Gold Rush Era Collections

[upper right] Milltown St. Stephens Oct [October] the 26 of 1851

My Dear Farther

I now seat my self [myself] to write a few lines to you to let you know that I am well and hope thay [they] may find you the same I have been expecting to hear from you for some time but I find thare [there] is no letters for me I saw Mr Griffin the if other day and he told me that he had no tidings from home for some time I am stil [still] at worck [work] in mehanais but I intend to go in the woods as soon as I can get a good chance prapes [perhaps] in a week and prapes [perhaps] in a month but I will write to yu [you] again before I go when you write Direct them Miltown ST Stphens NB and I will get some one to send them to me I have got my money from the man that I was worcking [working] for after some little truble [trouble] and I will in close [enclose] $50 dollars to you I in tend [intend] to get a chance if I can to got in for the rout that is to worck [work] on the logs until thay [they] run in the boom that will probably be about the last of June and then I think I shl [shall] go home & if all is right. I have wrote to Georg Logan and I dont [don't] know but I shall go round that way and see the folks as I go home times are quite dull here this fall owing to the scarsity of watter [water] but I think time will be prety [pretty] good this winter if you have not wrote I hope you will soon for I should like to hear from you very mutch [much]. I saw Joseph Chipman last summer and had a long talk with him about matters of

[upper right] Miltown S T Stephen Dec [December] the 26 of /52 [1852]

My Dear Farther

I now M take my pen in hand to let you know that I am quite well and hope those few lines may find you the same I was at worck [work] last week fore [for] morse geting [getting] ready to go in to the woods I am going to start to morrow [tomorrow] morning the weather has been very cold here last week but thare [there] has been very litle [little] snow it has been snowing very fast all day to day I now am at the house whare [where] I have been boarding Robert is siting [sitting] at the table with me and we are all a lone [alone] the folks are all gon [gone] to meting [meeting] to morrow [tomorrow] morning we start for the bush Robert is going with me he has $15 per month I think it a chance if we are down before the first of July I think we will have a first rate time winter for we have got as good a team as ever went up Scudick [Schoodic] watters [waters] thare [there] will be six of us in number we are going for the same man that I worcked [worked] for last winter and into the same camp I have not seen nor heard from Mr. Morton or James since I rote [wrote] you last I hope you spent a happy

[upper right] Miltown S.T. Stephens july [July] 17 of 1853

My Dear Farther

I now seat my self [myself] to write a few lines to you to let you know that I am quite well and have been cince [since] I last wrote to you I hope these lines may find you all the same

I went upriver the twenteth [twentieth] of December last and I got in to the boom the ninth day of this month I was gon [gone] six months and sixteen days during witch [which] time I earnt [earned] 154$ 68 cts [cents] part of the time I worcked [worked] by the day and part of A the time by the month I had a first rate time while I was gon [gone] Robert and I worcked [worked] to gat [get] her all winter and most of the Spring he is a good fellow to worck [work] and thay [they] like first rate I have not seen him but twice cince [since] we left the Drive we live a bout three miles apart likely I shall se [see] him this after noon [afternoon]. we had a very heavy rain last night it was very mutch [much] neaded [needed] /Turn over