Benicia, Cal., March 12th 1851
Dear Caroline,
I am sorry to say that I cannot write in as Good spirit as I should wish. However we Cannot tell what may turn up but what I have seen of California I Cant say I Like it much for several reasons the 1st is it is very expensive Living, & traveling about, 2nd the prices of Labor is not in proportion, for instance, for any Kind of decent Board you must pay 15,50 per week, that is what we are paying now, for this Last week & while at San José four days we Had to pay 6 dollars per day & Carpenter wages are now the Highest $ 7=00 Laborour [sic] about $ 3=00 & no work at that. So you see that I Cannot say much for California at present. Perhaps in my next I may write more encouraging. I have as yet but seen but two persons from our parts the one is Mr. Alphias Clark from Lyndon the other Mr. Gershwin Kirby. I met with Him at first at San Francisco afterwards at San José. He was not very well & came down to recruit. I visited Him every day & carried Him medicines & and he is so as to be about but Looks have Genl [General] Green looks well & in Good Health we are expecting Him every day He being one of the Comissioners apointed to Locate the seat of Government at Velezo. Mr. May and myself walked down to Velezo the other day to se the place. Found nothing but a few Tents. If they dont set me at work soon I shall go to the mines. The Country is very Healthy at present I dont hear of a single Core of sickness. I see Hundreds every day from the mines & as many more going. Some Tells good stories & some poor ones, so you see a person Knows no more California Here than you do at home. I met with Old Bill Rodgers. He give me to understand where I could find Brittl & Pelt Crook. They were on a ranche about thirty miles from Sacramento City. I wish I could go about the Country more but Cannot at Present until I decide upon what I am going to do. I have an appointment of port warden. But as yet it will not pay, to give you an idea of what I expect as is this to help Lay out the place, afterwards to put up a house if I can make a raise on Lumber, Mr. May and myself keeps quite well yet, & Hope we may continue for this place is not fit for a sick person. I find people have to work as Hard Here as at Homes as yet I cannot find any encouragement to advice any of my friends to come here yet until I know more about the Country as far as I can understand the miners are doing pretty well. But you can place no confidence in what you hear in this Country for many people would sooner tell a falsehood, when the truth would do as well. Hear we see all sorts of people & some pretty Hard Cases, the Gambling Houses at San Francisco is quite a Curiosity a Lary Hall with a band of music, some Dozen Tables filled with Gold and silver a Great Many Ladies engaged in it &c. I wish I Could think of something more to say to you about California but as Yet I Have Not Seen Much of the Country. Tell all those people in Como that I promised to write to, that I will keep my promise until I find some something to write about. How for Home affairs? I hope this may find you and the Children all enjoying Good Health for that is been of the Greatest Blessings we Can Have. I hope you have not Frozen to Death this Cold winter. Here the Grass is Green & flowers out in Blossom. I Hope Reuben Got a Good wood pile up for the summer & take Good Care of the Horse & Have the usal Crops put in, & keep things [...?] About the promises for it is a possible thing for me to Come Home this fall if so I shall be Satisfied to Stay there for California at present is not what it is Crackd up to be tell Mrs. Brittle I shall endeavour to see Her Husband before Long. Laylon or the Whipples I can Hear nothing of. Tell Old Adde & Eunice I want to see them very much & they must be Good Girls & Go to school & mind their [?] what their mother tells them & as for Hette and Charley nothing would give me so much pleasure as to play with them a Little while. Tell them all to be good & papa will Come & see them all one of these days & Never Leave them again if I have the same mind as I Have now.
P.S. Now I want you to pay particular attention to what I say about writing. I want you to make it a rule to write me as often as Convenient once a month Certain if not twice & Direct your Letters to me. Care of Genl T. J. Green Benicia Solano County Cal [California]. As I shall be more Likely to Get them for I intend as Long as I can to let you Hear from me every mail. Now I want you to Remember me to all my Friends & tell them I will write bye & bye it is useless for me to attempt to write How much I want to see you for it would take an Hour & the mail Closes before that Time & I am Hurrying Now,
Yours with much Esteem,
James M. Burr
[on the envelope" it follows:]
after putting this in the office I Have Just Got your Letter to me of January 6th at Boston the first I Have Heard since I Left You & I was Glad enough to. I am Here doing nothing yet waiting for the Movements of the people we are paying $ 15.00 per week for Board. I was glad to hear that Capt. Sim Sampson Got back. Tell him to write me. I shall expect you will write often. I have written to Joseph Wilson & expect to Hear from Him soon.
Love to all,
J.M. Burr
[Next letter, April 12th, 1851]