In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

a 152 b q˜Letter from Allen Grosh: January 13, 1857 Sugar Loaf, California Dear Father, The place in which we live is so shut out from the rest of the world, and there is so much sameness and monotony in our lives, that we do not keep so close a watch on time as we should do. The last two mails for the Atlantic closed before we were aware of them. This must account for our silence. The rains this winter are late and very light. We have been ever since water came busy “opening” the claim on which we are at work. It has proved a much more tedious and laborious job than we expected. However, it is now done—finished today—and from this time we hope to do a little something. Should we have more rain this month—which we expect—we will probably do very well. But quien saba?1 We have made but little headway on our motor—though not from want of trying. After any number of attempts to cast lead pipe we are at present brought to a stand still for want of money—a chronic complaint!—to purchase the same. A week or two will remove this obstacle. We expended our money in laying in a stock of provisions for the winter, and as we made a considerable saving thereby we have no cause to complain. But could we have known the amount of time and labor necessary for the opening of our claim we would certainly have made provisions for it. We are divided in opinion as to the probability of our getting over the mountains this winter. Hosea thinks we will, but I am very doubtful. The month of February is generally warm and the weather settled. But I fear this year it will be stormy. The cold spells are from three or four days to a couple of weeks duration, during this and last have been followed by so little rain that I fear it is only putting it off until February. We have considerable that we must take over with us—chemicals, etc.— otherwise we could go at any time. I would mention that there is with ordi1857 and 1858 a7b 1857 and 1858 b 153 nary caution little or no risk to life in crossing the Sierra Nevada in winter. We may lose everything we have with us, but that will be the extent of the damage . The snow lies extraordinarily deep on the mountains this winter. January 24th We had no opportunity for sending this letter to town—and the water coming, had not time to do it ourselves, in time for last mail. A neighbor is going over tomorrow and for fear we will be too busy to go ourselves we send it by him. Hosea has probably made quite a “hit” in chemistry. He has improved the Mexican mode of working silver so as to prevent a loss of quicksilver—and in fact can dispense with quicksilver altogether. He only completed his first experiment this afternoon. It worked beautiful all through. He will try it again, on a little larger scale in a day or two. I have not time to describe the process now, but it promises to be of great value to us, saving from 75¢ to $2.25 on every pound of silver, besides saving in time probably more than one half. We will keep it secret until we firmly establish ourselves. The Mexican process requires no fuel. (Since writing the above Hosea has commenced copying from Regnault’s “Elements of Chemistry”2 the Mexican method of working silver and will explain his method in connection.) I see in the last Tribune a change of the judge at Genoa (Mormon Station), Utah Territory. We had not heard of it before. One error needs correction—the statute against lewdness quoted is not a U.S. but a Utah territorial law. While in Carson Valley we examined their “revised statutes” as carefully as our time and business would allow. Their whole aim and purpose is to throw power into the hands of the “elders” and dust in the eyes of the “gentiles.” The Governor and courts have extraordinary discretionary powers, and if the general government had but half done its duty, much evil would have been prevented. Some of their laws are clearly in violation of the constitution of the United States and Congress should look to it. They have what they...

Share