Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2011, All Rights Reserved USGenNet. Data Repository Please read USGenNet Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: SOURCE: California State Library, Small Manuscript Collection Submitted by William (Rick) Bisbee on August 25, 2011 [Bisbee Family Connection Genealogy Website] For inclusion in the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org =========================================================================== Timothy Bisbee to his parents Text with [-brackets-] were struck through on the letter =========================================================================== Pine Grove Feb 6th, 1859 Dear Father I received yours of Dec. 26th /58 [-was received-] the 3rd with pleasure. I was glad to hear that you are well. I am the same. This will not go from here untill the 15st but I though I might as well commence it now and answer some of your qestions as I can do it at present as well as by and by besides I have got 2 or 3 more to write. I am going to stop writing so much. I guess I shall have my hands full if I have got to write to every body because I happenest to get off the ??? ???, I think you would have made a first rate school teacher if you had appyed yourself to it in your younger days judging from the quantity of your questions. 1st Pine Grove is about north east from Marysville. 2nd Aamasa was looking for me some when I came. 3rd I think he did know me, but wouldn't under the circumstances. 4. I think I should known him. 5. He received your letter about a week before I arrived. It was misscarried or he would got it before he did. 6. I have received 2 letter from you and one from Mother. 7. Pine Grove is not on any large river. It is about half way between the Feather and Yuba rivers. Slate Creek is about half a mile from it and some four hundred feet or so below it. 8. I worked for A about a fornight when I first went to work have not worked for him any since but have been to work at his hill clames the past week. The name of the company to which he belongs is Lone Star Co. 9. I am neither diding gold or perparing but at the Lone Star they take out about one load of pay dirt to three of gravel (?? dirt they call it) stones and bed rock. I will give you a discription of the clames at some futur day. 10. I think I shall like very well if I can make money fast enough. That makes people like almost anywhere you know. 11. We live first rate only we have to cook it ourselves which I don't think much of, but guess I can get along with it. 12. My blankets come in play every night. 13. It is not very cold here. The thamometer ranges from about 20*degrees* to 60*degrees* (above of coars a most of the time. It was down to 9*degrees* one morning the first of the winter and they thought they were going to freeze to death ??? 14. Our cabin (camp you call it) is about one half mile from our work when we work at the Lone Star but it is a mile from a clame that Am and I have taken up that we intend working in the spring. It is a surface clame. 15. There is no meeting in the place at present. 16. The sabbath is spent by many by runing about town. It is quite a day for settleing store bills etc. 17. I am at work between 60 and 70 feet under ground. 18. It is lighted with candles. Every man [-takes-] has one. 19. The canker in my mouth is better but not well. I hardly think it is a canker. I think it is occationed by my teeth. I believe I shall have them cleaned in the spring when a good dentist comes up here any how. 20. My boots fit very well and will last as long as I want to stay in Cal. If I don't ware them mor than I have. I ware rubber boots most. I bought a pair of long leged ones for $8.00 to ware in Slate Creek. The legs come clear up like trowsers legs. All told. There I have answered your questions but very poorly. Had you not better hire a hand next summer if you can find a good one and not work so hard yourself? If you cultivate one piece of haps(?) I hardly see how you can get along without some one to help you. Though you might hire by the day I suppose if you chose. Say have you had the line run between you and C-X-R yet? I think it's best to hold that land anyhow. When people get to showing the business(?) too much I believe it is best to jump on and ride and if the mule don't 'get up and dust' of corse the spurs must be used. "Them's my sentiments". I will write no more at present. You must write often. From your son T.H. Bisbee It has been raining all day Pine Grove Feb 13th 1859 Dear Mother -- Here we come upon the last pages again. You say that mother is borrowing trouble the same as ever. Fear that I have not woolen clothes enough to keep me warm etc Why mother! do you expect I am going to suffer for the want of things to keep me comfortable in this land of gold? Comfort comes with me before money and if I did not have clothes enough to keep me warm I should buy some but I have enough at present so you need not borrow any more trouble. A fellow can get any thing he wants here almost. They keep about as good an assortment of things here in the mountains as they do at that great metropolis Buckfield Village. I had no trouble in geting my trunk throug only I had to pay ten cents per pound for every pound over 50. I believe I weighed 54. I had some things in a valise you know. A fellow can carry just as much as he has a mind to look after himself in a valise or any thing else that he can convienantly carry from boat to cars and from cars to boat. Amasa has not given me the toe of his boot yet and I guess he wont at present. We get along finely. The weather has been stormy the past week. It rained Sunday and Monday and has snowed every day since though the snow has not fallen so deep this time as it has before this winter. The wind has blown some but not equal to old Maine's winds. Winds are not as heavy here as they are at home. I have not been doing any thing the past week and don't know when I shall go to work again but proberly before you get this. I some expect to go to work for Am at the Lone Star before long and Am go to work in his claime in Slate Creek if the late rain has washed the tailing out of it so that it will admit of working. It does not pay to work these tailing clames when the tailings are too deep because you have a great amount of tailings to shovel and the gold lays mostly near the bed of the stream so you will get almost as much out of two feet of tailing as out of 4 or 6. I guess I will not write much more this time but come to a close by wishing you health and happiness. I notice in closing your letter you say from your unworthy mother. I wish to ask what great or good act I have done that you are not worthy to be my mother? Give my respects to grandmother and tell her that my shirts hang together first rate. From your son T.H. Bisbee [on side] Amasa sends his love to you all. Says you must excuse his writing now I am here.