The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-20
INTERESTING RELIC
Of the Days When Letters Were Sent
without Envelopes or stamps,

WAGASUG GAVe4UPas OF 6E0mpA.
Winchester Evening News-Item: Mr..
David Dawson recently found a letter
over atty years Of age that was sent to
his father, William Dawson, by his
son Samuel, from st. Joseph. Mo-. in
1919, while en- route to California to
seek his fortune In the newly discovered
gold fieldg. The letter was sent before
stamps or envelopes were put in use,
the letter being folded in a very com.
pttcated manner SO as to form the ex-
act shape Of an envelope the back part
being fastened with sealing wax. The
amount Of postage, ten cents. was
marked In Ink In the upper right hand
corner and had to be paid by the recip-
lent Of the letter.
1tr. Samuel Dawson was born and
raised near Winchester and after
spending several years in California in
company with the late Mr.. John Pur-
cell and ninety others that started
from Charles Town with mule teams,
came back here and engaged in farm
Ing and the saw mill business in Nor
gan county, w. Va.,, and about twelve
years ago was elected to the state
senate Ia that state. He died about
1--WE years ago. Mr.. Dawson will be
well remembered by many Of the older
people Of this community and the fol-
lowing reproduction OF his letter win no
doubt prove Of interest to them:
April the 30th, 1919.
DEAR FRIENDS:-f take my pen IN
hand to inform you that we are we'll
hoping these few lines will find you en-
joying the same blessing. We have mr.
rived at st. Joseph safe and are all well
at this time and in finer spirits than we
have been since we left home. We had
long trip from st. Louis up here. The
boat was very heavily loaded and ow-
ing to the river being very difficult
one to travel our captain was very
careful, which kept us longer than was
anticipated. We arrived here yesterday
evening about shutdown and slept on
the boat that night, and this morning
we ate breakfast at tavern and then
above the town and encamped. where
we will remain until we start for Call
fornia, which will be as soon as the
grass will do to feed our mules. There
are now encamped at st. Joseph at
least 5000 immigrants for California.
Some report 5000 or 5000. but you can
not go In any direction from the town
for miles but you will see camps. and
at Independence there are equally as
many. There were six companies on
the boat that we came on, probably
some four hundred, and since we arriv-
ed there has been four steamboats,
landed here since we did, crowded with
Californians. The news here Is very
flRttering indeed in regard to the GER
tainty Of gold in California. and in re-
gard to health in this place there are
none more healthy, 80 say John Kerr
and Harvey Jones. in whose store am
now writing.
This is a very fine country indeed,
perfectly healthy and everything Is
cheap. Goods are as cheap as they are
in winchester. We have had the pleas
ure OF seeing several Indians We saw
company Of Indians on pack mules
come into this town to-day, and no
fears are anticipated at all from them
on our journey to the gold digging.
shall write once more before we start,
to you. ! shall write In two or three
days a letter to Martha. 1 wrote you a
letter from st, Louis and one to Mar
tina. I shall write In my next letter
what time and where to start for - .
Send word to Mrs. ClevenGer that Ace
is well and viii write soon, and Mrs.
Farrells the same. that Hilton is well
and win write soon.
SAMUEL DAWSON.
To the family.