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[Imprint] illustration of Native American Chief: TECUMSEH CHIEF OF THE SHAWNEES
PACIFIC COAST DEPARTMENT H.L.A BATES, GENERAL AGENT 240 SANSOME STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. The Shawnee Fire Insurance Co. Of Topeka, Kansas
Walnut Grove, Cal. June. 13, 1909.
Dear Edward:
I received your very nice letter yesterday and thought I would answer it right away. I am glad you are having such a dandy time down there and hope you will save some for me.
It is pretty hot up here & the ground is full of ants so if you find a shady place you can't sit down, because they chew you up. I worked for two days, in water up to my neck & kept pretty cool then but I would begin to freeze about 4 P.M. so it wasn't so good after all. We go around in a steam launch for about 12 miles to where we work, which is fun, because we can go on the dredger called "V" and have shade during lunch. You see, there are no trees out there.
I was away for about two weeks at camp "5" where there is another dredger working. They have a lot of yellow flowers with white petals, out there, called Dog-fennel & that stuff made me sneeze all the time I was there. One day I sneezed so much I couldn't do more than whisper; it was fierce.
The dredges are used to make the grade for the train to run on, & they
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each started from different parts of the river, and are digging the canals, they float in, themselves.
[illustration of the dredging with details]: Track - (not here yet), Grade, Level Country, Cross-section, Berm, Bucket, Boom, Water, Level country
They have to bore deep holes in the ground, ahead of the dredger, & dynamite it, so that the dredger can dig it out with the bucket, & throw it up on the grade. Last week I was coming over to the dredger, & they dynamited the ground when I was about 50 feet away, & a big clod came down & knocked me out for a minute. Dufour gave the powder man the deuce, but he said he didn't see me, & that the dredger whistled. The dredger did whistle, but the powder went off at the same time. There was twelve boxes or 600 sticks of dynamite went off under the ground, & you bet it blew it right up in the air. you see they bore a lot of holes & put 20 stickes in a hole, & loosen up half an acre of land at once.
Next time I am going to look around, before I start to walk over a blast.
A couple of days ago the cook on "V" dredger shot a man named Henry Goodhouse, who they call "Dutch" Henry. He was a leverman, on
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[Imprint] illustration of Native American Chief: TECUMSEH CHIEF OF THE SHAWNEES
PACIFIC COAST DEPARTMENT H. L. A. BATES, GENERAL AGENT 240 SANSOME STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. The Shawnee Fire Insurance Co. Of Topeka, Kansas
the dredger, that is, he stands in the cabin, or Pilot-house & works the levers that operate the boom & bucket. He is a swell fellow & was just calling the watch at six o'clock in the morning, when he was shot. He went & knocked at the cook's door & getting no answer thought he must have died during the night, so he went & got a screw-driver & took the screen off the window & started to climb in. Two shots rang out, one bullet catching him in the arm, & the other missing him. He said, "What did you shoot for," & the cook shot again getting him through the stomach. The other fellows got Henry and put him in a boat & towed him to the survey wagon & I drove him to town, where we put him on a steamer & took him to the hospital in Sacramento. They say he will live. They turned steam into the cook's room, from the boilers, through a hole in his floor & he came out so fast that he forgot his gun, & they caught him, & gave him to the sheriff.
Yesterday the sheriff captured a chinese burglar, & was taking him to his house to search it. I followed to see what was going to happen, & when we got to the levee, on the river, the chinaman, hand-cuffed, jumped to the ground & ran down in the river & drowned himself. We got his
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body half an hour afterward; he was dead as a door-nail & looked fierce, because his face had turned black & his body dirty-white. The [they] sewed him up in a sack & took him to Sacramento.
We got a new team of horses & a new harness Friday, & they are swell. I don't have to drive anymore so I have it easy; Dufour likes to drive them.
Hoping you are having a swell time & will be careful of yourself, I am your affectionate brother
P.S. Don't look at the writing, I use a powder-box for a desk.
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[Imprint] illustration of Native American Chief: TECUMSEH CHIEF OF THE SHAWNEES
PACIFIC COAST DEPARTMENT H. L. A. BATES, GENERAL AGENT 240 SANSOME STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. The Shawnee Fire Insurance Co. Of Topeka, Kansas
June 15, '09.
Dear Edward,
I just wanted to write and hear how you are. You are very fortunate in your surroundings I think. You have fine scenery, lots of fine water to drink and to row and swim in, and I expect you can reach snow in an hour or two, can't you? Is the water too cold to swim in?
Whenever I get a chance, I go swimming in the Feather river. But the water is dirty owing to the railroad dirt which slides into it. Last Sunday Dick walked down from his camp and we went swimming in the river. Dick is about five miles above me.
Who have you up there, Edward? Albion Spear and Emerson go, don't they? You will meet some fellows from other towns up there, and I judge you are having a mighty fine time.
I just wanted to see how you are getting along, don't yer know.
Let me know how many fish you catch, and if you freeze to death some time when you are in swimming write to me and I will send you a life preserver and a piece of coal.
Well, so long, Booo Gooo, for a time. We'll meet again in Alameda, in about a month and a half, huh? Take care of yourself and don't smoke or drink or swear or etc.
Your darling brother,
P.S. I received you letter today [written on top of yesterday] and will take it on to Dick on Sunday, when I am going up to see him.