Forks of Canal & Fraser's River about 800 Miles from Victoria April 2 n 1860

My dear Brother

A sort of express man has just come up to this upper Country- with newspapers for sale and has offered an opportunity of sending a letter to the lower Fraser to be mailed - so I gladly imp[ ] it to send you a line. I have neither the time (for the man hesitatingly waits for it) nor the paper, for our camp does not contain another sheets to give you a letter or any thing like an account- of my various tramps &c[?j but as some time has passed since last you heard from me any sort of a scrap will suit my purpose just now, for all I desire is to assure you that J,B,W, is all right in Good health first class spirits, strong and hearty as a Buck. very much pleased with my trip up here, we arrived up here some time in April, a party of us at once bought a large boat and started further up the Fraser. the water was rising rapidly and by the time we reached the Canion about 40 miles above here, it was so high we could not go through so we were forced to remain this side untill it fell. we were between this place and the Canion untill a week ago when we had to go down to Fort Alexander for a supply of provisions, and are now this far on our way up again. The water has gone down considerable no doubt can go easily through the canion and if so we are bound for Fort George over 100 miles further up. we are provisioned for the entire season, shall return down again in about ten weeks, and I shall write you as soon as I reach the lower Fraser. I have not made up my mind where I shall spend the winter cant say untill I go down. In the mean time send papers and letters as usuall to Victoria for without doubt I shall be there before your answer to this does, as for any news regarding this upper country it is useless to commence on so small a sheet, so I shall defer it till I write you again, however perhaps it may amuse you to hear some of the prices of provisions that have ranged here early in the spring I had the pleasure at the Forks of canal of eating Flour at $250 a barren, beans $1.25 per pound. Bacon $1.25 per pound suger $1.50- per pound other things in proportion everything has been falling untill now they are very cheap and no one can grumble our stock was purchased at Alexander at the following rates Flour 70$ a barrel Beans 35ct per pound Bacon 70 ct per pound suger 50ct- per pound tea 1.50. Coffee 70ct- &c.- high living you will no doubt say but we think it very cheap and easy living after what we have paid. with this rough sketch of my where abouts, bodily health, and doings for the present you will have to be content and as the papers say I promise you full particulars in my next, our family are by this time comfortable settled on some other station here I cannot even guess, but any place on more than one account will be preferable to the Yong street circuit when you are through with this I wish you would send this to them small and rough as this sheet is I feel and know it will be more than welcomed by all at home, time is up- paper full so I must close to yourself all at home & Jacobs, the warmest remembrance of your affect Brother remember me kindly to Rowell and Mr Lawrence & J.B.W. other friends if time and paper admitted I would send them a line, but cant be did now

Furgeson's or Rich Bar- forty Miles

above Alexander Fraser River Sept 22 1860

My dear Brother

Some two months ago I sent you a short note the only contense of which was to assure you all that notwithstanding all the various hard reports which may have reached you regarding this country that I was still in the land of the living, promising you full particulars in my next, hoping it may have reached you I will now try to redeem to some extent that promise though I have got so far whence it will be impossible to do full justice to it, as I told you last spring I carefully desided that I must visit this the upper country. I had fully counted the price, the so called hardships, privations, and what was not to be lost sight of the expense for you have to depend entirely on yourself, get broke, and you have no bank to run too, and as prices run a man with one hundred dollars in his pocket may consider himself about broke, for it amounts to nothing Well we that is our party amoung whome where Mr James of

Yong street, and an old man a Mr Rogers of Toronto left Victoria the last of Feby. hundreds had left before, spent one night with Revd Mr White, and came as far as mouth of the Harrison river by steam boat. then took Indians and canoe as far as Yale, stoping one night with Mr Robson at Hope, From Yale we take it on foot, had taken this route because I wished to see the Canions which commence a few miles above Fort Yale, took Indians to pack our blankets and traps and then commenced some of the tallest kind of walking I ever had any thing to do with. The foot trail through the canions is really an awful one up and down mountains over and under rocks untill you really have a doubt in your own mind which you perfer going up or coming down. then every once and a while passing along a narrow ledge of rock so narrow that it makes all the difference between going over safely and taking a quick passage several thousand feet below which side of your mouth you carry your tobacco. our Indians going along if any thing with more ease with one hundred pounds on their back than we could do quite free. However in good time we reached Cahoose flats safely, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles. There finding we were to early in the season to proceed further up we remained nearly a month, many over anxious had rushed on through snow and ice useing up there means and provisions, and unable to remain up and waite till ice left the river. had to return without doing seeing or knowing anything about the country, when season had sufficiently set in I left Cahoose for the Forks of Canal river with a pack train of mules. The freight on all provisions and traps was twenty five, cts per pound. when most up, found out the road was so bad mules could not go in to the Forks of Canal and not feeling able to make mules of ourselves by carrying out provisions on our back- we all desided to keep on for Alexander, which place we reached in 17 days from Cahoose, every day on our way up we met numbers returning cursing the country deneying there was any gold in it. provisions up to an awful price, and altho total strangers to you, trying almost to force you to turn back, so many returning so reasonable their arguments, so strong the evidence that ten men in our train when over half way up turned back, they were all old miners quite accustomed to gold rushes and the stampede back that always seems to follow, I among may others hardly knew what to think, but as we had started for the upper country where bound to go through and see it anyhow, if good as many had previously represented it was worth going to, if bad as those who returned described it, to a man at all anxious to satisfy his curiosity that itself was worth going to see, when we reached Alexander, the general impression was that it was a much poorer gold region than the Lower Fraser, here for the present I abandoned all idea of going out to canal or horse fly, but with several others thought we would get a boat and proceed up the Fraser. took in as large a stock of provisions as our means would allow and started up. Warm weather had set in rivers began to rise rapidly. It was our intention to strike for the region of Fort George. but by the time we reached the canion, 70 miles up, the river was to high to go through, so we came down prospecting, three miles above this by ascident struck a good spot I made from $10 to as high as $50 a day worked it out in few weeks, by that time the river had fell sufficiently to allow us to go up, so we came down to the Fort Alexander for a fresh stock of Grub, and started again for Fort George bound if possible to go to the Rocky Mountains, it was on this trip up at camp, at the Mouth of Canal River I wrote and sent you the note before referred to. well up we went, river rising some again, come to the canion and found the water still to high to go through. This canion is not so very bad but when the water is up it is impossible to pass a live. We lay there two weeks waiting, but river did not fall sufficiently, a majority of one vote desided we should go down again, for my part I hung out as long as I could against it, prefering to wait a month rather than return again, but it has turned out for best that I was over ruled, Well while we were up at the canion this bar (Rich or Furgeson's Bar as it is called) was struck (it is five miles below the Mouth of Canal river) news spread rapidly men rushed to the spot. and by the time we returned the ground was all taking up. and covered with men and tents, some of the ground has paid well and thought a long way to carry the dirt to the river yet a large number of the men on the falt with a rocker for many weeks have averaged their $100 a week and some much more. To return to myself our party had may good offers to purchas claims but did not at the time think them as rich as they finally turned out- so we went below a few miles, struck another

little spot, and then I returned to Rich Bar as it had become a little town to practice perfering it to mining at least with a rocker I was very anxious to try it for to a while but having satisfied my curiosity I was willing to abandon it but I I must say it was not because I did not do well. I came up here and am one of eight men who have formed a company to bring water from a lake some four miles back on this flat for sluicing purposes, This flat is about two miles in length by 1/2 mile in depth, all of which will pay to sluice, the richest part of it has been worked by rocker's, but that is all stop now as it will no longer pay to be worked in that way. The ditch is a heavy work- one part of it will consist of a tunnel through a mountain one half mile in length. It is the intention to bring 1000 inches of water on the flat part of we will use on our own

claims but the most of it will be sold expected price for water will be 75cts or $100 per inch per day expected cost of bringing the water is $20,000 to $25,000 to be completed in time to commence work in the spring if all goes on any way near right we will all make a good thing out of it, by next fall, we are now employing all good men who wish to winter here giving them their board and $50 a month for the winter it is no wages for men in this part of the world, but as they will not be able to work at mining for themselves during the winter our offer is not so bad. We have had some little trouble amounting to a law suite about our right to the water two companies claiming it, but last week it was desided in our favour, Then for next spring we think of bring water on another large flat just opposite the mouth of Canal river, I have the first right to the water having it recorded in my name so if we think it will pay next spring we will try it, I am sending this however as if I was going to winter here, If I do not go down of course you will not hear from me again till next spring, in a week or two if I do I shall write as often as I ought to do, The last letter I have received from Canada was the mail before I left Victoria bearing date last January they are all taken and kept for me in Victoria, if I spend the winter here I shall not receive them untill next spring, and if I had them here I should perfer remaining here and if I finally go down this fall the main object of going will be to receive my papers and letters- but from the very fact of my sending you this letter you will see I hardly expect to enjoy the pleasure and satisfaction of hearing any thing from home & friends till next spring. I have however made arrangements to have all my letters and papers sent up by the first train which shall come up next spring if I remain here and as postal *arrangements will then be in a better condition, all who have been so thoughtful of me as to write shall receive the attention they more than deserve from me. It is somewhat of a sacrifice as you can all imagine for to have to wait so long before I shall hear from you all, but as things are it cannot be helped so I had expected two months since I should winter up here, I could have had them sent up by this time, but up to the last few days I had fully determined to go below so I perfered leaving them in Victoria to having them sent up. I have been asked over fifty times to day if I winter here or go down. my answer has been cant say it is so hard to make my mind up on several accounts I should like to go down, but then on many others I ought to remain, so I write you this tonight in more than a hurry to send down by a man who will take pains to mail it and who made up his mind late this evening to start for Victoria tomorrow morning. If I remain I shall be very comfortable for the winter. The Companies house is just finished a good large one this. every thing will be in as good a style as this part of the world permits and as for living I have only to mention that a regular good Jolly donkey Cook is to take charge of the kitchen said donkey boasts of having graduated in the basement of the Astor House New York.

I had hoped to have had time to fill this sheet, but the bearer must start directly so you will have to take it incomplete as it is other chances may present an opportunity of sending during the next few weeks if so you shall heer again, Of course all my letters are private to the family alone to the public it has never been my wish to enlighten regarding my private purse or buisiness, to them it is sufficient to know wheather I am well or ill, rarely any more, remember me in particular to Rowell Mr Laurence other inquiring friend. To all at home the best of wishes and warmest remembrance of John,

John *

[*…* - passage written perpendicularly across first page of letter].

Forks Quesnelle

B C. June 11^th/62

To the Dear Folks at home

After passing a long winter without any word the express of yesterday brought me up two letters from Father, one from William, and by private hand one from Carrie, and above all I am pleased to hear you have all been so well, for I have had my fears knowing the general weak state of health that Father and Mother have been in for so long a time, but as the winter has passed without any of theses fears being realised, I have more hopes for the summer as for myself I may say that I have not had a sick day since I came to the country. The winter has been passed very dull, but on the whole I have passed it far more pleasant and comfortabl than nine tenth of the men up here, and much more agreeabl than the winter before free from many of the anxities of that year. I have lived with the Judge of the upper country in a good house pleasant company, books, and various comforts that tended to make the winter in the upper country at least bearable. Most men perfer going below to winter, but for my part not having any one below I care much about seeing I perfer remaining untill I go down for good, for it is no joke of a trip down, and back again. Now I suppose you will expect some thing from me regarding the "Carriboo" you have heard so much about, and which seems to have excited Canada to the center, and I only wish I could let you see it as it is, but that I consider impossible no number of well written articles giving various sides and opinions to the question, and maybe all of them strictly correct would give you Folks any thing like a correct idea of Carriboo. it has to be seen to understand it. In some papers received from William I have read some favourable letters regarding Carriboo and also in English papers. I have not seen much that I could set down as strictly false, but as I remarked above knowing Carriboo as well as any other man in it, and knowing the way most folks in Canada draw conclusions from such statements I do not hesitate to say that very man that arrives here from Canada will be much disapointed, and unless directly successful with a thousand chances against to one in his favour will heartily regret leaving his comfortable home in Canada, and entering the hard gambling profession of a gold miner in the Rich and I say it knowingly and thoughtfully the rich gold region of Carriboo. There is evidence that the country is rich enough but there are so many draw backs never heard of or if read of (without any exception) never really thought off by persons coming here untill Carriboo experience brings it rather forcible before these minds (which it does "you bet"). I see by William letter he is anxious to come out, but I am pleased to know he is going to wait untill I advise him to come. That is right William. rest consented when you are happy and comfortabl of not making money untill I send for you and I will not delay it an hour when I think you could better your conditionlet any body come that likes dont let them influence you, This is the advice of one of the oldest boys in Carriboo

The advise of your brother, and one who knows Carriboo a great deal better that most of news

paper written whoses articles you have read, and not one of them has a higher opinion of the

wealth of, theses mines than I have. The amount of gold taken out last year was only a small

sum compared with what will be taken out this year, and with all this in its favour it is with regret I hear of so many Canadians coming up here, most of them will have to go below a gain for want of means, but as there are some Government roads being made below, many of them can fall back and keep body and soul together there. A stranger up here without Money or friends that are doing well has nothing else to do but to.turn and travell, and as for money they have no idea the quantity a man requires to visit Carriboo- let alone remain and prospect for a claim, and if he finds a prospect a great expence to open it, and then run chances if it pays for working or not. prices here at the Forks- to day are Flour 80ct per pound Beans 80'ct Bacon 100, Beef 50ct- last year at this time grub was only 35ct Then to these prices you have to 30 to 40ct per pound to pack it up to the mines with the exception of some dozen[?] claims, (even among the old good claims) no money will be taken out for more than a month and for men who have to prospect for claims and especially new comers, who have to find ground to work, if at once successful in finding ground to pay it will be much longer before they handle any dust- just now at the present time is the hardest time this country has seen, We have had an unusual long cold winter if anything it was more so in proportion below than here. most of the men who wintered here were men short of means and who intended working on the North Fork Quesnell River before it was time to go above to Carriboo, Last year the Store Keepers gave men all the credit they wished for grub, and long before this without a single exception all had paid their debts and had money to go above to Carriboo This year stores gave men the same credit and without a single exception every claim was a failure. The result was tight times commenced The men now could not take money out untill claims were workable in Carriboo but still they must eat and many of them have been but to their wits ends to get provisions but being old hands however, all have friends they can make use of, and get along as long as their friends credit and money lasts, In the mean time no goods coming up from below the extreme cold weather below having closed up the Fraser and the lakes on the other route, This increased the trouble here, The store Keepers who had given credit on the strength of the North Fork had let all their grub go, without getting any returns are for the time cramped and broke This placed the whole

stock of goods what little was left in the hands of Jews who would only sell for cash and that was an article rarely to be seen They having command of the market and no good coming in any quantity from below prices rose to twice the rates of last year- Men are begining to come up fast while up to date only a few thousand pounds of grub have arrived, provisions during the next week or two must come in large quantities or there will be none in the market, since the Failure of the North Fork nearly all credit is closed, last year any old hand could get all the credit he wished for himself and friends but for the future a cash buisiness will have to be done, and few men coming here are supplied with purses long enough to stand the drain prices here will make on it for many weeks without jumping into something at once, and that is no easy thing to do Claims that pay or not so easy to find as all strangers will learn and prospecting over Carriboo mountains far more difficult and expensive than any of them even thought off for with good backers it is no exception but a very common occurance for the best prospectors and oldest hands in the country to spend the whole season without striking anything, Yet the country must be rich in gold and beyond all doubt large quantities will go down this fall, Yet when you think of the number of strangers said to be on their way here. means most of them bring, prices of provisions climati. Nature of the mines and every thing connected with them. there are hundreds of them bound to see harder times than they ever thought they could stand and you will hear from them and of them in Canada Now the country is not to blame, for it is good enough if men come prepared to stand it a while, and take chances, and men are to blame for not getting posted before leaving home, and such men as the Revd Mr White and others who have never been near the mines, writing letter after letter encouraging all classes of men to come out without letting them know any of the desperate chances they have to run - and means they will require to even see the Carriboo, then he knows nothing more about the real Carriboo than you do, and yet he a minister Canadians place confidence in - knowing nothing really about the mines dont hesitate a moment to ask and beg men in comfortabl circumstances, to break up everything at home and with a hundred dollars leave Victoria for Carribo hundreds of his victims will go right back, and very few can stay a month in the mines even if willing to

endure what will be awful hardships to them, because he did one not tell them the whole truth, for my part if any one of the many hundred Canadians who have come out here on his half false statements, (false because all was not told) and have to go below (ruined many for life) was to put a ounce of cold lead in his brain and I was on the jury he should go clear or I would starve to death It was just such scribblers as Mr White brought the rush of 1858, and now a good country has been found he is going to flood us with a class of men who cant stay, because he has not prepared them and repeat the stampead and suffering of that year. for my part I would wish him no other punishment than to land at the Forks of Quesnele with 100$ worth grub and not a friend to give additional help and let him pack his grub and traps over the mountain and hunt for one of these rich claims he has told the Canadians are awaiting every one of them, all If Mr White would take his chances as an honest Miner for one season, I think all his victims would have at least some satisfaction, and before he undertakes to write any thing more about Carriboo Canada especially ought to demand of him that he visits the country he writes,about, not in the character of a gentleman with lots of money in his pocket but in the position of a poor unknown miner and I think the trip would make him a more honest and truthful writer If it failed as I think it would to make him a successful miner, The same remarks apply to most of the writers on the subject of B.C mines. They have never seen them, and really know nothing about them, of course a large amount of money went down last fall and many claims paid very well, (and one claim has paid much better this spring than any last year. I seen 554 ounces taken out of one claim in one day last week on Williams creek) but they are hard to find, expensive to prospect. Most of them expensive to work- (flooming &ct) season is short winters long- and chances encertain, but that a good gold country exists here, it would be folly to doubt. It will not be long before things will be easier say one month by that time the great rush of strangers will have come and gone provisions in proportion to the people here and prices fall one half and claims taken out moneytill then tight time Amoung the old hands in the country few but are able to get allong no matter how hard times are but if all have been cramped no matter what their means. It is the new comers that has to feel it most

June 29

This letter was written for the last express but failed to send it. I have been up to Carriboo and back since, came down part of the way with the bearer of this letter, he leaves right off for Canada a disapointed man like hundreds more seen Joe Dalton on Antler, he was to waite there till I returned from Williams creek I was detained longer than I expected, and on my return he was gone I know not where, am sorry for he was in want of help, seen Mr Courson he has gone to Lightning creek, his company have more spunk than most of them, A Mr Burgess from Yorkville he is on Antler- Carrie's friend from Brampton I got him work after a great deal of trouble on a ranch for the present or he would have seen canada sooner Ned Anderson has not come up, hundreds of them have turned back before reaching the Forks-

I am interested in several speculation if turn out well I may see my home and friends this fall if not another year will have to be spent, With kind love to all and each at home, a kind remembrance to Mr Laurence and family, Dr Rowells & others- I know it is a shame I have not written them more frequent, but it is not that the friendship of years is forgotten, but I should like to hear from them and all of you

Affectionately yours

John

Mouth Vanwinkle Creek

July 27 1862 B.C.

My Dear Brother

A few muinits ago I just met Mr McCormick and Mr McElvene from your place. they had just cam up by the way of the Forks Quesnele visited Antler & Williams Creeks and are now on their way down on the new road by this place. they only remain here to take dinner and start again so I impose the chance to send you a short note to let you know I am well, our friends Mr Mc & Mc are just following the course of most of the Canadians that have come up here, no sooner up than start down again, and the way things are here this summer there is hardly any other course left them. There has been such a rush of strangers here this year that animals are not in the country to pack provisions for one half the crowd - up to this time any where in Carriboo directly a train of grub arrives it is picked up as soon as it is unloaded at any price they choose to ask and only sold for cash even to the best men in the country. These little towns have after been a day or two without flour for sale and that at prices that fairly shake us all $1.25 and $1.50 per pound. This scarcity of grub all the season has put a damper on and delayed every thing for this year. Miners as a rule must have some credit to get along. This year none is to be had and lots of old hands have had a great

deal of trouble to live and open claims The only cause for all this lays in the rush of strangers up here far above the means of the country to pack provisions for this year, and especially any one is down of the men who done the news paper talk. a big rush always hurts such a place as this. by the time you receive this, you will have heard of many of your Canadian friends who have gone down disgusted with gold mining there will be some auful tales told and a great deal of truth in the hardship and suffering too many of them have had to pass through. We have done our best to help friends. But the Bank of England would have been broke if it was to make things easy with every one here this year.

Joe Dalton wen down to Victoria last week and so has most every one you know and a great many more will have to go before things get at all easy- - My time is about up our

friends have about ten miles further to make to night- with a light pack on their back and over a road we call here pretty good but what you would call impassible, we however have got used to them. I am very glad indeed on your own account. you were not induced to come out here this year, and I am sure you will feel so when you here from and many of your friends who have returned. of course we could have made you a little more comfortable than most of them- but this rush here has had about the same effect here the panic had in Canada injuring every body

I should like to go home and see you all again if I can this fall - but I begin to have some doubts of it. however there is no telling how claims and things will turn out the next two months. it all depends on that. It has been quite a pleasure to me meeting so many I have known before, and hearing direct from many places-but few of them remain to talk to - with love to all at home and remembrance to friends

affectionatly

Williams Creek, B.C

My dear Brother,

An opportunity has just offered of sending you a letter direct by the bearer Mr Hyneman of Owen Sound. he came out here just before I did, has been rather successful in Carriboo and is now going home for good - one of the very few Canadians who have done well so far, but their number will increase in time- During the rush of Canadians up here I received several letters from home and other friends and met many I knew with whom I could chat and obtain information concerning things at home but since that time several expresses have arrived without any word for me the letters received were all answered at that time and since then I sent you a short note by Mr McCormick The rush of Canadians and others has come and gone long since and now there is hardly one out of every hundred who came last spring remaining in Carriboo, every one disapointed in the country and many of them have gone through more hardships privations and real suffering that they ever expected they could endure, by this time many must have reached home and told their tale of woe and many who were not so fortunate have no doubt filled your papers with their account of this great humbug Carriboo but dont take for Gospel all you see in the papers,- now as a fact I have never seen in any Victoria paper a correct letter or remarks concerning things in Carriboo the

papers are always full of letters written by parties here on one side of the other and there has not been an instance yet but when the papers arrived here the writter was ashamed to see his letter in print - a careless collection of facts, Mis[?] statements, and over or under estimate of things in general. this is a fact as regards our papers, and no doubt the same thing to a greater extent in yours - for your writters know less about the subject . This has been a very hard season in Carriboo every thing has combined to make it so. the trouble commenced last year with the great credit given to miners, and the non payment of a large part of it last fall. then the failure of the early spring digings on the North Fork Quesnell - a long severe winter and late spring which did not permit of of grub being packed through till very late, and worse than all a rush of thousands of strangers up here long before provisions could arrive Provisions up to the last few weeks have been better to have than cash - even at any price, with such a demand and so short a supply - no credit has been given this season - a great proportion of the miners started in the spring broke. The claims here require some time to open, and with the prices we have had and the cash system you can hardly imagine the trouble, turning, twisting. most of the old hands have had to get along and open their claims - In fact all confidence in trade was lost - collections impossible great majority of men have had as much as they could do to exist No new creeks have been struck this season for men could not afford it to travel and prospect. Most of the new work done this year has been on Williams and Lightning creek. on Williams Creek last year there were only six set of claims opened last year, they all paid very large. then all knowledge of the gold lead ceased untill lately, for miles above and below men have been at work all summer, some in the hills some in the Flats and creek the whole of the ground being worked hunting for the lead lately here and there it has been struck giving great encouragement to all for it assures them that it extends a long way up and down- and if they do not strike it in their claim this year they may next- and very few are going to hit it this year, The lead runs down the creek from the Bald Mountain at a depth of thirty to fifty feet below the surface sometime on one side and then the other side of the present creek- The miners sink shafts and then drift under ground till they find it- which is no easy affair Many are their troubles and difficultis - caving in of shafts. water &c lots of companies have been sinking shaft after shaft all slimmer on their claims (and the expence is enormous) without getting a colour- It may be on their side of the creek or on another mans claim on the other side but all have to take chance- there never was such blind buisiness as gold mining- On Lighting the digins are hard to work but different from Williams- on Williams the ground is hard and they can sink shafts and drift - on Lighting it is so loose all has to [be?] removed - very little as we say here is going to be done on Lighting this year the digings is deep but there has been so much to contend with very few companies have got down but when they have got down it left with another year I think Lighting will do well, however Williams Creek is going to be the great center of the Gold fields of B,C,-from the various causes stated above this has really been a hard season in Carriboo, altho- most of new comers returned soon after they arrived there are going to be more broke men this fall in Carriboo than any season before and that amoung the old hand, but their faith is strong that another season will be more favourable in most respects and that individual success is but a matter of time - as for miself I have spent the summer on Williams, practicing my profession but my mining parteners and chiefe interest has been on Lighting creek we have a good set of claims and the Co. has worked hard all summer but will do nothing all summer. every thing I have made has been sunk there for the year's nest year we will concentrate our strength of Williams, and keep Lighting claims on going unless disposed of this winteron the whole I have stood the hard season well considering the demands made on me by my claims and assisting friends. the season is just closing and shall not be able to go back this year as I some expected but another year may do it. I dont kmow yet where I shall winter but it will be somewhere in the upper country, - I dont know of any one remaing here that you know, Dalton has gone to Victoria Ned Anderson is there Mr Piper was home a week ago, think he has gone below, Mr Courson remained some time on Antler Creek dont know if he has gone or not Dr Evans & Mr Brewing visited the mine this year. gone below now an express arrived just now no word from home there will be only one more this fall- I think from what you will have here this summer you will agree I was right in not sending for you-dont get excited we may on the other this country is good yet, if we get a good deal, and I think another year will do it- glad to hear your old ministry is out of office -at home I hope all are well in health and Comfortable how much I should like to get back and see you all this fall but I have suffered in prospects with the rest[?] and another year will have to spen[d?l- To Mother Father. brothers sisters and all the warmest affectionate remembrance of John-

Kind remembrances to William Laurence and family and Dr Rowel & family-- This letter has been written in great haste in order to send by the bearer- You can chat with him and obtain any further information

Good by for another

Write John

[This passage written perpendicularly across last]

Last updated Febuary 28, 1999. Produced by the Schoolnet Digital Collections Team.