Osborn Ayer - Gold Rush correspondence

in a degree the longing anxiety of return and again revisit thos [those] scenes made dear to early recollections but I hardly credit that they ever become fully eradicated, and often the most carless [careless] or reckless appearing cast a wishfull [wishful] eye to some far off spot, halowed [hallowed] by memory and wish perchance they might see it again

Yesterday a Mr Shepard from Penn I believe came here and is now writing along side of me; he is a cousin to G Hooken & Musumper I had a slight acquaintance with him in the states, he went through our claim yesterday traversing the crooked wayes [ways] of the miners life and was somewhat at a loss to keep true reckoning of his course thought he was never so far under tera-firma [terra-firma] before My health has been quite good lately I have not been working quite as steady as formerly owing to there not being room in our claim for all hands so we take turns in work I weigh 172 pounds rather heavyer [heavier] than for some years before I have had one letter from Amelia since she left home but she gave me no directions and had she I presume they would have been of no avail as she does not seem very stationary at any point I hope she will be happy and content in her choice

Our claim has been paying very light of late, and we have fallen much behind our expences [expenses], yet we hope to be able to retrieve our losses in time, we have good prostects [prospects] if any way can be devised to work where we have obtained them Our main tunnell [tunnel] proves to be thirty feet too high and we are about to run a slope to the lower ground to do which we shall have to rent some machinery either a horse power or steem [steam] engine to hoist the dirt and pump water. I think our ground is good, but many difficulties imped [impede] the working of it Patient perseverance may in time surmount evry [every] difficulty and to that end we must look for the reward of our laibor [labor] Had we the benefit of society and its appertinances [appurtenances] we might wait in contentment allowing the eye to grow dim by the miners taper and age to stride on without regret; but deprived of this great boon what wonder one feels impatient, an ameless [aimless] life! buried from the world in life whilst living! with hardly a friend to perform the office if dead Still the miner has many golden hopes trancient [transient] it maybe, yet they are the straws they cling to I am glad you are about to get an appointment at the Prison it is a good place to make money and light work I should like a place there

this winter myself You must remember me to all the Dunanora [Dannemora] folks tell some of my old associates there I have not entirely forgotten them as much as they have neglected me

Some day or other I will see them and perhaps get acquainted with them again

Remember me kindly to all and believe me ever

Yours Osborn

Grizzly Flats Dec 17^th, 59 [1859]

F P Ayer S. Falls N.Y

Our House [sketch of house underneath]

Grizzly Flats Jan 16^th 1860

Dear Brother and all the friends at home Again I am reminded the time approaches near at hand wher [where] I must be prepared with return of a double obligation which I am now your debtor Last mail I waited thinking I should receive letters in time to answer by return but ere I was aware the mail Day came and I had onley [only] time to enclose a paper Today it came again and I was favored as before with a letter from your own hand with the jeneral [general] news and glad tidings of health and peace at home

In return I can assure you we are all in the injoyment [enjoyment] of robust health quiet to despondency elevate to independence by poverty waiting more for spring than anything particular to turn up

No doubt we all have got plenty of Gold but like other carefull [careful] financeers [financiers] our deposit is in the bank, as safe a one as spoken of where rust doth not corrupt or theivs [thieves] break through & steal The vaults are deep the bars of bed rock are strond [strong] and evry [every] particle so well secured by real estate that there is far more

(written sideways left side of page) I will send you a stienres union which will tell you more news than I could write in a week I do not much fancy the Tribune too much nigger to suit me

O A

danger of the owners breaking than the bank Time will tell I am now engaged working to ofer [offer] an old clame [claim] known as The Know Nothing on this flat I purchased an interist [interest] in it and think it will pay one wages this winter and be worth as much as I paid in the spring I have been working in the R. R occasionaly [occasionally] along but as there are but few hands at work there it did not furnish me constant employment so I purchased another claim I received a letter yesterday from D. F. Hoag He wrote me a very good letter envited [invited] me very cordialy [cordially] to come down share the many alluring facinations [fascinations] of creature comfort such as a choice library good grub idleness and a man to help me that knows the business oceans of cigars to while away the passing hours and rivers of whisky to dround [drowned] melancholy The prospective foreground would do well for a painting of the Inians [Indians] fancied hunting Elyseum [Elysium] in the great hereafter. He says turners folks are all well also Bruce and family but gives no particulars of any one