Edwin Fitzgerald

it is no use to run about her it costs a good eal to travel and the Country is full of [?] a man has got to stop in one place till he gitts aquainted and the hemay doo something I like the country the best of eny place I ever was in har not seen one drop of rayn since I arrived in the country still evry thing grows finly grapes peatches aples and every thing else here I should like to har a farm her and har my Frank to help me on it perhapps we will some day there is no thing the luck of a [?] caff you know how I should like to pop in and see you to night Take as good care of our darlings as you can poor Selia her [c?] seams hard har you bien to Whitefield yet how is Mther Morton gev my love to her tell her that Cal is not all gold but there's some let yet I think

take good care of youer self I very glad to hear that you was well for I was very uneasy about you if eny thing should hapen to you and I [?] I dont know what I should do I am sorry Joshua has left but never mind time will pass and my rspects to Nate and Es tell them

O what a name do with the house as you think best if I can domy thing here whitch I think I can all will be well you must write as often as you can direst to Petaluma, Sonoma County, California

nomere [no more] at present from youer [your]

Edwin Fitzgerald

Petaluma Post office Oct 10^th1859

My own dier Wife I just rec yoire letter by express from the City. was pleased to hear from you and to hear that you and all the folks wer well I hav had ruther hard luck for the last three months [sints?] I and James hav bien to geather we hav made nothing I wrote you that we wer cuting cordwood we worked at it a bout six weeks and got nothing for it we then went to the Read woods to split Picketts and there he got [hurt?] by being trown from a log whitch laid him up for a spell he is very well now we left eatch oather about a week ago eatch one to look out for him self and if he saw a good cance [chance] for the other to let him know it. I think that the best way dont you Frank

I hav got nothing to do at present em trying to git a rantch a rantch here is the same as a farm thare I think I can git one by going some twelve hundred dolars in dept for it I think it would be the best thing that we could do if you wer here and I believe it is now for I walked at least one hundred miles last week looking for work I saw three of the men that came out when I did on the same [business?] they hav been up to the mines. dont be alarmed for it is always the darkest just be fore day I feel confident that I shall do well here yet more of this some other time. about sarah Morse you must be a little cracked to think that I would hav anything to say to a grizly [Grizzly] Bar

no Frances I would as soon hav a fancy for ould Mrs Allen as for my telling her that could not trust my Family with eny one but hir it is a ly but sh is not wirth notice why do you notice evry little dog barks if you do you wil hav anuff to do you should not doupt me Frank you know me better it is all that look for in this wowrld is to make a home for you and our cildren and if I can not do it I shell cum home to you let the consiquince be what they may. tak good care of our darling children for they are as dier to me as they are to you I often think of you and if I only had some money to send to you I should be content the post [master?] is going [?]