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California Gold Rush
A letter from gold prospector Newton Chandler to his wife Jane after arriving in San Francisco, January 15, 1855.

A letter from gold prospector Newton Chandler to his wife Jane after arriving in San Francisco, January 15, 1855.

Newton Chandler (1818?-1880) left his home in Hartland, Vermont for California in 1855. In this letter to his wife, Chandler, a relative late-comer to the Gold Rush, describes his accommodations during his travels by ship, his arrival in San Francisco, and plans for gold prospecting.

Transcription:

[[object Object]]

[[object Object]]

San Francisco Jan. 15th 1855

I am here and well and hope these few lines will find you and the children well and comfortable. I have had a first rate passage and enjoyed it well. I have directed a letter to father today giving some description of the journey which you will see the fare or living on the boats for deck passengers was very bad vis.[[object Object]] salt, musty beef & pork & sea biscuit for a meal then course torn[[object Object]] meal. Mush & poor molasses for another. Then boiled dried apple & hard bread another. Been [[object Object]] soup another and so on. Pretty hard fare but one can get along with seerage[[object Object]] fare & I should advise any man who wants to save 100 dollars to Lay on[[object Object]] from five to ten dollars in bread and cheese dried beef &c then he can come along comfortable. It cost me more than 25 dollars for what I had to buy of the stewarts [[object Object]], 25 [[object Object]] for a piece of soft Bread so large as your four fingers & every thing at the same rate still they throw overboard good bread and meat &c the leavings of the cabin fare. They won’t give the deck people even a crust that is soft, they drive to buy. But when I get ready for you to come with the children we will take cabin fare if you conclude to come I think I shall like the country well. But can tell better after trial. the weather is September Like here the wild geese & ducks are plenty.

[[object Object]]

We had some for dinner today we have first rate living here Salmon & all kinds of fish plenty--- we start for the mines at 4 o’clock today. Stonecutters get seven dollars per day on the custom house building I think I could get a chance there but must try the mines first. I don’t know where I shall stop, but am going North first, near the Yuba I shall write when located, I want you to write once a month at least, and remember that you & the children are with me ever [[object Object]] day & night Tell Willee I shall want him to come out with me next time I come so he must go to school and get his learning cause there is no chance here. Kiss Lis for me a dozen times & say good night for me, I shall try and make enough to square up with all my friends as soon as possible. You shall hear from me as soon as possible. Tell George to write to me direct to Sacramento Cal. I can get letters by express from any part I may be in.

Tell Lucian I shall write to him and wish him to do the same by me. Give my respects to Father & Mother Alexander & Tell all the folks that I hope to see them again in good spirits. I have some things to get before we go which is in 2 hours by steamboat so good day.

From N. A. Chandler

To Jane M. Chandler

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Citation Information
Chandler, N. A., “Arrival in California,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/39a6ece6d93df9547fd46851b7862543.
Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.
Courtesy of Claremont Colleges Library via California Digital Library.

Tips for Students

For this source, consider:

  • the author's point of view
  • the author's purpose
  • historical context
  • audience

Item 4 of 15 in the Primary Source Set California Gold Rush

Previous ItemNext Item
A map showing the gold mining region of California and routes for traveling there, 1849.
A print depicting a long line of men, women, and families waiting to depart for the gold regions of California, 1848.
An excerpt from A trip across the plains, and life in California by George Keller, 1851.
A letter from gold prospector Newton Chandler to his wife Jane after arriving in San Francisco, January 15, 1855.
A painting of California gold miners around a campfire, ca. 1850.
A portrait of surveyor Alonzo Doolittle posing with a bag of gold, ca. 1850.
A photograph of African American and white gold prospectors working together at Spanish Flat, California, 1852.
A photograph of a group of white and Chinese miners at a sluice box in Auburn Ravine, 1852.
A letter from Thornton McElroy to his wife Sarah about his gold mining experience since arriving in California, June 19, 1850.
An excerpt of a letter from Augustin Hibbard to his brother William about his early days in California and gold mining experience, September 4, 1850.
A map of the gold mining districts of California showing mining locations and Native American villages, 1850.
A print depicting a road scene in Gold Rush California, with Native Americans, Chinese immigrants, settlers, and gold prospectors, 1856.
A print of a bird’s eye view of the town of Columbia, California surrounded by images of the town’s major buildings, 1855.
An excerpt from Eldorado: or, Adventures in the Path of Empire by Bayard Taylor, originally published in 1850.
A satirical print depicting a ship departing with gold prospectors from California, 1849.

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