This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: MarkFTC Surnames: Lee, Crockett, Church Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.lee/11375.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hi.... Here's a transcript of the letter. This is actually a longhand transcript I made some 30 years ago, and I haven't compared it with a current study of the MS. The ink has faded a lot, so this may be better than what could be discerned now. Some of the spelling is (sic.) but I won't put (sic.) all thru the transcript. Lithograph print of cityscape on letterhead that says "View of Placerville." Apriles 30, 53 Grenhorn Creek, Siskiow Co, California Dear Brother It is out of pure respect that I write if it was not I would not write a word for I have fel so mutch short of my calculations taht I dont want any one to hear from me but I now you are looking for a letter evry male and if I don't write you wont get any so that is the very reason that I write to day[.] [A] man should not think of making any thing for the first year for if he does he will be disapointed for it takes everything that you can make to start[.] I will give you a breef sketch of my start in the country from the comencement when we landed in this place we were strapt ina mawre [maire, ie mire?][.] I had $20.50 cts Crockett had $24.25 cts mead [me and??] and Church had $7.00 dollars a piece this you know would not stand us long for we was compeled to buy everything we had so we was compelled to sell aure stock and sell it at a low price for the markett was full of cattle so aure stock did not fetch us a grate dele more than we gave[.] [W]ell after we had to sold! we went a prospecting we prospected for three weekes and did not strike any thing so I soo prt [sold out??] and went into bussnefs my self and an other man that came over in oure traine came to town and bought tow yoake of Oxen and a wagon and went into the lumbering busnefs[.] [W]e done vary well but the bussnefs did not hold out as long as we though it would when wee was in the hight of halling I was taken sick and laid sick for five weeks[.] [M]y atendenc and Doctors Bill was about two hundred Dollars beords my time after I had frayed up my bills I was flat broke excepting one yoke of Oxen and wagon[.] I was compelled to sell my wagon to get out of debt so thear was the oxen and nothing else they was worth a bout $125.00 Dollars[.] After I got able to work Crockett and myself went to building a house for to live in through the winter[.] [W]e had onley got the timber on the ground and it raised to the joise when we was compelled to stop and go to work and ear som mone! y. So by provision I went tow rk at the Carpenters traid. I went to f inishing of a hous I had but just got to work when it comenced to snow[.] [I]t snowed for two weeks almost evry day and might hadhit not been warm and melted it would of bin over evry thing[.] [A]s it was it was like to starved evry thing[.] [T]his Town is situated in a small valley with vary high Mountains on evry side[.] [W]hen it comenced to snow thear was not flower enough to last the town one week so there was nothing but potatoes and Beef[.] [S]o I saw [there?] was no other help for me then to sell my cattel and by something to live on through the snow[.] [S]o I sold for $112.50 and bought 50.00 Dollars worth of potatoes and the rest of it we laid ou tin meat as we wanted[.] [S]o it took the Oxen to keep us through it lasted for near six weeks that we had nothing but Beef and potatoes[.] [N]either one of us could get any work and so we eat up the Oxen and had noting ernd. When it snows there is no way to get in but over these mountains the snow was from fifteen to t! wenty feet deep on these mountains and there was no pasable way to get in or out. When the flower cam in it was one Dollar and a quarter per lbs and yo could not get but littel at that. So it has taken all taht I had to live and to pay up my sick bills[.] [I]f by these means I have bin unable to send any money home the money that you Borrowed for me is do and I have bin sorry that I could not send it home and pay it up. But it was out of my power[.] We are triing to farm som and it takes evry thing taht we can make to keep us and by oure seed[.] [W]e ar about through planting and we will soon be don fencing and then we will be able to work for some money thta we Ow and make it all right. As I concider it youslefs [useless?] to make any more excuses fo ryou can see how it hs bin and you now your self how it goes in a strange land[.] [A]llthough this is all hapened I am not discouraged in the least for you now it would be uslefs[.] when I think of the past I then say that ! is nothing and then sing [??] a littel[.] I am well and harty and pre ty fat[.] I was weight yester day I was one hundred and eighty five [lbs] a pretty good wait for a Deacon. My best wishes is that these few lines may meat hour enjoying the same[.] John I am honest in evry word I have said and more of it is I will tri to prove it to you if I get any money. [Page ends without a signature, though clearly the letter is coming to its end -- probably a lost leaf. The foregoing is front and back of a single sheet of blue cotton-rag paper. Has been stuck in the Family Bible given to Louisa Lefever Lee (wife of John Swanke Lee) by her father John Lefever in 1856 (so a couple years after the letter was written and about the time John and Louisa moved to homestead in northern Iowa's Chickasaw County.) Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.