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George R Fitzgerald born April 12th 1859 about 1/2 10 oclock [10:30 o'clock]
Newyork [New York] May 7 1859
dier [dear] Frank I take this opurtunity [opportunity] to in form [inform] you what I en [am] about I hav [have] just baught [bought] my ticket on the Grinada Stearieg [steerage] 85 dolars [dollars] the boat of the 5th M Tailor tickets 100 dolars [dollars] so you per siev [perceive] that I could not go in her none of the Whitefield Boys hav [have] cum [come] I should hav [have] writen [written] sooner but could not make up my mind what to do before there are sevrel [several] Maine boys going on the boat so I shall not be alone I hav [have] not mutch [much] time to spare shell [shall] hav [have] to cloz [close] I em [am] well take good care of yower self [yourself] and the and the childrne [children] gev [give] my love to all enquiring friends
[written in left margin]
I remain your afectionate [affectionate]
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Sanfransisco San Francisco June 3 1859
dier [dear] Frank I take this opurtunity [opportunity] let you know that I em [am] well and hope this ma [may] find you and the children the same dier [dear] Frank I write in hast [haste] for I hav [have ] just let my self [myself] to a man to pick strawberys [strawberries] at 1 dolar [dollar] per day and found to git [get] money to get out of the City with I hav [have] to at fore and it is now half past three dont [don't] you wish you had some berreys [berries] they are as big as your thumb how are you and the Children Ciss [Kiss] little Georg for me how I would like to see you all we areved [arrived] here yasturday [yesterday] morning all well and safe if I had money I should go rite [right] up to the menes [mines] but I must work and git [get] some there is not mutch [much] duing [doing] here at present I want to here [hear] from you write as soon as you git [get] this direct to sanfransisco San Francisco I must bid you good by [goodbye] the boat has cum [com]
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from yower [your] Edwin
cam_EdwinFitzgerald_B017_F011_003A
Contracosta Co June 12 1859
Well Frank I supose you will be looking for a letter and as I em not in so mutch of of a herrey now as I was be fore I will try and hav a talk with you I wish I wish could hav a cup of tea with you and we would talk the matter over. this is a grate ould country and it was well for me that I arived as i did for it is the best time of the year the harvest is cuming on and the re will be aplenty of work for too or three months at from forty to sixty per month I told you that I was going to pick strawberys I worked three days at that and quit it spent one day looking for work got a job on a rantch for forty dolars per month shell work aspell at that there are plenty of men here that hav bien here for years that hav not got one [deletion] red but the folt is not in the country in most caises it is with them-selves if a man comes here he [deleted]to[/deleted] must work hard foar hard and be saving up to work if he can if not he is in a bad place I hav found that out all ready when I landed I had too dolars and fifty cts paid 75 cts for bed 50 for supper and 50 for breakfast I looked over the City for work but could git none untill after noon wen the strawbery man came
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and you know the rst. the reason that I wrote in sutch a herry be fore was had to go across the ferry to Almeda and if I did not write then I should not hav a chance be fore the steamer left as it was I wrote in an express office and had just got my letter in if letter you could call it in the envelope when the steamer blew her whistle to leav. I had to giv the directions to the express Man and get him to back it this is a very bad chance to rite dont you think so I hav not sean eney one that I knew since I arived here I think it [ruther?] [could?] tell youer Mother this is a good [deletion] place to take a boarders git from six to [9?] dolars per week [?] her hens would be worth one dolar a dozen eggs 75 cts butter 50 I cant write eney more at present the men are cuming in giving lov to all enquiring friends toll Nate to hav a good garding and take care of the boys ciss the children for me and lirn them thier praers. I will send you some money as son as I can git it you ma direct to Sanfransisco till I go from here this leaves me well and I hope it ma find you the same
from your Edwin
cam_EdwinFitzgerald_B017_F011_004A
St Pablo Cal July 24 1859
My dier Wife I take this opuritunity to write you a fue lines to let you know how I em situated I em still at work for Mr Morgan but hav not been at work all the time I got my shoalder hurt pressing hay whitch laid me up for three weeks but I em as well now as ever in purson but not in purse hav to pay at the rate of twenty five dolars per month for board when loafing I had 2 dolars per day for pressing hay and boarded hav lost the chance em at work at forty dolars now it will be a short gob whare I shell go then I dont know the acounts we get here from the Mines are not very flattering tho I think I shell try them about the last of october either that or origon this place is about ten miles from the sity of sanfransisco