> the diarist H C GARDINER mentions: > 3). MAIL: > "One thing...annoyed me...failure to get letters from home, two thirds of > which went astray, and it was not until my return to the East that I > discovered the reason. Postal facilities were few, San Francisco, Sacramento, > and Stockton having about the only post offices. The letters from the mining > camps were collected at those offices by letter - carriers who were delegated > for that purpose. It was their custom to circulate orders for signatures, > directing the postmaster to deliver letters addressed to the parties signing > it to the carrier. This was a lucrative business to the express man, who > received from one to two dollars each for all letters delivered, and naturally > corralled all he could, regardless, so long as his list contained the name, > where the proper owner resided. > "It seems there was a man in NEVADA County whose initials and surname were > the SAME as mine, who was contemptible enough to take my letters, for though > our initials were alike, there was no similarity between our full names. He > was a LAWYER:-), who must have discovered at a glance that the letters which > were addressed in full...were NOT intended for him....and had he acted as he > should have done, would have returned them to the post office > unopened.....{H]e commits an outrage altogether indefensible, unwarranted, and > deserving of the severest reprobation." Hey Bob, sure enough that scalliwag laywer:)))) referred to above, the other H C GARDINER (a laywer, and democrat from Rhode Island) is found in David Comstocks _Brides of the Gold Rush_ pub 1987. This book is a great reference book on Nevada County. Couldn't find anything about him tampering with the US mail:)))! Carolyn