John Ryerson

Dear Brother,

Nicholas N Ryerson I Wish you to Peruse this letter that I have written to my family & I Donot [do not] see any thing Discourging [discouraging] in the Butter Busness [Business] if they they should be an Dificulties [difficulties] I wish you write to me and tell my family to write and aid and assist them as much as is in your power and I do Not know of any Directions to give you any Diferent [different] from what it was under stood when I left New York Dont [don't] forget to see that My inshurance [insurance] on the buildings Does not Run out before it is renewed which is this sumer [summer] or fall I May Write Again whe We get Ready to start from this Plase [place] if you hapen [happen] at goshen Goshen, New York teel [tell] Mr Murry you heared [heard] from me I could keep on Writing Past Events All Day But Probely [probably] they Would not be interested But Give my love to All my love to All my Brothers & sisters and Friends and

I truely [truly] Remain your Friends and Brother

John N Ryerson

Panama May 6 1850 if you Write Direct your to Sacremento Citty Calefornia Sacramento City, California Peter Brown is Well & has been since he left New York & All the company that left Paterson [Patterson] Except one which had the Ague once of [or] twice which he is not well which was ll in number

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Provisions is verry [very] high and the most of it got up in verry [very] Bad order Chese [cheese] 50 ^cts a pound as for Butter I have not Eat 1/2. since I left new york New York I have not seen any good butter nor Milk nor Water since I left new Jersey New Jersey the steam boat that I have a ticket has not arrived here for us and we may have to lay here three or four weeks but still I have not seen any more difeculteys [difficulties] than I Expected when I started from home Although it is verry [very] tedeous [tedious] laying here among A missriable [miserable] Rase [race] of inhabatants [inhabitants] but they dont [don't] appear to be Evil Disposed I have seen nothing nor heared [heard] nothing to Discouege [discourage] me from continuing my Journy [journey] through A Olthough [Although] I long to see you and the children verry [very] much Although keep good courage and try and keep Amos in good courage and let him see this letter and Read it As to the Prospect of Butter in california California I see men from there which Does not Differ much from what I heared [heard] before I left home. NB. Do look after Amos In A kind and Motherly order for giving Directions as to work for Isaac I cant [can't] do only Each one of you look after your Buisness [business] honestly and honerbly [honorably] and all will turn well which my mind is to do the same I should have Writen [written] Before But Peter Brown Writ [wrote] which letters they was to let you see let Hannah Read this letter to others Children and let Catharine Read it to Betsy & Mary let G W Houston and an [Ann] see it And all give my love to All my Friends And Neighbors and I Remain

Affectionate Husband

John N Ryerson

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Dear Brother,

Nicholas N Ryerson I Wish you to Peruse this letter that I have written to my family & I Donot [do not] see any thing Discourging [discouraging] in the Butter Busness [Business] if they they should be an Dificulties [difficulties] I wish you write to me and tell my family to write and aid and assist them as much as is in your power and I do Not know of any Directions to give you any Diferent [different] from what it was under stood when I left New York Dont [don't] forget to see that My inshurance [insurance] on the buildings Does not Run out before it is renewed which is this sumer [summer] or fall I May Write Again whe We get Ready to start from this Plase [place] if you hapen [happen] at goshen Goshen, New York teel [tell] Mr Murry you heared [heard] from me I could keep on Writing Past Events All Day But Probely [probably] they Would not be interested But Give my love to All my love to All my Brothers & sisters and Friends and

I truely [truly] Remain your Friends and Brother

John N Ryerson

Panama May 6 1850 if you Write Direct your to Sacremento Citty Calefornia Sacramento City, California Peter Brown is Well & has been since he left New York & All the company that left Paterson Paterson, New York Except one which had the Ague once of [or] twice which he is not well which was ll in number

Panama June 15^th 1850

Dear Wife and Children I take this opportunity to Write you a few lines to let you know that I am well hoping these few lines may find you all the same you must not complain that we are so far apart and thenk [think] all of you that I have the worst End of it Intended for your good and the children so do as well as you can and try humor aims to his good and your good and it will End good both attend to buisness as snug and as honerable [honorable] as you can and all will be well I have been very much disappointed in getting on to calafornia California the boat that we have our tickets on arrived here a few days ago and it is supposed she would not leave for two or three weeks to come so we Changed our tickets for tickets on the Panama one of aspenwalls [Aspinwall] Boats which I Expect will start the 17^th June monday [Monday] I hope you have Received my letter I wrote since I have been here I received N. N. Ryersons of 27^th April I sinc [since] I have been here soon after I Wrote I was sick four or five Days with a small of the disentary [dysentery] which is verry [very] comen [commen] here and Proves fatal with some But I have been well since for the last three or four weeks I have made verry [very] near anough [enough] to clear Expences [expenses] Since I have been here & Peter J. Brown has made som [some] thing more By my being sick it Put me back for two weeks that I did not feel like moving much in this Climate

We have a room with Eight of us the room is verry [very] Pleasent [pleasant] for this Place and git our meals in the Eatting houses which or as able my Expences [expenses] is here about one dollar per day Room Rent and all I need not give a description of the country for I gave a nough [enough] of it in the other letter & petter [Peter] has in his which you will see or hear from Peter writ [wrote] some Days ago and I thought I would not write till I knew when We were a going to leave this Place N N Ryerson Dear Brother you wrote to me that the Paterson Cooper did not do his work good you know what they agreerd to do do not Receve [receive] barrels or tubs without they are right see that the tubs are packed verry [very] close so the air dont [don't] Injure the Butter Before it starts and Examin [examine] it a little to see that all is Right I have seen a good many Returning calafornians [Californians] and all I can learn is favorable and prospect good if it arrives out in good order dont [don't] delay sending it as soon as it Readdy [ready] and have it all inshured [insured] in a good paying office I will Remit mooney [money] as soon as the first lot arrives and Probaly [probably] sooner I wish you to give amos [Amos] all the aid you can to keep things moving in order Dont [Don't] forget to have the buildings inshured [insured] before the Polisy [policy] Runs out you must tell amos [Amos] Miersen & Besey that they must Excuse me for not Writing to them for Peter Brown wrtees [writes] all I could write & also All the Rest of my Brothers and sisters and friends I Expect father and mother is in new York New York we have written to them and will Write to them Again show this letter to Brothers

Sisters and and friends which is as well as if I had written to Each one tell Capt Row that I Recived [received] his newspaper and it Pleased me very much tell him that to send me more directing to Sacrmento [Sacramento] city Calafornia [California] and when I git there So that I can see somthing of importance to him I will wite [write] to him and also tell Mr. Mury to write to me and I will to him All of you write I will be glad to hear from you often there is mails twice a month when you send Bills of ladens of the Butter there can be another letter sent in two weeks, thereafter N B Direct Butter and letters to Sacremento [Sacramento] Citty [City] no more but Remain your affectionate Friend of all

John N Ryerson