Dry Creek, California Nov 14th, 1850

DRY CREEK, California (October 3, 2023) – George & John Gridley

I have put off writing hoping to hear from home and answer you at the same time. J. wrote 5 weeks ago. Since then we have been well and hearty, have worked steady but not made a pile, the mines here are not rich and I don’t know where they are. Last week we made about $100. week before $300, before that $150 and $7 is the most that we have taken out in a day.

We were driven out of good diggings week before last by the water, shall go prospecting this week, which is dull business. The weather was fine up till last Thursday when it began to rain, the streams arc rising fast. There has been a good many deaths by Cholera in Sac. City, some in the mines, there is none now.

We have paid $23 1/2 for a sheet iron stove with dishes for six which with a good tent will make us comfortable We have our provisions laid in, so we can live well if we make nothing. We paid 31 cts. for apples, potatoes 28. sugar 23-5, flour 17 – 18$ P cwt, cheese and butter 75 – 80, raisins 50 cts. The rest of the men from our place I know nothing of. Charles is well except the toothache.

Linebeck was here the 1st of Oct, he had made nothing, but was bound to make a pile before he went home. I make no calculations for a great pile though a man can clear $3 a day and not half try.

You asked how long Our co kept together – Parsons left at Salt Lake, divided on Sunday and went with Lathrop, much to the satisfaction of all. the rest of us divided 12 miles this side of the desert where we left the last waggon and tent.

I am anxious to get a letter to know how you all get along and how the crops came in – if there is not money to pay Schurtz and the other debts from them we must send home some; if it is not needed we had rather’ keep it by us for we may want to use it next summer.

If M. Kieffers want to have the house finished off I would like to have you make arrangements for it, by selling such stock as you think proper or paying in the fall – the latter I prefer unless Andrew wishes to get them off his hands; if Andrew wishes to dig a well or do any other work let him do it and pay in stock if the crops will not.

Louisa says she would go to School if we done well or if the crops came in well. I want her to go in any case, be prudent and improve the time. Sell something of John’s or mine to pay the schooling.

William and Joseph must write us some letters. When we write to one we write to all. It is hard work to write – our table is made of willows with a cloth over them and has got the rickets, and my back is broke leaning over the pork barrel. I hope Papa will write and give us some good advice-but I don’t know as we could follow it here – my love to all.

G. G. (write often)

As George has left a vacant half of the sheet, I will occupy a part of it, though I have nothing of importance to write. Elisha thinks shooting buffalo on the plains is no very big business after one gets used to it. I never tried it but half a day and came to the conclusion that the business was a little too big for me. One morning when we were in the buffalo range about 200 miles up the Platte, I left the camp in company with 4 or 5 others, and set out. upon a hunt. It is not like hunting deer or other game at home; there the first thing is to find them; but here the difficulty is in killing. We left the road which winds along the river bottom and went out among the sand bluffs to the north; here I saw a sight which was beyond anything I had ever seen in the line of stock – every hollow and ravine, far as eye could reach was a living, moving, mass, of buffalo meat. It was no trouble to get within close shooting distance, but our bolts seemed to have no other effect than to make them shake their heads, lift their tails and run in with the herd, after chasing them nearly all the forenoon over the hills of sand and wounding many of them; we succeeded in hitting a large bull in a vital part and brought him down; each one took as much meat as could be conveniently carried and started to overtake the teams. after walking rapidly as we could for three miles through the sand we came to the river bottom which was here 4 or 5 miles wide and covered with a heavy growth of grass we took an oblique course across the flat so as to intercept the teams at a point where we thought it would be likely to wait at noon; but we had to run around sloughs, wade creeks, tramp through the tangled grass and shoot at wolves (the large kind-very numerous) and did not reach the teams until 2 or 3 o’clock – it was the hardest day’s work I ever done – You ask how the meat relishes. is better than good fat beef? It is about as fat and tender as old Van Buren’s would be after running all winter to grass.

Charlotte wishes to know if we had as easy times as we expected – I never expected easy times – travelling 30 miles a day – walking 2/3 of the time – taking care of the team and being on guard nights, is anything but easy – We had but very little hot weather during the whole journey – in Salt Lake valley and along the Humboldt we had some rather warm days – the weather here though warm, is not as hot as it frequently is at home – It is said to be as cold now as it will be anytime through the winter; and the weather is about the same as is in Oct. at home, freezes a little nights, in wet places, when it does not rain, but is quite warm in the middle of the day.

Tell Barbara that I am not sure of getting that lump of gold but I think George can give her a setting out when he gets home, if he takes the pewter plates, tin cups and sheet iron stove with his – It was naughty in Michael to fool the girls so about getting married – he is old enough to be in earnest about such things – Louisa wishes to know how we think she and Barbara would stood the journey if they had started – I think, that like many of the horses, they would have given out before they got half way here – California is a hard place and but few women would be contented to stay here long enough to make anything although their labor is valuable – We have not made any calculations as to the length of time we shall stay here – mily stay 2 or 3 years if we can do well, if not we will not want to stay as long – We have about 600 dollars on hand now. Best wishes to all.

 

[Part 1 – “Placerville, Aug 4, 1850“]

[Part 2 – “Dry Creek, California Oct 14th, 1850“]