Kelseys Dry Diggings August 27th 52
Direct your Letters to Coloma Eldorado Cal
Dear Carrie,
I now write for the Sakes of Keeping up My Promise. I have nothing Particular to Say More than I am enjoying Good Health, & Trust this May find you & the Children & My Good Neighbors enjoying the Same Good Blessing. I have delayd writing this until now Just as the Mail Leaves in Hopes of Getting a Letter from you, as I have not Had one for three mails, & feel verry anxious to Hear from You, to Know How You are all Getting along. I See a Great Many Emigrants that come across the plains this season, every day I Have a talk with some of them & am in Hopes of seeing some from your quater, But as yet have seen none, thy all report Good Health but fear those that are behind. Now for what I am about we are Digging & Heaving up Dirt for washing & dont Expect to Make any Gold until water Comes, which will not be before next October or November & then if Ever I Shall be able to Send You funds. I Hope & Make You Happy, I fear You are Getting Tired of being a widow & I am of being an a Batcheldor. Oh How I Long for the Time when we will meet again & to See all the Little Girls & Charley Boy. Not a day Passes that I dont think of you all but Dare not think too Much for fear of Making Me Homesick. Although we Have Our Diggings Close to our Cabbin & Live verry Comfortable, I Keep the Broom Going to Make it Look as Cheerfull as Possible but its Not Like Home. I have Not any flat Pieces of Gold to put in this Letter as I have done for the Last ten or twelve, & you have told me wether you Have Got all I have Sent, but I will send Charley & Hetty a Little Piece for I believe I have not sent then any. I talk some of going down to San Francisco Next Week if so I Shall Go up to Oregon to see that Country it will only take me about two weeks & we Cannot wash any here for two Months if I like that Country I shall take up a Piece of Land. I should like to Know where Thomas Pollack is, the name of Pollack Reminds of Mrs Pollack. God Bless Her tell Her I often think of Her & of that Gold Teapot I promised Her. I fear that I shall Not be able to Get such a one, tell Her she shall Have a teapot at any such rate or I miss My Guess.
Now Carrie I Have only to inform you that I am doing what i Consider for the Best to Make us Happy when ever we do Meet & I am in Hopes when that Time Comes it will be the Last of our Seperation for to tell you the Truth I Like this Country & if I can find a suitable Place I shall be for moving out Either to California or Oregon. What do you think of that, I am only talking for Talk sake for to tell you the Truth. I dont know what to write as I write every two weeks Regular, & Hope you do the same Now for a few enquiries. Has Old Kirby ever returned for His Family if So write Me in your next & How Does that Rail Road Get along through Como & How is my Old Friend Mr. Hopkins & family Uncle Henry && family where & what is Simeon Sampson About Why aint he here Again & so on. Write Me in answer to this & tell me who if any of the Como Folks Have Come Across the Plains this Season & all the News in General, but Dont write anything about Sickness or Deaths in our Family for I Dread to open a Letter for fear some of you are Sick or Dead. Give us something Cheerfull as it is Gloomy Enough Here without Getting it from Home. Good Night All.
James M Burr
Now for a few words to the Little Girls & I will Close as this Mail Closes in a few Minutes. I dont see any Little Girls or Boys Except Indians which occasionally Come along apast the Cabbin they Have no Clothes upon them & Have a Tin Pan Going to wash Gold. Their Mothers Go along with a Pack upon their Back & Have a Little Baby Tied on a Board they look so funny. Here we Live in a Log Cabbin & am now Sitting in the Door writing to the Little Girls. It Makes Me Homesick & I Must Soon Close. How often do I think of playing with you & telling you Storys. Falkland Island Ride Old Elephant on the floor & I often think of these Good Times & wish I was with you. I suppose some of the Apples are Ripe About This Time & Mama Must Give Each of You one for me for you know if I was with you I would Give you all one. Its Sundown with us & About Midnight with You. Consequently your all asleep. Oh how often I think of you all asleep.
[Next letter, October 11th, 1852]