Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-11-11
VOL. 5g.-NO. 81.
gEg-Bclow will be found letter from q
young man who went to California from this
County, dated

Below will be found letter from
young man who went to California from this
| County, dated
DowSrrsvslIK Cal, August 3, 1851.
Dear Mother ;---T take this opportunity
to inform you that am well, and hope this
may find you and AL the family enjoying the
same blessing. reviewed your letter Of tho
nth cf February few days since; it gave
me much satisfaction to hear from You once
more; il is the FIRST letter have received
from you for ncar two years. received enc
lnm Mr.. Walters about the same time tho
only letters that | have received 10 California.
y hen wrote 20 YOU last | was at Grass
Nailey where | stayed until February, and
then came 70 the head waters u Feather Riv-
rr. where | spent this summer running ever
tie maintains. am now at Downcyvillc,
on the North fork of the Yuha River. have
An interest In four claims here, but cannot tell
whether they viii ray or not. expect to
stay 10 this ncghboshsod until fall, whether
made anything on not have got tired Of
running over these mountains after rich dig
gings. have also an interest In Quartz
Company twenty FIVE miles North of this
place--John Jones. Of Berkeley, and myself
have one claim between us ia this Company
there are eighty-one men in this Company
Jones is at work IN that Company, and ! am
here, trying to mako expenses. | was over
there few days ago---they are getting along
rapidly with the work; the machinery is with-
IN twenty-five miles Of the place now, ard
they are making wagon road to ret ii in.
They expect to get the machinery in operation
by the middle Of Scptember---it is their cal
g. r a. - ~
per day; this rock is supposed to be as rich
as any in California what has been tested
has yielded fourteen cents to the pound---it
viii pay we'll 1t viii cost this Company
about SO ,0G0---counting their labor and ex-
penscs before we shall make cent The
machinery viii run by water power; the rock
is about mile from the mill, in the side Of
nigh mountain, which will be brought down
in shoot to the mill this is the largest ledge
Of quartz ever discovered. There is rock e.
nough in sight for two years work--it may
last fifty years. Levi Westenhayer, Of He'd
gesvillc, and myself were the first Of this Com
pany on the mountain--I0 or 10 men claim
ed the whole mountain-wo tried to bay
claims but could get none for love or money;
we told them that we were going to work
tbat there was room for FIVE hundred men
then they were for shooting us, so we had 60
leave. We then started for our camp, about
twenty miles distant, but ! was taken sick
and did net get in that day. When ] got IN
company was ready to start back, but !
was not able to return. Jones vent, but
could not get but one one claim for both of
us, or | would be there now. ! am pretty
sure Of two or three thousand dollars fer nv
share by this time next year, you wrote. that
you wanted me TO come home,--a soon as
have money enough don't understand whett-
err you meant just enough to pay my expenses
homo, or TO satisfy me after get there I
have always had sufficient money to take me
home and some times good deal more bot
now am down to about four hundred dollars.
should like very much to come home am
tired of this country--and the time seems
long, but when think Of going home without
money, and working for the wages there. 4
sometimes tllink win never CO. for ! know
shall never be satisfied il do. If / had
stayed in one neighborhood, and been salts.
fed with the wages, | might have had four
or FIVE thousand dollars, but every move [
made, | had reason to believe would be for
the betier--but was always too late Last
spring ! was taken to diggings by my friends.
but when we got there all was claimed, ard
we got pone. One of these claims would
have satisfied me. am sorry to tell you,
that don't expect to come home before this
s.all year--for this quartz claim will do mo
no good before next summer, and Jones says
he is going home next spring, so ] will have
to stay and take care Of that claim
You wrote that Levi was on bis way out
here; | have heard nothing from Kim yet,
but have written to Sacramento City for hini.
| viii try and fnd him Write as soon aa
you get tliis. and give me all the news Give
my respects to all who inquire after me, arc
tell them to write--notling more,
But remain your afEcctionate SON
TnII.r fDIfl, >Ts,rtp