you have Done. i have got three letters from you onley.
Hiram, my Deare Son i was verry glad to hear that you was well and was a good Boy, But i dont want you to work to the Buket Factra anymore, But gow to School and lern to read your Book and remember what father tole you Before he left you and Dont go a Bout the river mill nor wharf boat not Dont let little John nor Jane go neither for father cant take care of them now, he wants you and mother to do it for him and i will give you pretty pieces, presents too.
Deare little John and Jane, father got your Deare little locks of hare and cised them and lived them and all of you must cis Deare little William for me. Now mother i wont want you to mind what them Dam fools in Harmon tells you about never getting Back or Spending all i get Thay was verry unlikly Born with thair Branes in Thair ass in place of thair head.
Myself i enjoy better helth this Summer than i have fore the last five years and hope you will do the same.
Mr. Chapin and myself works alone together and expect to work together all Summer for we are about the onley two that can agree to Bee within a Days travel of each other. At eny reate we are all the time agathering a little gold. But i dont know when we will get together against fall i shall come home this fall or winter to see you all againe.
We have Alv Stones image here, he calls himself Dudley Stone. He told me that he saw you last fall and you was well. reed this rite for i want you to underStand it---i sent to you one hundred Dollars last fall and one hundred this spring----all to be drawing from Mr. BarBar. Draw it all at once if you wish. Take good care of the winter i will send you one hundred more toward fall. Work no more for them Dam folks in harmon. Dew your own work and Direct your letters jest as you have Done.
good Bye my Deare friend.
No more at present But remane
your most affectionate
lover and friend
Jeremiah Evans
Recieved March 22nd. 1850 of Jeremiah Evans
Three Hundred and Seventy-four dollars in Compliance with a proposition made by the laboring party of the Hammer Company to the agents of said Company, maded and signed on the 22 day of December, 1849, which discharges the said Evans from all further Obligations of the said Company on him.
$374.00
Given under my hand the day and Year above written.
Harlow Chapin
Agent of said Company
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