Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1911-12-15
AN OLD LETTER

Ills UUOh, anu IlduC u COpy vi lu
with the intention of reproducing it
in full, but, finding that it would
take up too much space, he made
use of only part of it. He has
kindly given US his copy and rec
commended its publication for the
following reasons: (1) it is a very
old document; (2) it covers a
wide range of interesting events; (3)
the writer came of a well-known
Highland family, the oldest son of
the late Reuben Slaven. .-Ed.)
Union Ranch, Butte, co. Cal j..
May 23rd,. 1860.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK
have just noticed that up to
this time, we have had 2ll2 inches
fall of rain in the present month
Yet it has not done as much as |
expected to the gardens. The
weather generally cleared up cool
and sometimes with frost. On the
9Th, 7th, and 18th, there was frost
enough to do harm. On the 18th
the corn, beans, potatoes, grape
vines, etc. were pretty badly bitten.
During last May, or after the 4th
(the day we got here) there was
no rain, and on the last day of
May we had fire on the prairie.
The men who dug my we'll, and
found gold in it, after spending all
winter in preparing to mine in the
hills, have finally given it up as a
non-paying speculation. They dug
a ditch between two or three miles
long, which | have no doubt, if all
the cost of labor, etc. were counted,
cost S400. They made a long cut
into the west side of the hill
through bed rock, or much of it,
and ran a short tunnel at the END
of the cut. And | believe they
only got about $50 in gold anc
this the result of the labor of five
stout men. They, too late, quit
the unlucky hill, and sold thelI
plank cabin and poultry, one-hal
the ditch, their claim, etc. for $50
| bought them out | was com
PEELED to have a place in the ho
weather for our cooking stove, be
sides the dining room, where w
had it all winter. And we wanted
a poultry house too. AS they ha(
double cabin, they answered mt
for each = kitchen and hen house
I could have made a less amour
of lumber answer my purpose, bu
these were just at hand and read,
made, and could be hauled withou
tearing them to pieces. So whel
they offered me their houses anc
their ditch. their mining claims
and about 130 head of chicken
; and turkeys, old and Young, chick
en- coops, all loose lumber, AM
: some chicken feed all for $50,
Immediately struck bargain will
them. I considered that my poul
try would bring me the money, o
more than that, next fall or last o
summer, as chickens bring from S
to 50 a dozen at Maysville, ant
turkeys 81 so to So apiece. AS t.
the ditch and mining claims, | con
sidered them as rather thrown in
Yet Mr.. D. can water his garde
from it, and I can have the con
troll of the water, so as to preven
foolish miners from digging up tn
whole face of the hill near my hous
while | stay here. The lumber i
the two houses, | bought, cost tn
miners nearly $40. I have ther
both to their place now; first rat
hen house = | have seen people liv
in worse : and the plank kitchen
lOxl2 feet, s feet high, q doubl
plank roof, does fit snugly to tn
house. The latter we hauled u
on Mr.. DIS long X wagon, withou
taking apart, and put it to its plac
in less than half a day. We haule
it about three-quarters of a mile
There were 9 or ten men very kline
ly assisted me. | am done "fixin
/ up" here now. | have done II
more such work than | was con
PEELED to have done.
There is still another compan
of miners working in this same hill
| think their faith is much strongt
than their Judgment, or they worl
have quit it long ago. On the we:
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