Philip Burlingham to his wife Charity, 30 November 1870

[This letter mentions Nate selling part of his mining stock; describes the attempt of a man named Napier to pay him for some wood; and talks about leaving for home the first of April, but possibly selling their farm in Michigan and returning to California.]

Soapweed Nov 30th 1870

Dear Wife1

I sit down to write a few lines in answer to yours of the 10th to the 19th Nov inclusive which came to hand last night. I am always glad to hear from home and glad to hear that they are all well. I stil continue well and hope this will find you and all the loved ones in good health. I sent a letter to the office only 3 days ago but as I have a chance to send this to the office tomorrow I feel as if I could not let the opportunity slip of writing a few lines to let you know that I am stil in the land of living and have not forgotten you nor the little ones. Tell Laura2 that father is glad to hear that she is such a good girl and father means to come home and see his little girls and boys before long and he will try and bring them a lot of candy if nothing more. I will try to get a lot of flower seeds if I can for the little girls.

My hands have got pretty near over that disagreeable cold sensation. I only feel it in the morning when I get up after I get to work it leaves.

I have not subscribed for any paper in Cal nor doo I know anything about the Peoples Literary Companion. It is possible that Nate3 or Phil4 may have sent them if not I can't tell who did.

I think it a great pity that the boys are so drove with work that you have to go out and pull beans. But perhaps the ware born tired and will doo better when they get rested.

It snowed and rained here yesterday afternoon and last night. It has been cloudy all day today without storm. I have been doing a little bit of evrything today hewed a little choped a little cut up and salted a lot of beef and over[?] hauled a lot of pork. The weather is quite warm here yet. I have not put on any flannels nor woolen socks yet and shal not put them on till the weather is a good deal colder than we have had yet.

Tell the boys I think they did well on their hunting excursion but hope they will have better luck next time. Give the children some sulfur and molasses or some such thing to clense their blood and that will stop their sores. Is your plaster all gone or don't it do any good. I am sorry to hear that little George5 gets so many burns and bumps the poor little fellow. I don't wonder he thought he had the ague.

I have not settled yet with the agent. I shall settle with him in the morning. McCarty6 told me tonight that Nate had sold out a part if his minning stock for five thousand dollars. But I think that is a mistake for he was only offered 1800 for sixty shares and that would leave him only 40 shares. I wish he mite sell for 5,000 but don't think thare is any so good luck in store for him as that.

You must not expect much in this for in the first place I have nothing to write and in the next place I have no time to write it if I had.

McCarty was here tonight and he said that a man by the name of Napier7 was over near whare I cut wood in the summer told him that he owed me some money and wanted to send it to me by him. He said he did not like to let Nate have it. But McCarty told him he him he knew nothing about it and did not take it. I had 12 cords of wood left in the woods when I came away and I told Nate when he left here to see Napier and tell him if he wanted that wood and pay me in the spring to take it and that is the way it is. I gave McCarty an order to recive the money and deposit it with Wels Fargo & Co. and bring or send me a certificate of deposit. Napier is honest and would be perfectly safe but he gambles. He told McCarty that he had made a little money lately and wanted to pay that while he had it. It is only about $12. His partner owes me $1.50 for wood that I let him have the day that I left there. They are the two men that took out the pocket last July. I saw some of that rock it seemed to be nearly half gold. They had six hundred and nine dollars out of a pan full of rock and now I suppose they have struck another pocket.

It is now only 4 months til the 1st of April and I think I shal start for home as soon as that. I want to stay and see the four seasons and then and not til then I can make up my mind how I like the country. Have the boys make a little inquiry and see if they can find a chance to sell the farm if we should want to sell. I am offered a place in the city of Placerville half an acre of ground with a small house on it with 3 rooms finished off in good style the lot enclosed with a good picket fence nearly new. With apples Pears plums Peaches nectarines apricots and grapes and all of which bear in abundance a good well of water (soft water) and good chicken house. I am offered the place for just as it stands for 300 dollars. It 2500 dollars to put the buildings and fence on it but the man that owns it wants to leave the country and go to New York City. He has 2 girls that are married to sick men and he has money enough to support himself and those girls are all the family he has. Property sels here very cheap many times by those that want to go back to the States. Thare was a house sold this fall in Placerville that had twenty five rooms together with all the furniture and the whole was sold for $2000.

Tell Calvin8 I thank him for his kind and interesting letter and I hope he will improve the opportunity and write often. Tell Justin9 and Addie10 that I thank them and will try and answer their kind letter as soon as I can find the time. But I must close this for it is nearly midnight. It was nearly 9 oclock when I began to write and I had a line to write to Nate and an order on Napier and then one of the hands came in and sat and talked about an hour and what I have written I fear you will be bothered to read for it has been written as light as I could jump a purpose. Good night Dear Wife. Please write soon as convenient.

Philip

To Charity

  1. Charity Mandana Phelps (1830-1914), Philip's third wife
  2. Laura Ann Mirah Burlingham (1866-1947), Philip's daughter
  3. Nathan Decatur Burlingham (1831-1911), Philip's nephew
  4. Philip M. Farnsworth (1824-1908), Philip's nephew
  5. George Allen Burlingham (1868-1948), Philip's son
  6. Unidentified, but there are three likely candidates, from the 1870 census for El Dorado Co., California: in Placerville, Henry F. McCarty, miner, age 39, born in Pennsylvania; in White Oak, Daniel McCarty, miner, age 40, born in Canada; in Coloma, Alfred McCarty, miner, age 35, born in Missouri.
  7. Probably Joy H. Napier (abt 1830-1889)
  8. Ami Calvin Burlingham (1851-1916), Philip's son
  9. Justin Moss Burlingham (1855-1931), Philip's son
  10. Probably Ada M. Price (1856-1923), Philip's granddaughter. She is mentioned as having written jointly with "Justin." The only family member candidate for Justin is Philip's son Justin Moss Burlingham. Justin was Ada's uncle, but they were essentially the same age (in 1870 Justin and Ada were 15 and 14), and the two families were neighbors in 1870.