California Gold -- the Letters of James M. Burr, 1850 - 1853

Andrea Franzius

October 11th, 1852

Kelsys Dry Diggings Oct 11th/52

Dear Old Carrie

It becomes My Duty according to Promise again, & it Seems verry often for Me to write. I Can only Say to you I am enjoying Good Health Yet & Hope this May find You & the Children enjoying the Same Good Blessing. I Can imagine that I Can Hear You Say, I am Sick of Hearing the name of Kelsys Dry Diggings & I Can asure You I am Getting Sick of it Myself, but am So Situated that I am obliged to bear uo with it for about six Months Longer as My whole Dependence is upon this winters work. Our Prospects now are Flattering, we Have a Large quantity of Dirt Hove up& Some of it prospects verry well & we Have Got our Long Toms, and Sluice Boxes all in Readiness for the Rains & if we Have a Plenty of Rain our Prospects are fair for Making Some Gold for we Have Got More Dirt Hove up then we Can wash, & Tomorrow we Commence in fixing up our Cabin Chopping fire wood So as to Have Nothing to do but to wash. I feel sorry I Have Not Got Your Letters yet from the two Last Mails I was in Hopes of Getting them before writing, & Have waited as Long I Could in Hopes of Getting them therefore Cannot answer any of Your enquiries. I Got a Letter from Addeline by the Last mail but none from you Yet but Have to put up with Yet. I notice by your Last Letters that You was verry much in need of money. I dont doubt it & feel verry Sorry that I have not been Able to of Sending You Some before this & it Has worried Me so much that I wrote to San Francisco to Borrow two Hundred Dollars expressly for you, & Have Not Got that that Yet but am in Hopes I shall in a few days, & as Soon as I Get it I will send it Directly to You. How do you all Look. I often think How Happy I Shall be to See You all, but I feel it My Duty to Stay this Winter and as soon as the water fails I Shall Certainly Make Tracks towards You. Its my Cook week & Have Got through Supper & Baked two Loafs of Bread & am Now Setting up writing to you as the mail Closes. Tomorrow I have Nothing Particular to say to you More I am quite well Live quite Comfortable but this mining is verry Hard work & I Shall Glad when I Get through with it & Get My Pile as they Term it Here, & Come Home & See You all well as I fear to open your Letters for fear of seeing some Sickness or Deaths among you & the neighbors. How is Sarrah & Theodore I suppose He Has Returnd from the East before this. Tell them they Must write me a Good Long Letter & Not forget Yourself to write every Mail as I Have done it with but one or two exceptions. I Have not Seen any one of the Como folks for a Long time. We are so busy in prepairing for winter I Have no Time to Go any where. Now Carrie Keep up Good Spirits & be patient. Six months will soon Slip away & then we will Have a Good Time. Kiss all the Little Girls & Charley Boy for me & Make Old Add write Me when You do which I Hope will be every Mail & Direct Your Letters Just Like this

Capt James M. Burr,
Coloma
Eldorado Cal
Cal
Excuse My writing More this Time
& believe Me Ever Yours

James M. Burr

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