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CA Gold Rush Letter, Middle Amador, 1853

Currency:USD Category:Western Americana Start Price:250.00 USD Estimated At:500.00 - 1,500.00 USD
CA Gold Rush Letter, Middle Amador, 1853
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January 1853. Middle Amador. Fabulous letter from J. Benjamin Howe to his father in New England. 6 pp. Includes description of a 15 foot dam design to reroute water and mine gold: "through which the dirt and majority of gold passes into a shallow box beneath, where the gold is caught upon small horizontal bars and the dirt washed off." Heavy rain has caused significant damage to their equipment. He tells his father of some of the hardships and paradoxes of the miner's life: "the miners life is not a pleasant one until he gets used to it." He mentions that they have found no gold in the last two months, but still purchased food items at high costs (including "Tokay wine.") The writer is eloquent and articulate. He talks to his father about loneliness and why he cannot come home. He mentions that his father can write him, since "we have a post office at Drytown." Condition: folds, minor areas of soiling, slight separation along folds on last page. A wonderful glimpse into the struggles of a California gold miner. Burger CollectionCity: County: AmadorState: CADate: