[Rarebooks] FS: 1858 Calais, Maine Cross-Written Letter w/California Steamboat Content.

Sat Dec 15 07:47:34 EST 2018

An Interesting 1858 Calais, Maine Cross-Written Letter with California 
Steamboat Content.

“Calais Dec’r 16/58 - Uncle Moses - Yours rec’d letter of the 10th came 
to hand informing us of the death of Aunt Coffin. I saw her death a day 
or two before yours reach(ed) us. We (illegible) Boston papers. I have 
often thought of her since my last visit to your city, as I felt when I 
parted with her it was a farewell parting in this world. It must be a 
great comfort to her bereaved Children to reflect that they were so 
situated as to be able often to visit her, minister to her wants in her 
declining years. I now think she is joined to loved and long since 
deceased, we have no reason to mourn but rather rejoice that our 
Heavenly Father was so kind to her in her last days and made her bed of 
Death so soft and easy. I rec’d a letter about 10 days since from my 
sister Mary in Illinois, informing us of the death of a daughter aged 19 
years, she has lost two before this & has now living 2 sons & 4 
daughters - one married + lives a short distance from, her brothers.

Last week we rec’d a letter from Mr. Carroll from Helena - father in law 
of George - giving us the sad intelligence that George was very sick & 
from all appearances nearing his end- he had bought a situation back in 
the center of the Island and had moved out- soon after he was taken with 
a coughing spell which continued until he has got (illegible) very low - 
he has every attention that can be had + the best of medical aid had 
from what Mr. Carroll wrote. I expect every day to hear that he too has 
gone to rest- thus we see that this is not our home. I feel that we are 
all loudly called upon to put our houses in order for we know not what a 
day may bring for thus we are all drawing daily nearer to that bosom 
from where no traveller returns. I often think of the many dear friends 
+ relatives, who have passed away from these scenes of sin and sorrow to 
a world of beliefs + happiness, there to bask in the sunlight of GOD’s 
countenance(?). I sing the song of the Redeemer, may we all beg GOD’s 
blessing + assistance, strive to live that we too may be at last 
permitted to meet that happy circle around GOD’s throne never more to 
perish.

And now for my own family we are all in usual good health, we have 2 
sons + one daughter. Gorham my oldest son 20 years of age is in 
California, he (illegible) 2 years ago for himself, he had letters of 
recommendation from Merchants here to Gentlemen in Boston, he started 
and went to Boston, bot a small stock of Goods, + came back, opened a 
store for (illegible), he continued in the business until last August 
when he sold out his whole stock to a man here + settled up his 
business, + started for California, he has been wanting to go for 2 or 3 
years, but I was not willing as he was so young, but I found he was set 
upon it + was not satisfied here, he had letters of recommendation from 
Gentlemen here and also from his Boston friends, one of our merchants 
here gave him a letter when he left authorizing him to draw on him for 
$300 at any time if he wanted, two other men told him to draw if he 
needed + they would pay his drafts, he was a young man (altho 
(illegible) some) that had many friends, as he was of steady habits + 
(illegible), he left N. York the 10th of September, + arrived at San 
Francisco after a passage of 24 days, after stopping there a day or two 
he went up to Sacramento, to his friends, then he met my sister Lucy + 
her husband Alfred Redington / formerly of Augusta in this state / + my 
Brother Charles, + they were all glad to see him. Mr. Redington is the 
general agent for all the (illegible) Steam Boat from San Francisco up 
to Sacramento + from there to Marysville + other places + also part 
owner of the line + from what I learn from those well acquainted with 
him, has made himself rich, he + Charles has been out there 5 years. 
Lucy + her two children went out about 2 years since.

Charles is the Clerk of one of the Boats that runs from Sacramento up to 
Marysville + has $150 a month (illegible). Mr. Redington has put Gorham 
on to the same Boat with Charles as Baggage Master, with the promise of 
a better birth as soon as there is a vacancy. Lucy wrote me that her 
husband likes Gorham very much + would do all he could + give him a good 
chance to make money as he found him “as Lucy says”, a young man of good 
habits + principles -we hear from the every mail- they are all happy 
together, they go up to Marysville one day + back the next + (illegible) 
on board the boat all the time but every other evening they are all 
together at Lucy’s + Sunday afternoons (as the boat comes down in the 
morning) they all attend church together. We feel very easy about him 
knowing he is among friends, altho we miss him very much, how long he 
will be away from home we cannot tell, but if he has his health + is 
prosper’d I think he will stay some 4 or 5 years. Charles says he thinks 
about coming (illegible) this way in the course of 2 years. California 
is a delightful country to live in and all who go there like the climate 
much.

I have a letter last week from Gorham, he says I expect (illegible) you 
are now all froze up + have snow + good sleighing - here we are having 
fine weather the grass just springing up + the trees in Blossoms - 
Remember me to all of Aunt Coffins daughters + also to Aunt Lewis(?) + 
(illegible) daughter, my Wife + daughter join in the (illegible). Should 
be glad to hear from you or any of your family whoever (illegible) to 
write.

Yours kindly, G.J. Burchill. || I saw a few days ago in in the Boston 
paper the death of Mr. John Barnard of Dorchester aged 90. If I remember 
right he was a distant connection of Aunt (illegible).”

The December 28, 1858 edition of the Sacramento Daily Union has an 
advertisement for the California Steam Navigation Company, A. Redington, 
agent, which ran a number of steamers on several local routes, including 
the steamers ‘Cleopatra’ and ‘Governor Dana’ from Sacramento to 
Marysville on alternate days of the week. An interesting example of a 
cross-written letter with good early California & steamboat content.

Sheet folded to make 4 pages, each page 7.5”x9.5”. Minor soil, folded. 
[42784]  $150

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