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

Part VI, December 13th, 1852 - March 6th, 1853

Andrea Franzius

Monday [Dec] 13th
Employd Chopping & Packing fire wood. Weather fine but true [?] sighns of Rain

Tuesday 14th
Employd part of this day Tramping over the Hills & Gullys in Search of a Dead Man, found Him. Proved to be a Chinaman. Returned at Noon. Commenced Snowing

Wednesday 15th
This day not much Doing. Heavy Snow Storm all Day. About 1 foot of Snow fell. Rather unusal.

Thursday 16th
This day was spent partly in Gunning afternoon washing Got 21 Dollars

Friday 17th
Employd washing. Got about 42 dollars. Had one Hired Hand at 6 Doll

Saturday 18th
Employd Washing. Got about 75 Dollars this day being the Best Day´s work

Sunday Dec 19th
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Employd washing. Through Mistake Having Lost a day & water Running. Got about 48 dollars

Monday 20th Employd washing up the Ravine & upon the Lower Claim.
Got about 33 dollars

Tuesday 21st
Employd washing upon the Lower Claim one [Long] Tom. Got about 20 Dollars

Wednesday 22d
Employd washing upon the Lower Claim one Tom. Got about 11 Dollars

Thursday 23d
Employd washing upon the Lower Claim One Tom. Got about 19 Dolls

Friday 24th
Employd This day washing upon the Lower Claim. Snowy and Rainy weather. Got about 28 Dollars

Saturday 25th
This day being Christmas. Snowing Heavy. Employd washing all day. Got about 44 Dollars this day.

Sunday Dec 26th 1852
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Employd This day in Keeping the Cabin & Resting from our weeks Labor. A Plenty of water running & plenty snow upon the Ground. Cold disagreeable

Monday 27th
This day Rainy & Snowy. Employd washing with two Toms. Got about 63 dollars

Tuesday 28th
Employd this day washing with two Toms. Raining all day. Got about 51 dollars

Wednesday 29th
Employd this day washing & Sluicing. Yet Raining. Got about 30 dollars.

Thursday 30
Employd this day washing & sluicing. Weather Rainy. Employd for the best. Got about 12

Friday 31st
This day had no Rain. Packd one Tom down upon the Lower Claim. Had a miners meeting upon the Claim Ballance of the day. Employd washing. Got about 28

Saturday Jany 1st 1853
This day Employd upon the Lower Claim. Had an Arbitration Case Ballance of the day washing. Got about 30 Dollars

Sunday, Jany the 2d, 1853
[Full size image] [Double size image]This day spent in Rest. Paid bill at Sam Smiths of 63 dollars &c. No Rain

Monday 3rd
Employd this day Mining & washing with two Toms upon the Lower Claim. No Help. Weather fine. Saw 106 dollar piece found Close to us. This day all three of us Got 46 dollars

Tuesday 4th
Employd washing as usal. Got about $ 11-00

Wednesday 5th
This day Employd washing. All three of on one Tom. Weather fine & No Rain. Got this day 32 dollars. Night had a shake of Ague

Thursday 6th
This day rather under the weather. Little Rainy. Employd for a part of the day Making Hose. Afternoon worked a Little alone. Got about 3 dollars. Troubled with Disentary. The Ballance of Company washing upon Lower Claim. One Hired Hand. Got about 33 doll

Friday 7th
This day quite unwell. Kept the Cabin &c. Ballance of Company washing One hired Man. Got this day 32 dollars. Rainy

Saturday Jany 8th
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All this day Heavy Rains Pouring Ravines & Gulches Swollen. Employd part of the day washing with one Tom. Got 6 Doll. Afternoon Sluicing taking account of Stock &c. Myself taken Medicine &c. Henry Burr settling up our Company Business. Then we Have our private Debts which Leaves but a Small Ballance about 150 dollars in provisions On Hand Yet So Ends this day

Sunday Jany 9th
This day Spent as All Sabbaths. Henry went to Coloma for the mail Papers Transact Buisness &c. Returnd with Papers. No Letters. Capt foster with a Lame Back

Monday 10th
Employd Mining this day. Got with the asistance of a fifty Dollar Just About 80 Dollars ten Dollars Out for Hired Help two Men Pretty Good wages About $ 25 Each

Tuesday Jany 11th
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Employd washing with two Toms & two Hired Men. Got about $ 55-

Wednesday 12th
Employd washing with two Toms upon the Lower Claim $ 25, 00

Thursday 13th
Employd washing but one Tom & No Hired Help. Mr. Blood was Taken Suddenly Sick. Got about 21 Dollars

Friday 14th
Employd washing. One Hired Man. Got this day about 10 Dollars

Saturday 15th
Employd washing with one Tom & one Hired Hand. Got about 30

Sunday 16th
This day Spent as all Sabbaths. Henry went to Coloma & Bought Me a Draft of fifty Dollars

Monday 17th
Employd Washing With One Tom & No Hired Help. Got 30 Dollars

Tuesday 18th
Employd this day washing a Little with One Tom. Water Scarce & fine pleasent weather. No Help Got $ 14-00

Wednesday 19th
Employd This day as Yesterday. Fine pleasent Weather & warm. No Help. Water scarce. Got about 28 Dollars

Thursday 20th
Employd This day washing with Tom & No Hired Help. Water scarce & fine pleasent weather. No Rain for six days. Got 25- dolls

Friday 21st
This day fine Pleasent Weather & No Rain. Employd in Cutting a Ditch about one Mile long to get Water [Ten ?] in Number. No Gold

Saturday 22d
Employd this day washing &c. Building Dam &c. Got about $ 13-00

Sunday 23d
This day Like all Sabbaths Spent in washing &c. Henry went to Coloma. Got a Boston Journal I Sent by this mail of the 1st a Draft of $ 50-00 on St Louis Payable to Caroline H. Burr

Monday Jany 24th
Employ Part of this day in washing with one Tom. Got about 9 dollars. Afternoon Employ in Cutting a Ditch for water

Tuesday Jany 25th Wednesday 26
Employd This day Ditching for the purpose of Sluicing &c

Thursday 27
Employd part of this day in Ditching & washing. Got about 14 Dollars

Friday 28
Employd Cutting Ditch &c. Got my Degarotype [Daguerrotype] Taken. No washing

Saturday 29
Employd part of the day in Ditching afternoon washing. Got 14 dolls

Sunday 30th
This day as all Sabbaths. Henry went to Coloma

Monday 31st
Employd Digging & washing. Got this day about 26 Dollars

Tuesday Feb 1st 1853
Employd part of this day in digging Ditch. Afternoon washing. Got $ 22-00

Wednesday 2d
Employd this day in Ditching & washing in the afternoon. Got about 28 Doll

Thursday 3d
Employd part of this day in Reparing Toms. Washed in the afternoon. Got about an ounce. Water scarce. Had no Rain for several weeks. Weather warm

Friday 4th
Employd this day in Cutting Ditch for the purpose of Mining & Sluicing &c. No water for washing. Weather fine & Dry

Saturday 5th
Employd part of this day in washing & part in Toming. Got about 4-50. Shifted our works to a new place

Sunday 6
This day as all Sabbaths warm pleasent weather & no sighns of Rain. We have had No Rain for two weeks. I went down to Coloma & Returned after dinner

Monday 7th
Employd washing with Long Tom part of the day. Water scarce. Got about 12 dollars

Tuesday 8th
Employd this day Cutting Ditch. Not Water to wash with, weather being Verry Dry. No Rain for four weeks

Wednesday 9th
This day being pleasent & warm. Got about 8 dollars afternoon Employd Cutting a Ditch to Bring water to wash

Thursday 10th
Employd part of the Day in washing & Part in Cutting Ditch for water. No water for washing. Got this day 3 Letters two from Como & one from Ridgway N.C. from Addeline

Friday 11th
Employd variously Cutting Ditch prepairing for Rain for washing

Saturday 12th
Employd part of this day in washing Got [Gold?] & part in Cutting Ditch Got this day about 11 Dollars

Sunday Feb 13th
This day Spent as all Sabbat. Learnt this day that Capt Foster Left for Home. Pleasent weather & No Rain

Monday 14th
Employd this day in Cutting Ditch pond out about 5 dollars

Tuesday 15th
Employd part of this day in Toming being the first water from the New Ditch. Got this day about 18 Doll

Wednesday 16th
Employd this day in Cutting Ditch washing a Little &c. Got about 19 Dollars

Thursday 17th
Employd variously. No water. Have Had No Rain for 5 weeks. Chopped wood

Friday 18th
Employd Chopping & packing fire wood prepairing for Rain

Saturday 19th
Employd part of this day in washing. Got about 10 Dollars. Afternoon at work upon the Ditch. Henry went to Coloma sent my Breast Pin by mail &c.

Sunday Feb 20th 1853
This day Spent as all Sabbaths. Weather warm & pleasent. Verry Dry

Monday 21
Employd part of this in washing a Little. Water scarce. Got about 12 dollars

Tuesday 22
This day was spent in Traveling over to Dry Creek, Spanish Flat &c. No water

Wednesday 23d
Employd Part of this day in washing. Got about 39 Dollars

Thursday 24th
Employd washing a Little Rainy. Got this day about 27 Dollars

Friday 25th
Employd washing part of the day Friday Got About 18 Dollars

Saturday 26th
Employd Part of the Day Sluicing off the Banks & washing. G. 4-50

Sunday 27th
This day Spent as all Sabbaths Washing & Mending Clothes

Monday Feb 28th
Employd this day in washing Part of the day. Got about 19 Dollars

Tuesday March 1st
Employd part of this day in washing. Got about 20 Dollars

Wednesday 2d
Employ Washing Part of the Day. Got this day About 13 Dollars

Saturday 5th
Employd this day in washing in the forenoon. Got 14 Dollars

Sunday 6th
This day Spent as all Sabbaths

[Diary, part VII, March 7th, 1853 - June 20th, 1853]