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Mormon Island, California, 23 December 1851. 3 pp. in ink on a single blue bifolium, 9.5” x 7.625”. Some underlining in pencil by a former owner. Address panel and note in ink by Octavia Oliver on p. 4. CONDITION: Good, short separations along old folds, broken wax seal affecting parts of four words on p. 1 and a part of one word on p. 2, some small staining.

An earnest letter by a gold miner from Maine on the difficulties and hopes of his new life in California, as well as the broader gold rush scene. 

Writing from Mormon Island to his brother John H. Oliver, who lived in Bath, Maine, Henry M. Oliver (1808–1876) begins this letter by noting “I am well as can be expected” and describes how he “arrived here to San Francisco the second of this month in the steamer California. We had 19 days passage [evidently from Panama].” Many were sick on the vessel and “2 of [ou]r[?] passengers died on the passage.” He reports that 

I am now in the mines 25 miles from Sacramento city on the south fork of the American River. I expect to stop at the [?] but it was a full of people and times so dull that [I] started for the mines. I fell in with Captain Brown from Rockland ME. As I whrate [sic] to you before he is a fine man and has been here before. Ther[e] is 5 of us in company and are all from ME except one. I had money enough to last me to the mines and since that time I have been on his [i.e., Brown’s] expense. We have been to work throwing up dirt and waiting for rain. It is raining now and I am in hopes to do something for we have not earnt our living yet and if we make our liveing and pay for our tools this winter we shall do as well as the most of folks.  

He comments that “I have heard that there was…some of the Bath go[?] boys that came in the last steamer. Was down to the city sick but I have not sean them. I have not seen enny that I know yet except James Varnham that I had a letter for.” Oliver then describes the mining scene: 

There has been some very rich diggings discover[ed] here [i.e., Mormon Island] before we got here. We have only been here a few days and if we don’t find enny thing here we are going about 30 miles father in to the mountains. There is thousands of people here and are coming every day in droves according to what I have seen. Yet a man that can make a good liveing to home had better stay there unless he came here to s[t]ay for good. It is the greatest to farming in the world. A man that has 2 or 3 thousand dollars he can soon git rich enny ware but I will whrite you all about it yet. I will tell you now that it is not all gold that shines. California is not what it was 2 years ago [i.e., in 1849]. A man can git 5 dollars a day when he can git work and he will have to pay 10 dollars a week for board the best he can do.

He concludes the letter on an uplifting note: “Don’t get discouraged yet for I am not a going to give it up yet. I tell you there is gold here and I am bound to have some of it. We have got as good man to go ahead as there is in the country.” 

Interestingly, Henry’s brother John H. Oliver (1820–1903) re-sent this letter to their sister, Octavia Oliver. After Octavia read it, she returned it to John, and on page four she writes a brief note to John: “I thought you would like to have this letter again as I sent it back again. I was happy to learn that Henry had arrived there safe and that he has met a man that will help him. It is just as I told him. God knows that I hope he will do well…Send him my love and tell him to rite me soon…tell me how you get along this winter…Your sis, Octavia.”

Born in Phippsburg, Maine, Henry M. Oliver (1816–1887), returned to Maine following his California adventure, as he is buried in Old Town. His sister Octavia Oliver (1817–1881) and brother John Oliver were both born in Phippsburg, Maine, and both died in Bath. 

A simultaneously realistic and hopeful gold rush letter by a miner from Maine.

REFERENCES: “John Oliver, Jr.” at Georgetown Historical Society online.

Item #8889

Price: $1,250.00