[Rarebooks] FS: Californication, 1858 Letter w/ CA steamboat content

[Joslin Hall Rare Books]

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

Pictures ->
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