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(CALIFORNIA GOLD MINER'S DIARY)

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(CALIFORNIA GOLD MINER'S DIARY)
Execeptionally rare (though brief) partial California gold miner's diary, 24pp. 16mo., [near Nevada City, Ca.], covering the period from June 21, 1851 to his departure from San Francisco, Aug. 10, 1851. The diary, attributed to one Lewis Deems in whose Civil War diary this was discovered, sets forth the dollar value of gold washed out per day, his expenses, and various news. In small part: "…we prospected $15 & washed $9…I visited the grave yard and found it pretty well filled up…one man that was buried so shallow that there was abou a peck of green flies over his grave…we took out $255…we are stripping & throwing up wash dirt…there was a company of 20 men undertook to ferry the N. Yuba, the rope broke and out of 20 on 9 remained a part of them…principal business of the sabbath is gambling & trading…a gambler committed suicide by shooting himself…… He was strapped and tired of California…we deserted the bank diggings…$4574 [to date]…a goodly number of northern miners coming back discouraged…went down to town and took a peep into the gambling shops…celebrated in Nevada City by a Grizzly Bear & Bull fight…the bull came off victor…also a spaniel and bull fought…so goes the sabbath from one week to another spent in gambling, trading & carousing…Clemens is not working today. I have bought his interest for $50…I am cleaning my dust, ready for the mint. I have at this time in dust $1600…" The last pages of the diary set forth particulars of his voyage homewards aboard the mail steamer "Oregon", with stops at San Diego, Mazatlan, and Acapulco at which point the text ends. Slight edge wear and soiling, yet boldly penned and entirely legible.