California Gold -- the Diary of James M. Burr, 1851 - 1853

Part III, November 9th, 1851 - April 6th, 1852

Andrea Franzius


Monday [Nov] 9th
Employd fitting a room for Mr. Hunt at the United States Hotel

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Friday 13th
Employd upon the State House fixing flag Staffs &c

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Wednesday Nov 25

Employd upon the State House

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Sunday 29th
Employd Taking Medicine Having the Chills & fever

Monday 30th
Not much doing this day. Quite unwell

Tuesday Dec 1st
Employd all day upon the State House

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Saturday Dec 5th
Employd Papering State House

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Wednesday 23d
Employed upon the State House

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Thursday Dec 25th
This day being Christmas it was spent Making Preparations for the Great Ball

Friday 26th
Employd at Leisure. Not much doing

Saturday 27th
Not much doing this day

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Saturday [January] 4th
Employd Papering the State House

Sunday 5th
Employd all day & finishd papering

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Saturday Jany 11th
Employd part of the day for Mr. Burns fixing Up Stage Coach

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Monday 13th City of Vellezo. Not much doing

Tuesday 14th
This day as Yesterday was Spent as yesterday in Setting up affairs about Town

Wednesday 15th
This day Employd in Packing up My Traps [possibly a mining device, a door for ventilation] for a Start to the Mines. Left Vellezo about 2 o clock in a waggon for Benicia. Took Passage in the Steamer Senator for Sacramento City. Arrived about 2 AM

Thursday 16th
Got our Baggage up to Mr. Merrils & took Breakfast. Found them all well.

Friday Jany 17th
This day was spent in strolling about the City. Saw Several acquaintances

Saturday 18th
This day was spent as Yesterday

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Monday 20th
Spent as usal. Looking about the City & Country out to Sutters Old fort

Tuesday 21
Genl Green arrived in Town afternoon Met with Mr. Crook & went out to Mr. John Shermans & spent the night with Him. He lives at the Six Miles House on the Marysville Road

Wednesday 22d Started in the Stage for Coloma. Passed through Mormon [...?] Waver Creek & several other Mining places & arrived in Coloma about 3

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Friday 24th
Started with our packs upon our back, for a Tramp across the Mountains for Kelseys. A distance of about 6 Miles. Arrived about 2 o clock. Went round among the Miners & passed the Night with Mr. Arthur An Old Mier Prisoner a RoomMate of Genl Greens

Saturday Jany 25th
This day was spent in Looking Round the diggings. Washed out a Little Gold for the first Time in the Diggings

Sunday Jany 26th
This day was spent in Looking About Getting our Mining Tools, Provisions &c. Spent the Night with Mr. Arthur. Capt. Foster came up from Sacramento To Join us.

Monday 27th
Employd in fitting up our Cabbin & Comenced work. Digging at night. Slept in Our Own House for the first night.

Tuesday Jany 28th
Employd this day in prospecting & digging Not a verry Good Show as Yet

Wednesday 29th
Employd this day in digging & prospecting Round about the Gulches

Thursday 20th
This day was spent as Yesterday

Friday 31
This day Commenced opening two large Claims of about 70 feet by 12,8 feet each [?]

Saturday feb 1st
Employed digging away for Gold in Hopes of Making our Piles

Sunday 2d
This day was Spent in Walking about Prospecting, washing &c

Monday 3d
This day was Spent in Sinking Shafts, Prospecting &c

Tuesday 4th
Employd in Searching for Gold [...?] Grand [?] &c

Wednesday feb 5th
Employd in Heaving up Dirt for washing when Rain Comes

Thursday 6th
Employd in Mining. Prospecting & throwing up Dirt. Water scarce

Friday 6th [sic]
Employd in Mining. Heaving up Dirt for Washing when Rain Comes

Saturday 7th
Employd in Opening a New Claim for Gold. Weather Dry

Sunday 8th
This day was Spent in Prospecting. Went to Town. Saw Several indians Some Dressd in Morning [mourning?]. Got our Provisions & went Home &c

Monday the 9th
Employed in Sinking two Holes below our Cabin

Tuesday 10th
Employd in Sinking Holes as usal to no verry Good Prospects

Wednesday Feb. 11th
Employd this day in Prospecting. Foster & myself walkd over to Coloma & to Sutters Old Mill from there to Union & back at Night about 14 Miles

Thursday 12th
This day Started Foster, May & myself & walk over to the South fork of the american River Prospecting. Found Some awful Hills to Climb. Returned at Night [?]

Friday 13th
This day ws spent in prospecting about. Foster, May & Myself went over to the Mexican Flat to see what we could find. Found Nothing & returned Home at Night

Saturday 14th
This day May & foster sunk Hole. Found nothing. Myself started off alone with My Pan & went to Mexican, Spanish, Union & americans flats found nothing also. Went to Nelsons Cannon & Buckeye Ravine, Slept at Kelseys this night

Sunday Feb 15th
This day was Spent as all Sabbaths Washing & Mending & Prospecting to Little or Nothing Coming

Monday 16th
Employd Prospecting. Went over to Spanish Flat &c

Tuesday 17th
Employd as usal digging, Prospecting &c. May, Foster, Myself

Wednesday 18th
This day Started off alone & went down to Coloma & Union Town & Red Hill diggings. Saw Mr. Merrill. Stopt at Caloma for the Night

Thursday 19th
This day was Spent in Looking around Hunting Better Diggings. Returned at Night

Friday 20th
This day not much doing. Tired & beat out Traveling kept the House

Saturday 21st
Spent in Prospecting

Sunday
This day Like all Sabbaths Spent in washing & Mending, Looking About

Monday 23d
This day not verry well

Tuesday 24th
The same as Yesterday

Wednesday 25th
Spent in Prospecting About. Hunting for Better Diggings

Thursday 26th
Employd Digging Washing &c

Friday 27th
Employd washing as it is Comenced Raining. The Rain fell in Torrents & the Ravines & Gulches Running with water

Saturday 28th Employd Employd washing with Cradle & [Long] Tom. Not doing much

Sunday 29th
This day Rainy as usal. Walked over to Sailors or Rich Flat to a Shooting match

Monday March 1st 1852
Employd this day in the Rain washing Out Gold

Tuesday 2d
Employd as usal washing out Gold. Wether Rainy

Wednesday 3d
Employd washing with Long Tom & Cradle. Wether Rainy.

Thursday 4th
This day Rainy. Employd in Moving from One Cabin to another About 1/2 a mile Backing Our Bedding & Furniture

Friday 5th
This day Rainy as usal. Employd washing Out Gold.

Saturday 6th
This day Rainy. All Hands Employd in Mending Clothes &c.

Sunday 7th
This day Rainy being we did not work yesterday. We went to work washing out Gold. Got about 2, oz. Heard the news of Coloma Bridge Gone

Monday March 8
Employd this day in working the Long Tom. May & myself Got about 24 dollars. Rainy weather all day.

Tuesday 9th
Part of this day was Spent in the Cabbin & part in washing. Got the News that Sacramento City was over Flowd

Wednesday 10th
Employd Mining as usal. Not doing much. Weather Rainy

Thursday 11th
Employd digging & washing with Long Tom. Got about an Ounce

Friday 12th
Comenced working for myself. Employd Mining & water getting scarce as the Rain has stopped

Saturday 13th
Employd Mining part of the day it being Rainy & not doing much

Sunday 14th
This being a rainy day. Went over to Kelsys & Bought a pair of Boots. On my way Home found a Little Lump of Gold weighing about 7 dollars

Monday March 15th
Employd Mining as usal. Water scarce. Not doing much

Sunday 16
Employd Mining. Water Low. Heaving up Dirt &c.

Wednesday 17th
Employd as usal digging. No water to wash with

Thursday 18th
Employd part of the day digging & part Running About Looking for Better diggings. Got a Boston Paper with the accident that Happend to Addeline [Green] by the Horses taken fright & upsetting the Carriage

Friday 19th
Employd Running about Hunting some place where there was water

Saturday 20
This day all Hands Started off on a Tramp prospecting. May, foster & myself went down Nelsons Cannon into Rock Creek up Rock C & Home by the way of Humbug Flat. Tired enough

Sunday March 21
This day was spent as all Sabbaths washing, Mending &c. No sighns of rain

Monday 22d
This day was Spent in Packing My Tom About & washing a Little. Got about 21 doll

Tuesday 23d
This day was spent in Mining. Got about 2 dollars. Poor diggings

Wednesday 24
This day was Spent in Prospecting About for Better diggings. Started upon a Tramp over to Rock Creek, one Eyed Cannon, Mosqueto Cannon & Home by the way of Stag [?] Town Flat. Tired Enough

Thursday 25th
This day Started off upon Another Tramp down to Coloma, Union Town, Red Hills &c. Got 7 Letters from Home & Stopt all Night in Coloma

Friday 26th
This day was Spent in Cruising About & Got Home about Sun down

Saturday March 27th
This day was Spent Partly in Another Tramp & partly in writing Home &c

Sunday March 28th
This day was spent as all Sabbaths Mending Old Clothes, washing &c.

Monday 29th
This day was Spent in Digging &c

Tuesday 30th
This day was spent in Mining &c

Wednesday 31
This day Employd in Mining as usal

Saturday 3d
Employd Mining in Company with Mr. Starkweather & son from Springfield Mass

Sunday 4th
This day Spent in walking over to Hang Town or Placerville Cook Hallow &c. Looking for Frank Hodges but found Him not

Monday April 5th
This day Changed My Partners & took up My abode With Mr. Starkweather & Don. Employd Mining this day. Got about 30 dollars

Sunday 6th
Employd this day mining. Got about 20 dollars. Had a Plenty of Company of Indians & Squas



[Diary, part IV, April 7th, 1852 - August 18th, 1852]


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Andrea Franzius (agf2@acpub.duke.edu), November 1997
in collaboration with The Digital Scriptorium, Special Collections Library, Duke University
http://web-directory-where-this-project-lives/