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Identifier: wwu:29292
Title: 1858-06-17 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his brother Charly
Date: 1858-06-17
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18580617
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18580617 [Page 1] Michigan Bluffs, Placer Co. 17th June 1858 Lost, strayed, or stolen! A family composed of 3 adults and 2 infants, last heard of at Geneva Switzerland, supposed from these mysterious and prolonged disappearances to have become the victims of some tyrannica
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18580617 [Page 1] Michigan Bluffs, Placer Co. 17th June 1858 Lost, strayed, or stolen! A family composed of 3 adults and 2 infants, last heard of at Geneva Switzerland, supp
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18580617 [Page 1] Michigan Bluffs, Placer Co. 17th June 1858 Lost, strayed, or stolen! A family composed of 3 adults and 2 infants, last heard of at Geneva Switzerland, supposed from these mysterious and prolonged disappearances to have become the victims of some tyrannical plot and to have shared the fate of the other "suspects" anywhere within grabbing distance of the French frontier. When last heard of several of the members of this unfortunate family had been known to express strong opinions about tyrants, liberty, and so forth. Dearest Charly, Unless you want me to put something like the above in the papers with a note for especial enquiries to be made at Cayenne, you had better communicate with your humble servant. I expected you to be in England long before this time but I received today a letter from [Watt?] dated the 23rd April, where he had not heard anything of you. Have you been so long incarcerated that you find the prison walls the most agreeable [Page 2] shelter, or is the delay in flying to a more congenial clime merely caused by the difficulty of winding up Grandmama's affairs? I often let our canary out and am amused to watch his proceedings; I now amuse myself with conjectures as to your movements but can form none satisfactory to myself and hence my anxiety to hear from you a little oftener than every 2 ½ months. We are getting along slowly. Biler cries (grows fat), nurses, goes to sleep, wakes.[ ||:D. C. al. fin?] He is, however, getting to notice enough to enable us to amuse him, make him laugh for half an hour or so when he feels well, which is a great relief. His only trouble is wind, wind, wind, and when free from that he is a very good baby. His eyes have got "straight" and the only source of anxiety in the maternal [illegible] as regards external appearance now is the slight tendency of his hair to "carrots"; we will trust to age to sober that down. When well he is really a very bright and, in spite of his mouth and nose, almost a pretty child and as Mme [illegible] wrote to a friend speaking of her youngest: If you could only see his pretty blue eyes, he would make a fool of you as he has already made of me. (I have, however, 2 companions in my misfortune.) [Page 3] Emily is getting strong again, though slowly, and I do not expect her to be very strong as long as she has to nurse Young Dropsy. This whole state has run stark staring mad about Frazer River. Many thousands have already left and are leaving San Francisco at the steady rate of 400 to 600 per day. The consequence is that all business is stagnating, mining is at a standstill, it being difficult to obtain ordinary labour at $4 per day (many quartz mills have had to stop for want of men) and property cannot be sold for anything. There will of course be a reaction in a few months and I have no doubt some good speculations might be made now with money. From all accounts we have hitherto received, the District on Frazer and Thompson Rivers must be both rich and extensive, but it is equally apparent that the climate is too severe to allow the mines there to be advantageously worked for many months in the year, and the Indians are sufficiently numerous and powerful to give a great deal of trouble unless very judiciously managed. The idea of a lot of California miners (the rowdy class or say ½ of those who have gone) treating Indians [Page 4] with judgment at any time or with justice when they think themselves strong enough to impose on them is simply absurd, and there will no doubt be trouble. There is also a great deal of discontent and grumbling at the exclusive monopoly of all trade by the Hudson Bay Co., which they will probably find it very difficult to enforce, though I should not think that could lead to anything more than a little ill feeling between the 2 nations. If my business continues as dull during the summer as now, I have had some thoughts of making a trip up there over land with 2 or 3 others to "look round", but I should neither leave any profitable occupation here to go nor go with any intention of staying now, only if I should see any opening for practicing or for mining. I could go there early next season. Emily joins me in best love to Papa, Mama, Mat, Lucy and yourself. Write soon, Dear, and tell us all about your movements and believe me Your affectionate brother M. L. Stangroom
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Identifier: wwu:29283
Title: 1856-12-18 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his mother
Date: 1856-12-18
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18561218
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18561218 [Page 1] White Sulphur Springs, Napa 18th December 1856 My Dearest Mother At last we are married and, though not quite, tolerably settled for the present. To begin at the beginning: on Saturday the 6th instant at 8 a.m. we were joined together in the holy bonds of
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18561218 [Page 1] White Sulphur Springs, Napa 18th December 1856 My Dearest Mother At last we are married and, though not quite, tolerably settled for the present. To begin
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18561218 [Page 1] White Sulphur Springs, Napa 18th December 1856 My Dearest Mother At last we are married and, though not quite, tolerably settled for the present. To begin at the beginning: on Saturday the 6th instant at 8 a.m. we were joined together in the holy bonds of matrimony by the Right Revd. Bishop Kip, who is a friend of Emily's people in Albany and knew her there. We did it very quietly indeed at the house of a friend where she was staying. We had no bridesmaids or grooms and, to the horror of all those who delight in descriptions of the bride's dress, Em was dressed in a plain travelling dress without ornaments or nonsense of any kind. Her sister and brother-in-law, the Bishop's wife, 2 couples, friends of Mrs. Grant (the lady at whose house we were) and Wm. Booker, our acting consul, as my friend, were present [page torn away] [Page 2] some warm sulphur springs here which first made the place known and which have in addition to the beautiful scenery of the neighbourhood made it a very fashionable and (in the season) crowded place of resort. As the season has been over some time, there are only one or two men here besides the proprietor, his wife, and ourselves. It is a very large and comfortable hotel and they do everything in their power to make us comfortable and everything is very pleasant. We have very uncertain weather, but generally manage to get in a good walk every day, with a ride occasionally for variety. There is good shooting all around and I take my gun with me sometimes. Yesterday Emily went 8 or 9 miles with me and enjoyed the sport as much as I did if not more. She has adopted Charly's Chamouni style of dress, i.e., thick shoes (I firmly believe her to be the first American lady who ever wore thick shoes) and her dress tied up with a piece of rope about 9 inches from the ground, looking altogether like a "buy a broom girl" or a sensible woman. If you remember in one of my letters I [page torn away].
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Identifier: wwu:29281
Title: 1866-12-03 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his family
Date: 1866-12-03
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18661203
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18661203 [Page 1] Sacramento 3rd December 1866 My Dear M or N, as the case may be I have been driving and tramping round to such an extent through the mud and rain for the last three weeks as not to member to which of you I wrote last, but know on general principles that I
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18661203 [Page 1] Sacramento 3rd December 1866 My Dear M or N, as the case may be I have been driving and tramping round to such an extent through the mud and rain for the l
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18661203 [Page 1] Sacramento 3rd December 1866 My Dear M or N, as the case may be I have been driving and tramping round to such an extent through the mud and rain for the last three weeks as not to member to which of you I wrote last, but know on general principles that I should have written to someone long ago. However, if you pass it round, it will not be "robbing" anybody. I left San Francisco three weeks ago today, came here by land 170 miles, and have been having surveys made between this place and Stockton (40 miles from here) to determine the best route. I hope to commence work here in the course of a month or two and if so shall be up here most of the time next year. Some parties here want me to make a reconnaissance for a Railway from here to the extreme S. E. corner of California, Fort Yuma, about 700 miles, but I am afraid I can't get away to do it without losing my position here, though I should like it very much indeed, [Page 2] as it runs down through a wild Spanish and Indian country, among the Apaches, who have become a bugbear among all who have gone down to Arizona and that section of the country. If they can wait a month or two, I may be able to get away as I don’t think it would take me over two or three months to do all they want and to see as much of the country and of the Noble savages as I want. I wrote from San Francisco telling I found Charly very well indeed and everyone glad to see me back again, my employers very cordial, and everything pleasant, except the probability of not being able to get money from them very easily. That, however, will not worry me if I can keep drawing enough to get along with. In fact, I am quite "renovated," am in good health and spirits, and don't care about anything that happens to be going wrong enough to m'en faire du mauvais sang. I hope to get my surveys here completed so as to get down to San Francisco in time to put something in Charly's stocking on Christmas Eve, and if not, then at all events for New Year's Day. I am very thankful that Mark writes in such good spirits. He is quite a new man. [Page 3] This is not by any means a lively town at present, or indeed at any time but during the few months of the session of the Legislature. Stockton is just about as dull but I am stopping at little roadside houses most of the time and have enough to do during the day to make me ready to go to bed pretty early and so it does not make much difference to me where I am. My principal assistant, Frank Hinckley, the one I left in charge during my absence on my flying trip to see you, is with me most of the time and by dividing our spare time together kill it more easily. He is a nice young fellow and (this is for Lucy) [over?] six feet high and with a splendid heavy dark moustache, the regular "Moustache triste" that she admired so much in the picture at the Crystal Palace. I have not seen her mare since my return as I am using my other team but hear that she and her colt are in fine order. If she (Lucy) were only here to ride her, there is splendid mud from a few inches to a few feet deep everywhere, the finest "falling" she could possibly get. Isn’t it too bad. My meerschaum continues to color, but not in as regular a manner as I could desire; it may, however, sober down with age. I commenced years ago to lose my hair; I had the first gray ones pulled out and held up exultantly to my horrified gaze some time since, [Page 4] but never until yesterday have I known myself to be spoken of seriously as "the old man," which was the descriptive term applied to me by a landlord speaking to one of my assistants (a mere boy of twenty-seven or eight). We must all come to it, but he might have spared my feelings and kept it from me a little longer. Enclosed is a scrap from a newspaper, sent me by Daniel Brez, attempting to be descriptive of our passage in the Arago. The fellow who wrote it was down in his berth most of the time and knows nothing about it, but what he says is true enough, as far as it goes. I wish you all a very happy New Year and the young folks a merry Christmas, including Charlotte, in the latter not so much on account of the Year of her Birth as the Day thereof. My best love to you all, Pa, Ma, Lucy, Mat, Charlotte, Charles, and all the little ones. God bless you. M. L. Stangroom I had a letter, forwarded to me from New York, which missed me there, begging me to go to Washington to hear a personal explanation. I am glad I did not get it, though I don’t think I would have gone. It is much better as it is.
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Identifier: wwu:29276
Title: 1856-06-18 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his brother Charly
Date: 1856-06-18
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18560618
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18560618 [Page 1] Nevada, 18th June 1856 My Dear Charly As I told you in my last, I have engaged to remain here doing nothing, until we hear from England whether I am wanted any more or not. So I have at least 3 months before me. Lane is leaving for San Francisco, the amus
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18560618 [Page 1] Nevada, 18th June 1856 My Dear Charly As I told you in my last, I have engaged to remain here doing nothing, until we hear from England whether I am wanted
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18560618 [Page 1] Nevada, 18th June 1856 My Dear Charly As I told you in my last, I have engaged to remain here doing nothing, until we hear from England whether I am wanted any more or not. So I have at least 3 months before me. Lane is leaving for San Francisco, the amusements of that place being more congenial to his tastes. As for myself, I prefer the quiet of this place to San Francisco, besides being near Emily. We have left our house and yesterday sold by auction carriage, horses, furniture, and everything we had. I have moved to this house where I have a very nice room and board with Mr. and Mrs. Young. They are a very nice young couple, she plays [illegible] and sings very well. Her brother and another young married couple live with us and make up a very pleasant party. Mrs. Young is an intimate friend of Em's and has a favourite idea of making a match between her and her brother, who is a very agreeable and intelligent man, a lawyer and newspaper editor. I think, however, she begins to see [Page 2] which way the cat jumps and will have to give up her pet project. Having nowhere to keep him, I sold my bear on leaving the house. I had got him so tame as to lead him about by his chain, but had one or two fights with him. So it is perhaps as well to have got rid of him before I got hurt. I am sorry to leave our house, but it would be very lonely to stay there all alone. I expect to be very comfortable here and to be able to pass the time very agreeably. Mrs. Young is very agreeable, is always willing to sing for us and generally has the nicest people in town about her. They are American Catholics, but of course one of my liberal principles does not mind that. Last Sunday I rode over to see Em at Pass Valley, where she is staying and went with the ladies to hear high mass and confirmation. It was a great farce without the redeeming feature of beauty. We nearly got suffocated with the crowd and heat. Thermometer 104ᵒ in the shade, 130ᵒ in sun and very glad to get out of it. [Page torn away] I had a long [Page 3] letter from Aunt [Nan?] and Jessie lately. They were all well and happy. I also had today letters from Aunty Bessy, Alice, and Fanny. They seem to be anxiously expecting dividends. I am very sorry they should be disappointed. You talk in your last of having your eyes cured as well as Matthew. What is the matter with them? I never heard of it. I am sorry your Prussian friend has left, as you seem to regret him. Since my last letter, I stayed 5 or 6 days at San Francisco to see the end of the excitement. I saw the 2 men hung, but the excitement is far from ended yet. The government party (gamblers and scoundrels) are trying to resist and are getting stronger every day, but I do not think they will be able to do anything, though being mostly desperate men they may cause some bloodshed. Since my return we have had 4 men shot here, 2 by an acquaintance of mine in self defence. Coming back, we stayed at Benicia (30 miles up the bay). From there we (Lane, I, and Booker the attaché) rode over to Napa and the sulphur springs. We had a beautiful ride 45 miles through a splendid valley. One the way we saw a camp meeting – clergymen stay a week at a spot, camp out and [page torn away] [Page 4] "pot a biling" and making a tremendous noise. People crowd from 20 miles round to see the fun and make a regular picnic of it. We rode back the next day and came straight back here where I have stayed since with the exception of sundry rides and drives. Yesterday Lane, the German dr.'s wife and myself went for a drive and had a pleasant day. We had a good deal of climbing and I felt real palpitations for the first time so bad as to have to stop often. Tell Papa I have only just received your 2 letters of March and April. The Railway, now open, is not doing well because it leads to nowhere. If it continues, I should consider it a good investment, but not without. I will look round about securities and write to him. Tell him he may reckon on my being out here several years to look after any investment he may like to make here, as I don’t mean to leave this country for good without being tolerably well off, and fortunes are not made in a year or two and very often not at all. You must not think this [page torn away] short as I really think [page torn away] for writing [page torn away] [Page 5] when the thermometer is over 100ᵒ. You have no idea how lazy the last few degrees make one. With lots of love to Papa, Mama, Grandmama, Mat, and Lucy, Believe me Your affectionate brother M. L. Stangroom
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Identifier: wwu:29290
Title: 1855-09-17 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his mother
Date: 1855-09-17
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18550917
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18550917 [Page 1] United States Hotel, Nevada 17th September 1855 My dearest mother Here I am at last sain et sauf. I am quite well again in capital health and spirits, only impatient to get to work. We are waiting here while the legal preliminaries are being settled and e
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18550917 [Page 1] United States Hotel, Nevada 17th September 1855 My dearest mother Here I am at last sain et sauf. I am quite well again in capital health and spirits, only
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18550917 [Page 1] United States Hotel, Nevada 17th September 1855 My dearest mother Here I am at last sain et sauf. I am quite well again in capital health and spirits, only impatient to get to work. We are waiting here while the legal preliminaries are being settled and expect to start for the mountains to view the site of our works tomorrow or the day after. This is a small town up in the mountains, 2700 feet above the sea and in the middle of the forest which covers the whole mountains and country. It is nearly entirely built of wood. There are, however, good hotels and shops, and much better accommodations of every sort than I expected so far up the country, though everything has to be paid for [en:?] Washing costs 16 s./ a dozen, blacking 1 pair of boots 1 s./, and so on. Though all these items seem tremendously heavy, I do not think living altogether will cost as much as I expected. We are now in the middle of the dry season and the sun is very hot and everything is parched up, but the country is very beautiful even now. I only stayed in San Francisco 3 days after I wrote to Charly. There was nothing more to see in the town, and though a great place for business and speculation, it is very droll and we were glad to get away. We took a nice ride one day to a place 10 miles along the coast and came back along the beach. To avoid going a long way round, we took a short (!) cut across the [Page 2] sand hills which extend for miles inland. We got into a perfect desert, hill after hill rising before us, each the same as the last. The sun set without our seeing any sign of track or anything else, and the sand was so deep that we had to get off and lead our horses. We began to have serious thoughts of having to pass the night there, when from the top of a high hill we saw a windmill about a mile off. We made for it and came across a track, which we followed and which brought us onto the road back. It was capital fun and so new to get lost that way. There are a great number of Chinese in the town. They have a quarter to themselves, built by themselves in Chinese style. It was very strange and interesting and dirty. We started from San Francisco on Thursday the 6th at 4 in the afternoon by steamer up the river. After getting grounded several times, we got up to Sacramento at 2 the next morning and went to bed. I had gone alone with Dr. H. The next evening Darcy came on and joined me. At 6 Sunday morning we both started by stage for Placerville, a mining town 50 miles off, where I wanted to see some existing [costerworks?]. People that have not been on them can form no idea of stage travelling here. The roads are simply tracks through the forest, which are pretty well beaten though every vehicle chooses its own line. As no road is made, but we run on the surface, taking stones, brooks, etc., all as they come, the ups and downs of life are dreadful, and it really was as much as we could do to hold on. As for the dirt (which is the same on all the tracks in the dry season), it is tremendous, and we could often not see our leaders at all. The Perriere dust sinks into complete insignificance beside it; it is often feet deep. In the winter I believe it forms mud so [Page 3] deep as to be impassable. It was the hardest days work I had had for a long time. The only redeeming feature is the horses, and they, like all the horses in the country, were very fine. We got in at 4 p.m. We had an introduction to the manager there who was very attentive. We took horses and rode all over his works with him and to see the diggings all over the neighbourhood. It seems very strange to see men washing whole hills down with water coming from a hose like that of a fire engine. We left at 4 the next morning and came over the same road. I saw my first rattlesnake, a fine fellow lying by the roadside. We stopped and a passenger got down and shot it from philanthropic motives. We had a race with an opposition coach, broke one of our springs, propped the coach up with a branch of a tree, and at it again and won. Coaches racing on a good English road is sometimes thought ticklish work. What was this? We got back to Sacramento at 1. We went on at 7 next morning up the river by boat to Marysville, when we arrived at 5 p.m. after being aground about every 5 minutes, as the water is very low. We went on at 6 the next morning and, going through the same kind of staging, got here at 5 in the afternoon. We are beginning to get accustomed to it, but when possible we mean to travel on horseback. Four miles from here we passed through a pretty little town of about 400 houses. At 10 p.m. we saw the sky illumined and in 2 hours every vestige of the place was gone excepting the cracked walls of one or two brick houses. Although almost every man lost all he had, I have not seen one look cast down. Before the fire had done its work, timber was being bought to build again. The next day when we rode over the ground, several houses were begun again, and the next evening a saloon was actually [Page 4] finished and opened. So much for Yankees. Where Englishmen would have cried over spilt milk, they set to work and made themselves too busy to be miserable. We rode over there the next day to go over some quartz mill and all the men we met said they were only sorry they had nothing to offer us. The quartz mills are very interesting and yield very large profits where properly managed and chosen. I wish I had £2000 to invest and make 600 percent with, as some are doing. We have met with great attention and civility everywhere, everyone throwing their works open to us and some their houses. There are several Englishmen out there for companies, but none of them pay. They set the wrong way to work completely, as far as I can judge at present from disinterested opinion. Our affair is likely to be a very profitable one, and water co's are decidedly the best investments in the country, though I doubt it realizing W. W. expectations. However, I shall be better able to form an opinion in the course of a month, when of course I will tell you (Papa) all I know (privately of course). We were lucky in our boat, as on the steamer that came this week from Nicaragua, 220 out of 800 died of cholera en route. We have capital horses here, some American ones that are the steadiest but expensive, and native or Mexican ones, vicious little devils, but beggars to go. My married friend prefers the former, but I do the latter. You would be much amused to see me galloping over the hills in a large Mexican saddle, all leather and wooden stirrups. They certainly are wonderful creatures (when they have got their master) and will gallop 30 or 40 miles almost without stopping. Wouldn’t Charly enjoy it. [Page 5] One of the Englishmen I saw yesterday, a very nice fellow, has his wife here, and she and her friends often go out on riding excursions with him. I must get this off for the mail. With lots of love to Papa, Charly, Mat and Lucy, Believe me, Dearest Mother, Your ever affectionate son M. L. Stangroom Do you know anything of the Chathamites? Don’t forget to prepay your letters, to write via New York, and to wafer them.
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Identifier: wwu:29285
Title: 1866-10-10 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his mother
Date: 1866-10-10
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18661010_a
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18661010_A [Page 1] Steamer Arago Wednesday Morng 10th Oct 1866 My Dearest Mother We are about eighty miles from New York and expect to get in at six or seven this evening, which will make our passage from Falmouth about 13 ½ days. We may consider ourselves fortunate in do
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18661010_A [Page 1] Steamer Arago Wednesday Morng 10th Oct 1866 My Dearest Mother We are about eighty miles from New York and expect to get in at six or seven this evening,
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18661010_A [Page 1] Steamer Arago Wednesday Morng 10th Oct 1866 My Dearest Mother We are about eighty miles from New York and expect to get in at six or seven this evening, which will make our passage from Falmouth about 13 ½ days. We may consider ourselves fortunate in doing even so well as this, as we had very rough weather for six or seven days, so rough as to cause much excitement and some confusion owing to the breaking of furniture. The Persia (as we learn from the Pilot who has just come on board), the second best Cunard Boat whose passage is generally 9 or 10 days, was out 13. The Saxonia, the Crack Boat of the Hamburg Line, generally out 10 ½ to 11 days, was out 17, and the Ville de Paris, the famous French Boat, came very near to foundering. So by comparison, we did very well indeed [Page 2] For a short period of six or seven hours, the gale was the strongest the Captain had ever seen during 25 years on the Atlantic ocean. We lost one poor fellow overboard (a sailor) and got about 1500 [pd?] for his widow and orphan. Some of the big bugs also subscribed among themselves $650 for a testimonial to the Captain, but I did not feel called upon to contribute although I consider him a good sailor and a gentleman. We had great fun during the three or four roughest days, though the poor women and some few of the men suffered a good deal. This turned out to be an American ship and the passengers are almost all American and a pleasant set enough. I have spent most of my time in the smoking room and have only spoken to one lady (age 52) who sits near me at table with her family since I came on board, so although there are several nice-looking girls on board, I cannot be accused of flirting much. I expect to land this evening and, if early enough, [Page 3] to go up to the Brez's. Tomorrow I expect to get my letters and, unless there is something in them relieving me from hurry, to leave by the California Steamer at noon if there is room in her. If I send this, you will know I have gone. In the event of my staying, I shall go overland, starting about Monday. My pipe has been universally admired and envied and, as during the turmoil I smoked and smoked and smoked, I think nothing but a special providence could have kept it from being broken. We have now calm weather, and the only likely contingency about one getting on shore tonight is that we may be detained at quarantine until morning, though that is improbable and would make it almost impossible for me to catch the other steamer. A fortnight has already and when you get this a month will have passed out of the next three years. I suppose you feel already as if you had been dreaming, as I shall [Page 4] also feel when I get settled down again, but it will be a very happy dream to look back to and think over, and I feel triumphant over fate to the extent of three happy weeks of which I made use and of which I cannot be robbed. I feel well and in good spirits and much more disposed to look forward a few years than I expected to be willing to do. Whatever may have led to it or whatever may be the result of my prolonged absence, I am very very glad I went and think it will not only have given me a short happiness but give a better tone to my life until we meet again. Goodbye, dearest mother, with all possible love to Pa and Charlotte. Your affectionate Boy M. L. Stangroom Tell Charlotte I will write to her next and to give my love to Charles.
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Identifier: wwu:29288
Title: 1865-10-13 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his mother
Date: 1865-10-13
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18651013
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18651013 [Page 1] San Francisco 13th October 1865 My Dearest Mother I don't know how long it has been since I wrote to you and only know that it was since I last heard from you. San Franciscans are only settling down from the excitement of a lively Earthquake which we
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18651013 [Page 1] San Francisco 13th October 1865 My Dearest Mother I don't know how long it has been since I wrote to you and only know that it was since I last heard
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18651013 [Page 1] San Francisco 13th October 1865 My Dearest Mother I don't know how long it has been since I wrote to you and only know that it was since I last heard from you. San Franciscans are only settling down from the excitement of a lively Earthquake which we had last Sunday, by far the worst experienced since the settlement of the coast by Americans. It shook down several brick houses and cracked almost all, more or less. We live in a wooden house and feel quite safe, though the ceiling plaster of my office was transferred almost bodily to the tables and carpet. No one was killed and only a few hurt by falling materials. A few weeks ago, we also had a convulsion in the RailRoad Company which resulted in Mr. Lewis being deposed and my being appointed in his place "Chief Engineer of the Western Pacific RailRoad Company," rather an imposing title, especially to untraveled ears, but not of very much importance here. I think [Page 2] I have done pretty well so far, considering that I had to fight the whole crowd at the beginning. The President and Chief Engr. have both had to leave, and the Contractor has to take his orders from me, and although he hates me as bitterly as any man can hate one whom he has tried to injure and suffered himself from the recoil, I try to get along as pleasantly as possible. The English Company's representatives are expected out here in a few weeks, and if they come I have no idea of what position I shall obtain – if any. If they do not come, I suppose I shall remain in my present position for a while at least. My salary is raised from 300 to 400 per month but my expenses are proportionately increased, [illegible scratched out lines] but it is a comfort to think I have no one to blame for it but myself, and I don't do that much since I have left off "worrying." Charly is well and growing in manliness more than in size. He is naturally delicate though he has the buoyancy and spirits which seldom [Page 3] accompany weakness or ill health. He is beginning to take great interest in his lessons and makes good progress. He is as good a little fellow as I want him to be and I am very happy at being with him so much. I am now able to be in San Francisco two or three times a week. I am and have been well, though I am physically very weak and thin compared to what I was some years ago. I am beginning to get old. I have no doubt it sounds laughable to you to hear me talk so at a little over 33, but that in California is equal to 43 in staid old England at least. I suppose you have paid your visit to Charlotte, seen and gloated over all your grandchildren (but one), and returned home. Although we are not working very fast on the RR, I am kept riding about out the country from one end of the Line to the other, 175 miles, and from both to here so as to have very little time on my hands, which suits me exactly, but it is a good excuse for being an infrequent correspondent. I don’t remember when I wrote (or didn't write) last to Charlotte. Send her my love when you write and also give it to Mat and Lucy. I suppose [Page 4] you are not in any alarm about the Fenians, though I suppose you have some apprehensions about the Cholera; those are about the two only topics of European news now the talk of the Atlantic Cable has died away. There is a prophecy of several years' standing by an old Spaniard that San Francisco is to be "wiped out" tomorrow by an Earthquake, but I do not think it certain to take place on that account. How does Mat like his business so far? I hope it is one that will ensure him steady employment and that he will have sense to see that that in time cannot fail to be profitable. My strong wish to that effect is based on the knowledge that I have not realized it myself at any time until now. I am in a hurry, so goodbye, my Dearest Mother, with best love to Papa. Believe me Your very affectionate son M. L. Stangroom [illegible scratched out portion] God bless you all
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Identifier: wwu:29286
Title: 1856-05-02 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his father
Date: 1856-05-02
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18560502
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18560502 [Page 1] San Francisco 2nd May 1856 My Dear sir We have just returned here from a trip through the southern mines, where Lane and I accompanied Little to look over some works in the neighborhood of Volcano, Eldorado County. We went from Sacramento to Jackson and V
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18560502 [Page 1] San Francisco 2nd May 1856 My Dear sir We have just returned here from a trip through the southern mines, where Lane and I accompanied Little to look over
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18560502 [Page 1] San Francisco 2nd May 1856 My Dear sir We have just returned here from a trip through the southern mines, where Lane and I accompanied Little to look over some works in the neighborhood of Volcano, Eldorado County. We went from Sacramento to Jackson and Volcano. We stayed there 3 days looking over the ground. Rode 45 miles up the country into the Sierra Nevada and camped out one night. In the night I went down to the river for some water, and 3 of the party, seeing me on all fours by the dim light of the expiring campfire, took me for a grizzly and were just consulting about shooting at me when I luckily stood up and came toward them. I don’t know whether my [kit?] has impacted any of his appearance to me. If so, I should decidedly consider it a proof of qui s'assemble se ressemble. We went from there to Murphy's and to see the big trees, [Page 2] arbres, près de Sierra Nevada, in Calaveras County. They are truly one of the wonders of the world. There are about 30 monsters looking much like the cedar, or perhaps more like the arborvitæ, yet the foliage being distinct from either, the leaves being round like whipcord instead of flat. They are classed as "Taxodeum gigans" and called "Washingtonia gigantea". They vary from 20 to 30 feet in diameter above the roots and are from 300 to 350 feet high. They say the tallest is 400. On the stump of one that has been cut down, 24 feet di., a very respectable table dancing platform is made and a horseman can ride 100 feet through the hollow trunk of one that has fallen. They present a splendid appearance, being perfectly straight and without foliage for 200 feet above ground. They well repaid the visit. One day we left our horses to go down a [bad?] place to the river. On our return found them gone, or [Page 3] rather did not find them. So we had to trudge 7 miles home in the dark through the forest, losing the trail and getting into all sorts of difficulties. We managed, however, to get home at about 11 very tired and hungry and determined to have stronger halters for the future. The horses were found next day but it cost us 50$, as the saddles were lost. We went on to Sonora, and Columbia, looked round the mines and on to Stockton and from there by boat down here. I don't see much probability of any satisfactory arrangement being made with the old Co. as they are behaving in a not unaccountable manner and have perfectly disgusted Little. I think, however, that he will give them a fair chance if they are at all reasonable in their ideas. If that affair is broken up, I expect he will invest the money in some other speculations, several of which seem advantageous, and I think a very handsome income [Page 4] could be derived from some of them. If the whole concern were to fall through, I think I should turn to mining, but – sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof – I am not at all anxious on my own account, but should be very sorry on Wm. Nicholson's. The passengers of the steamer which has just arrived have had a dreadful massacre at Panama. It began by a dispute about 10 cents and ended in a general fight. The natives firing into the mass killed 25 and wounded 27 passengers, some of them women, plundered the railway office and some of the hotels and did much damage. An American steerage passenger was the aggressor, but it has the appearance of the natives having been prepared to do something. We have beautiful weather down here, nice and cool, but up at Nevada the thermometer was 91ᵒ in the shade in March. What will it be in August? It won’t bear thinking of at all [Page 5] – from what we see in the papers, I should think that peace really is more probable than I expected some time since, though I hardly think we are getting enough for the money and life spent. I suppose there have been great rejoicings throughout France about the new youngster with the big head. Flags are flying here in his honour, and a French frigate in the harbor is wasting a good deal of powder. The country is beginning to present a beautiful appearance, being covered with a carpet of wild flowers, some of them very beautiful. You can ride for hundreds of miles and see them as far as the eye can reach. I only came down here to get my letters and return to Nevada (alone this time) this afternoon. Lane and Little remain [Page 6] down here to settle some law business. I am glad enough to get rid of them for a short time as the amount of chaff I have to bear is more than enough. We have no facts to go on, but are very strong on inductive reasoning. I intended to send you a small map of this country on a sheet of letter paper. It is tolerably correct and would give you a good idea of the country. I have some at Nevada but find I cannot get any here. I will send one next time. With lots of love to Mama, Charly, Grandmama, Mat and Lucy, believe me, my dear sir, your affectionate son, M. L. Stangroom You had better continue to address to me under cover to the British consul, as I may not remain at Nevada.
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Identifier: wwu:29296
Title: 1857-11-02 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his mother and Charly
Date: 1857-11-02
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18571102
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18571102 [Page 1] Nevada 2nd November 1857 My Dearest Mother or Charly I have enough sense of my own to bear (of negligence in not writing regularly) without the additional ones caused by steamboat accidents. You have probably seen in the papers an account of the loss of t
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18571102 [Page 1] Nevada 2nd November 1857 My Dearest Mother or Charly I have enough sense of my own to bear (of negligence in not writing regularly) without the additional
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18571102 [Page 1] Nevada 2nd November 1857 My Dearest Mother or Charly I have enough sense of my own to bear (of negligence in not writing regularly) without the additional ones caused by steamboat accidents. You have probably seen in the papers an account of the loss of the steamer Central America and 400 passengers. That ill-fated vessel (the same on which I came from New York to Aspinwall) carried down among the other mail matter a long letter from me to Papa with a full account of my prospecting tour in the mountains. I am not quite, but almost, certain that it was sent by that mail – if not, you will have got it and then will be a recapitulation of the principal facts. On the 21st July, I started with 3 others, Judge Colburn and 2 practical miners, on foot, with 2 pack mules, my white one and another less valuable one, which we bought for the trip, on a prospecting tour, i.e., to look for gold, or rather accessible gold-bearing strata. We went up and crossed the summit of the Sierra Nevada in the same place as last year, went some distance down the other side of the ridge among the Indians in Utah, and not finding any likely ground then we recrossed the Sierra some miles to the south, following an Indian trail part of the way and leaving it at the summit where it was covered with snow. The passage of the summit was difficult, the snow being 15 to 20 feet deep in some places and the sides of the snowbanks were so precipitous that after cutting steps in it (like Charly and I in the mer de glace) we could not get our smaller mule over without unloading her and carrying the pack up [Page 2] on our own backs. We crossed several branches and came down along the Middle Fork of the American River. One night while camping on that river, our mules strayed. The next morning we followed them up and caught the company's one, but my Charly was lost. I tracked him for several miles and walked down the ridge 40 miles farther to the nearest town, but could find no further traces of him. He had a long lariat (rope) round his neck and he either got caught by that in some brush or got caught by the Indians. I did all in my power both then and since to find him but have not seen or heard of him from that day to this. So much for Charly. We found indications of gold-bearing strata at great heights in the mountains but not sufficiently denuded to be worked to advantage. Lower down near a place called Michigan Bluffs, we took up some claims and think they are likely to pay very well (if at all). We are 6 partners and we are running a tunnel into the hill to try it. We are now 100 feet in and we expect to have to run 200 feet more before striking the gravel bed. It is an expensive and tedious as well as uncertain process, but the indications are sufficiently good to induce several other companies to stake their all upon the die and to abide the [Lagard?] of "the Cast." I am not very sanguine myself but think the chances in my favour sufficient to make it worth the trying. I bought into 2 other sets of claims in the same neighbourhood but in both we are waiting and paying a small sum to an adjoining company for the benefit of their experience in their tunnel. This is of [Page 3] [page torn away] slower though much safer way of prospecting. Judge Colburn is working in our tunnel for himself and has hitherto also done my share of work for me (of course by being paid for it). As you will know from my later letters, I had settled here, as I thought, for the winter, but business of every kind is so completely stagnant being here already [illegible, torn] engineers and surveyors that I think of trying my luck elsewhere. As soon as I can raise the money to do it, I think of moving over to Michigan Bluffs. It is a thriving little town though just burnt down [is built?] up again, and I hope to be able to combine a little mining with my business and so get along at all events until I know the result of my "ventures." At all events it cannot be worse than this. Last week I had my first and only job – 3 days' work which would probably have to last me for some time. I think of riding over to the Bluffs tomorrow to "look round." It is 36 miles s.e. of here on the Middle Fork of the American River. On my return from my first trip, I found Emily ill in bed. She had a long spell of fever and was confined to her room for 2 months. As luck would have it, the only medical man whom we could have any confidence in killed himself accidentally while out shooting a few days before her illness and we were actually afraid to call in any of the numerous quacks whose whole pharmacopœia consists in calomel and quinine, both in very large doses and very much adulterated. Her sister, who has had a great deal of experience, nursed her through it and we now think she is better off than she would have been with such medical advice as we could have procured. She is still very weak and I am afraid she will not have very good health this [Page 4] winter. We have had a pretty hard time for the last [page torn away] and (being determined not to buy anything we could not pay for) we have been without any furniture of our own and often without knowing which way to turn for our next meal. We have, however, got through it so far and I hope it will soon be over. I have managed to get enough money to carry us along for a short time and hope to make enough to keep us after then; at all events I can only try my best and hope for success. As long as poverty was at a distance, Emily felt very badly about it but when it came to the pinch she acted her part like a "Briton." You would have been amused to see us living on cracked wheat and potatoes for more than a week sometimes without meat. If it does not come again, I shall not regret it as it certainly has taught us the value of money, though I do not think Emily at least required such a lesson. Thank Grandmama for the 200 frs. Keep them for me for the present. I may be glad of them some day. I suppose you are in the sunny south again and again separated from poor dear Charly. If so of course she will read this and forward it to you. We had a smart earthquake here a few weeks ago, the most violent I have felt [illegible] in the mountains. It shook our house so that my first impression from long living in Railway stations was "There's the Empress" and Emily, who was in bed in the next room, cried out to know what I had upset to shake the house so, thinking I had upset the wardrobe. We have now very pleasant weather, having had enough rain to lay most of the dust. Write to me to "Nevada" the same as hitherto until further direction. Emily has had all what little time she has been well enough to do anything so occupied that you must consider this as much from her as from me. Believe us, Dearest Mother, with best love to Papa, Charly, the Bairns, Grandmama, your affectionate children Marc and Emily
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Identifier: wwu:29295
Title: 1873-12-26 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his sister Charlotte
Date: 1873-12-26
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18731226
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18731226 [Page 1] Canal Headquarters 26 December 1873 My dearest Charlotte We just got your letter of the 16th November and are very glad to hear you are in better health than you were. We thought of you and drank your health yesterday and wish you and yours a very happy N
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18731226 [Page 1] Canal Headquarters 26 December 1873 My dearest Charlotte We just got your letter of the 16th November and are very glad to hear you are in better health th
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18731226 [Page 1] Canal Headquarters 26 December 1873 My dearest Charlotte We just got your letter of the 16th November and are very glad to hear you are in better health than you were. We thought of you and drank your health yesterday and wish you and yours a very happy New Year as well as many returning happy Birthdays. We [missing] your pictures some time ago [and] thought them very good. We [missing] here together and expect to [missing] for some months excepting [missing]. I intend to send [missing] after the holidays [missing] his teacher who [missing] his scholars to [missing] been enjoying his [missing] during the six [Page 2] here and has developed physically enough to make me glad of having kept him away from school so long. He has all the shooting, rowing, riding, and driving he wants. He is a fair shot and handy enough round a farm but is too timid naturally ever to become a good horseman. Emily has a very nice horse which she rides and drives, a perfect pet but full of life and spirit. Charly rode out with me this [morning] on him and got thrown [off but] I of course made him [missing] again. Emily [missing] had much practice [missing] takes to it very [missing] make a good [missing]. Three months [missing] run down [missing] and took a [missing] in San Francisco [missing] very much and [Page 3] at the end of the time rented our house furnished for the winter. Emily then went to Sonoma and spent a month at her mother's and came back here, I having run down to fetch her a fortnight ago. We are very comfortable and only hope that the discussions in the Company will not be the cause of my having to leave here now we are settled. Our winter has commenced a month earlier than usual and we have already had some rain and much mud, but I am pretty well used to it, and Emily can find plenty to occupy her and keep time from dragging when she has to stay indoors. Her health is good and so is that of the children in general, though Johnny is just recovering from a closing up and inflammation of the eyelids caused, [Page 4] I think, by a cold. I have been well since the warm weather and consequent malarious fever left me, a couple of months ago. Mabel and Johnny are both nice, engaging children. The former, a reqular Stangroom, is improving in look and manners every day and is now in our opinion an very nice looking and behaved little girl. Johnny is, as he always was, the beauty of the family and is very attractive. We often wish you and your family and father and mother would pull up stakes and move out here so we could be all together and although it might seem rather rough to you at first, I think it would in the long run be best for you all as long as you are not wedded to any old country tastes and prejudices sufficiently to prevent you from enjoying a new life. In a monetary point of view, you with your caution and my [rest of letter missing]
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Identifier: wwu:29293
Title: 1866-11-06 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his mother
Date: 1866-11-06
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18661106
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18661106 [Page 1] San Francisco Tuesday 6th November 1866 My Dear Mother I write these few lines in haste to tell you I have arrived safe, sound, and in good health and spirits. We had a pleasant voyage and arrived here on Sunday morning. I found Charly and the Colburns al
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18661106 [Page 1] San Francisco Tuesday 6th November 1866 My Dear Mother I write these few lines in haste to tell you I have arrived safe, sound, and in good health and spir
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18661106 [Page 1] San Francisco Tuesday 6th November 1866 My Dear Mother I write these few lines in haste to tell you I have arrived safe, sound, and in good health and spirits. We had a pleasant voyage and arrived here on Sunday morning. I found Charly and the Colburns all well and glad to see me back again. Louise was very much pleased with your presents and Charly also, as well as with Charlotte's. He and I have played at Spellicans every evening since I came. He has grown and is quite healthy and strong. On Monday morning I settled [Page 2] right down to work in the office and my employers were very cordial and appeared glad to see me. The work stopped last week, but I expect to commence it again in a week or two and am now making estimates to determine whether to go to work at the end of the first 20 miles near San José or at Sacramento. If we do the latter, I shall have to be at Sacramento most of the time for the next few months but should in that case be down here at least once a week. We have got rid of the troublesome Contractor on the works though there is a [Page 3] heavy lawsuit pending between him and us, which, when it comes to trial, will be very exciting and perhaps amusing. Colburn is not doing as well as he did for a year or two, having put everything he could take and scrape together into an invention of which I do not think he will ever derive any benefit, and I expect to have to help them a little for some time to come. I expect to have to go up to the Stockton tomorrow to be gone some days and will close with best love to Pa, Mat, and Lucy and to all at Geneva when you [Page 4] write to them. Tell Lucy I will write to her in my next when I have more time. Tell her to send her picture if she has not already done so and to write often. Believe me, my dear mother, your affectionate son, M. L. Stangroom
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Identifier: wwu:29291
Title: 1855-10-03 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his brother Charly
Date: 1855-10-03
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18551003
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18551003 [Page 1] Nevada, 3rd October 1855 My dearest Charly, Vive la Californie! And the Californians! to which title I consider I have full claim, as you would think if you saw me in my working costume. I had the high compliment paid me that one hour completed the transf
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18551003 [Page 1] Nevada, 3rd October 1855 My dearest Charly, Vive la Californie! And the Californians! to which title I consider I have full claim, as you would think if yo
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18551003 [Page 1] Nevada, 3rd October 1855 My dearest Charly, Vive la Californie! And the Californians! to which title I consider I have full claim, as you would think if you saw me in my working costume. I had the high compliment paid me that one hour completed the transformation thoroughly, which consists in looking as rough and dirty as possible. A fortnight ago we made a 3-day excursion into the mountains to look at the country we have to go through. We were 13, all on horseback, and formed a merry cavalcade galloping for 30 miles up and down hill all the way, through forests of most beautiful large trees. We had a good look at the country, and it is well worth it. Although there are no such high mountains, the detail of the scenery is as grand or more so than the Swiss scenery. All the country is cut up by rivers, each running in steep, rocky ravines from 1000 to 2000 feet deep. All the hills are wooded with tremendous pine and cedar trees from 100 to 300 feet high and the ravines are steep, rocky, slippery, and all together most uncomfortable places to stroll about on. The sun is very hot, but up in the mountains 3000 feet above the sea there is plenty of air so as to make it very pleasant, and the nights are very cool and beautiful. We came back to Nevada for [Page 2] a few days, and I then started back again with Darcy to commence surveying the Line. We stayed up there, 30 miles off, for a week and had tough work of it, having almost to hang on by our eyelids in some places, and often to climb up 800 or 900 feet to get round impassible points. The climbing was hard work for the wind at first, but I am already getting used to it and shall probably soon be able to do it without much fatigue. We slept at a ranch or farm in a place called Bear Valley, having to sleep in our own blankets and live on salt pork, which diet had the advantage of making us appreciate the fine water of the country (especially when we could not get any). As having to walk or climb 6 or 7 miles before and after our day's work, although very fine exercise, is no variety, as we are doing it all day, and as we do not consider salt pork and hard boards a sufficient inducement for such exercise, we are going henceforth to camp out and start tomorrow with our own gridirons and turn in to our blankets under the canopy of the heavens, wherever we happen to be at sunset. We rode down here yesterday for the mail and go up again tomorrow. We all have horses coming up from San Francisco. I have left Lane to buy mine, as he is a good judge of horse flesh. Hitherto we have hired them, and I have had the good luck to have mine go down with me 3 times already, once while going very fast. I ploughed the [illegible] soil or rock with my jackboots, but taking William the Conqueror as a precedent (as I was not hurt), I could but consider it as a good omen, and a fashionable way of taking possession. Coming down yesterday I was on a brute that commenced the day's work by going down on his knees and, seeming to like it, went stumbling about every 2 minutes. After about [Page 3] 20 miles I began to get tired of holding him up, so I thought I would let him have his own way for once. The first time he stumbled I let him go on his head and stuck in the saddle. It took him some time to get the dirt out of his nose, and after that, finding that I would not hold him up any longer he thought he had better do it himself. We got on better afterwards. We have taken a house together here for when we come down and in the fullness of our hearts thought that was sufficient, but when we got home last night, tired and dirty, I had to go with 2 pails to draw water from a well 200 or 300 yards off and after supper to lay my blankets on the floor and lay, like a warrior taking his rest, with my martial blanket around me. I had no idea how soft the floor [was] before. [I?] by leave to observe that our "maison de ville”" is to be furnished, but that part of the arrangement, excepting some chairs and a table, is looming in the future. Up in the mountains we have plenty of game and killed 3 rattlesnakes already. We have seen fresh bear tracks every day but have not yet seen any, though we hope to do so before long. The 2nd night, one came down into our valley and sent the mules and cattle running about our cabin like fun. As it was dark, we thought we were very comfortable inside and left him to his sport outside. Man is a creature of habit! Hem! For the first day or two, I was continually looking out for snakes and other unpleasant things, but I have already become quite indifferent to them and shall probably soon delight in them. In the morning, it seems as natural to put on my revolver as my boots, and it has the advantage of being cleaned periodically, which the latter have not. On Monday night, we left off at sunset and [Page 4] took a short (!) cut across hill and dale to get back to our hospitable roof. It soon got dark and we got into a dry ditch that we knew to run in the right direction. After 1 or 2 miles, however, we found the ditch changed into a wet one, and as it was too dark to be able to walk on the steep ravine on either side of it, we had to go along in water over our boots for more than a mile. We got in after a hard tramp of 6 miles, and, as our traveling luggage consisted of a comb and toothbrush, a luxurious Britisher might think it barely possible under the circumstances that we might catch cold. We rose superior to the circumstances, kept our wet things on – and didn't. This country is a fine school for a proud man and is indeed a land of equality. You shake hands with almost every man you meet and eat and live with your men who are even dirtier than yourselves, though many of them are tolerably well educated men. Tell Papa that from what I have seen this concern is likely to be a very profitable one, but everything is not yet quite square, as another company have commenced works on our ground and are in possession of our rights. I, however, think that they will soon be disposed of and if so satisfactorily, I shall take some more shares. I will let him know as soon as everything is safely settled. I have got no letters yet. I heard of one, I suppose from Wm. Nicholson, that has got lost between New York and here. I am looking forward to getting some with great anxiety. Be sure and write often and tell me all you are doing, how Mat is, and anything you can think of to fill a sheet. With lots of love to Papa, Mama, Grandmama when you write to her, Mat and Lucy. Believe me, Dearest Charly, Your ever affectionate brother, M. L. Stangroom
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Identifier: wwu:29280
Title: 1857-12-15 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his mother
Date: 1857-12-15
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18571215
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18571215 [Page 1] Henceforth address to me at Michigan Bluffs 15th December 1857 Placer County U.S. Cal. My Dearest Mother From the superscription of this sheet you will gather that [illegible] some of the nomadic habits of my family and that we are all of us literally wan
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18571215 [Page 1] Henceforth address to me at Michigan Bluffs 15th December 1857 Placer County U.S. Cal. My Dearest Mother From the superscription of this sheet you will gat
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18571215 [Page 1] Henceforth address to me at Michigan Bluffs 15th December 1857 Placer County U.S. Cal. My Dearest Mother From the superscription of this sheet you will gather that [illegible] some of the nomadic habits of my family and that we are all of us literally wanderers on the face of the earth. About a month ago, following the principle of Mahomet and the mountains, I determined to set out in search of business, as it did not seem to be making any very conscious enquiries about me. We accordingly on the 17th of last month, after having packed up our household goods, consisting of 3 chairs and [illegible] your own presents and [illegible] property together with lots of things which Em’s mother has let us have, we made up [illegible] a load of traps for Michigan Bluffs and bidding adieu to Nevada started in the stage for Sacramento. We stayed there 4 days to buy what little furniture we absolutely wanted, provisions enough to last us through the winter, and some other little things Emily wanted. By the by, Charlotte may yet perhaps aspire to attain in 4 or 5 months the venerable title of Aunty; at all events, I should not be very much surprised at such an event occurring about that time. We came back as far as Auburn (halfway both to Nevada and to this place) and stayed there 2 days with a friend, the same at whose [Page 2] house we stayed a week 2 years ago, if you remember. We should have much liked to stay a few days longer among pleasant people, but as the rainy season had already cast its shadows before we had to hurry on to get settled before the reign of wet [illegible] set in. I had been over here before to look for a house and had not found much difficulty in making a selection for this reason. As I told you, I believe in the letter that went down with the Central America, the "City" of Michigan Bluffs was erased by fire a week before my first appearance in it, or rather in its place, on my return from my prospecting trip in the mountains. Since then, it has been rebuilt as well or better than it was [illegible] accommodations as they [illegible] required, as newcomer is almost [illegible] to the alternative of building himself a house, or doing without one. I succeeded, however, at last in finding a desirable family mansion consisting of 2 small rooms and still smaller kitchen, the whole being exceedingly well ventilated and bearing the impress of its creator, a Dane by birth, a tailor by education, a miner by occupation when at work, and in the present instance (may it be the last) a carpenter by choice when idle. California has a great name for making new trades for men, though there must have been in his case an intractability of material that could not be overcome. I wished to be able to have a bed for Em's mother who is coming to live with us, as also to have an office in the house, but was considered quite [Page 3] unreasonable in my requirements and have had to adopt Hobson's choice and live here until spring, hoping either to find some more comfortable house, or to be able to build one for myself by that time. We stayed a week at a boarding house until we had made the house a little more habitable by caulking the floors and until our things had arrived from Sacramento. Tomorrow a carpenter is going to put up a little room 7 feet long and 6 wide for our "spare bedroom”" and provision store room together (large rooms are cold and uncomfortable in winter). You will think me aristocratic to employ a carpenter at $6 a day to do what I could do nearly as well myself. I meant to do it, but I sprained my ankle a week ago and have been unable to do much since [illegible]. I do not expect it to be quite well [illegible] consideration. I consider the case of the "old woman who lived in a stall" to be "nowhar" compared to ours. Emily caught a bad cold coming up here from Auburn and has been unwell most of the time since our arrival. There are, I believe, one or two pleasant ladies here, but we do not yet know them and as, if I have any business (so far I have been very fortunate and have already made enough to keep us a month since we have been here), I shall be away from home a good deal, I have written to Mrs. Mather to come over as soon as she can to stay with us. According to present appearances, I may in time get a good business here, though it is hard [Page 4] to tell. There are 3 or 4 surveyors in this county, but as none of them live within 15 miles and have not much to recommend them but the sound of their own trumpets, I do not think they will be very formidable rivals here on my own walk. My mining is so far only [illegible] and I cannot expect to know my fate, success (or failure), far less to realize anything, for some months to come. A lady friend of ours in Sacramento gave us a young canary to start housekeeping with, but the poor little thing caught a bad cold coming up and has, I am afraid, permanently spoilt its voice. It is, however, already a great favourite and spends part of its time hopping about all over the house, inspecting things generally. This is so far our only pet. A fawn who has next door [illegible]. As you say, too much [illegible] breeds despise and [illegible] this afternoon we received gentle hints that its room was more acceptable than its company. I have not heard from you for a long time and do not even know where you are, though I suppose you are at Nice. I suppose, however, Charly is at Geneva and will get this. I am sorry to hear that Grandmama has such poor health. Give my love to her. My old watch, after repeated "tinkerings up", has finally refused to go any more. As I am very much in want of one, I will write to Paul Brez by this mail to send me as good a silver watch as he can for 200 francs, which he will be paid at Geneva on applying to you. Grandmama’s present will that way be very useful to me. With best love to Papa, Charlotte and the Bairns, believe me, Dearest Mother, your affectionate son M. L. Stangroom
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Identifier: wwu:29287
Title: M. L. Stangroom report on construction of the BB&BC Railroad
Date: 1890
Description: Fifteen-page report regarding the construction of the Bellingham Bay & British Columbia railroad (for which he served as engineer).
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Text
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroom1_2
Text preview (might not show all results): . :J.?.·: ;. t�ir;· . ', '• ! i ! ..... ·-··------·--- ·--.. . . (l) __ .:,0--- ...,--:. ·�·e ·----------------------,-----------------------· · · • o·o .• oo·. oo· •. ----------�----._:·· ______ --------· To the Pres.ident arid Directors of the B ...B.&,.B .. C.R.R.Co .. 1 · • ---.-.
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): . :J.?.·: ;. t�ir;· . ', '• ! i ! ..... ·-··------·--- ·--.. . . (l) __ .:,0--- ...,--:. ·�·e ·----------------------,-----------------------· · · • o·o .• oo·. oo· •. ----------�----._:·· _
Show more. :J.?.·: ;. t�ir;· . ', '• ! i ! ..... ·-··------·--- ·--.. . . (l) __ .:,0--- ...,--:. ·�·e ·----------------------,-----------------------· · · • o·o .• oo·. oo· •. ----------�----._:·· ______ --------· To the Pres.ident arid Directors of the B ...B.&,.B .. C.R.R.Co .. 1 · • ---.-. ·.: Gentlemen: - . I ttfhere-with to lay before you a condensed repo-rt of' .woFk . - . . . . . . . and -operatior.i.S 'conducted by me, in consultation with and u�der . ·.. !:t ' ./ :.� .. . ·., . .-- . � : . ; _: : .. the general direct-ion of your President, since 27th May -1888, . . .. ·. . {.t; ' . when I received the appontment of Engineer and·.Sllp.erint,endent_, of your Co,_.pa.ny. . . . On arriving here on 1st June, y,-our p�ty, consisting of about 3800 acl'.es of land, a small wharf \:b'uiit. 1'�1 /i .ii ?.1 .;; 1883 fror:1 which ·a railroad had been.graded about 3:Ilfi'.�$' and track laid about 1 1-3 miles to Whatcom Creek 1 ·tim. -��s �:_: l��-�. dwellings, an� old store- and ··black-smith· shop-, and . tools _ and .horses, was turned over to me by your Agetit whose appointment as Agent was s0,on ffterwar-ds transf·,... :- .. · . ·., m e,.;, so; and Whatco.o., separated from it and by half a_ mile, by .. ·;·· t:� . .Cre-ek Whatcom of forest, rn:>t more than 3 or 400 people. · Bellingham and Fairhaven lying on the Bay and about 2 .mtles south of Sehome contained perhaps 50 more. ---------------------------------- Railroad location and construction. ••••• : 0: ••.•• ' After a firtnirrht sp�nt. ;r,,-.studying the situation and �ki):� · . . . cursory exa.mit�tions of the count;, I obtained a co·��e of ., Assistant Engineers from Seattle�,. organized an. ·Engineers· corps, :ind cor.1I:J.enced the surveys for a 1Railroad to connect Bellingham "· Bay with the Cari.adian Pa,cific Ry. A thorough investigatior::. having convinced me that the line locc1..ted ir:. 1884 as far as Nooksack River could be mucl1 L!:proved upon, I atandor.:.ed the two ..11iles of grading-done iiorth of ., C\ ·r·1 ·. '}-:::>t.. �JI�rikf The settlement of Sehone or New Whatcom contained at· t,4a£ not ove·r ":i ·j . �� :� �.-•·---.. -i_ . . :1 . , ;' (2) ---0--Whatcom Creek, and, after �uch slow and tedious work in running . many lines through the almost impenetratable forest jungle, 'I obtained a line 4000 feet shorter with better grade$and aligrune� and which cost $16.000 less to build than it wou.ld have done to complete the old line. No pains were spared in getting a good locat"ion combined with economy of construct ion., and I feel satisfied that we have obtained a first class road at a very moderate cost, considering the country through which it runs. The � Engineers and Chie.f Officials of the C .P.R. have repeatedly told me that ,it is eqµal to any ·par½'-- and superior ·to �:ah of their line_, in every respect '- excepting in the lightn¢Sis �f· our s 1 . ..·-•�11!· . rails, 50 Lbs .per yard o •; . .. ·; and structures,as also map and profile of the aair.i. line. In the Summer of 1888-, having -streagtbitltaed and partially-:E�-d the old ,! j -� •: wharf and trestle approach an.d repaired and put the road b-ed and track through towr.i. ir:i. good order, I co:mmenc-ed clearing and constr:uct iion beyond Vmat com Cre .::. k. The Winter rains eoming early and ti1e shortness of the winter days making it unprofitable to do .more work than immediately necessary,we stopped for the winteJ;after clearing and grading a few mile.s besides clea.r::j.ng and making roads and incidental to constructior.. .ln 1889 we with loca t ior1 arid cor.struct ion as ��ppeared. to warrar1t. other work re,sumed,�nd proceeded fast as circumstances and funds The track reached Nooksack Rive·r in September 1890, and the .3ri tish Boundary. on 1st March 1891. We found r.o gravel or other __ :aterial suitable for Ballast, (excepting a small quantity of Coal Ci-nders in heaps of :r::.irie refuse at What�om) until we reached Nooksack River at 15 r:.1iles, so after completing the Ballasting from the River to ·the Bound-��.:.,.: ,,·.•:,;':·_'c:·',:.,,;_;kf • :...... · ....._,:·.··. . (3) -----0--�· we have b-een working baek towards town and have now almost completed the Ballasting of the entire line and put it in first class condition.· We· have buil ti4 · stall round house and turntable at New Whatcom �d turntable and shed at Sumas, and tn: a-11 � 5-4 . � . ... miles, of spur and sidings;. We have built:and are o�·ia � connection with the ·p.P.T.Co, a telegraph line. the whole lerigt.h of' our road. . • .Ra.ilr.oad Ope·ration • -----. -------------• •.• o-o ••• In January 1889 ., we eGDaenee,d hauling piles, and �-�• laat,. . . having complet.ri the SBall Saw Mill, we cQrneneed �- t.t ' with logs cut OD, � 14.n«. and hauled gyer our r�:... of July, 189-0, we ,e,o-:mmene·ed r� :� . �:· _ <l '•'•':'.'·.': --:.::-.-•··,•.· /f�Ef� 4-tll ��'"_>_ lil�I.)-> . , mile, extending the distance operate� as ea.eh �ee:ssivle miles were put into running order. regular train servi.ce, 2;· ,� 6n fir:st of .April our · ..•·,y: :s ( 2 trains per day } reached the B&undaiy at Sumas City, 23 1-2 miles, our trains still consisting of a Caboose and box car for passengers a.nd a box and flat for freight, or two each train,.._in addition to the passengers and w.U. freight bring in logs from the Camps being established along our line. On 22nd li<Jf June, the C.P.R.ran their first express train ' ,.. from Vancouver to the Boundary, taking on at �.ission J:uneti.on a couple of coaches from the Pacific express which it met there; and we took it on from the 3oundary to New �'ihatco.m, wh:ere we made close connection\ with Stea.mer Premier, for Po!fT9wnsend, Seattle and Tacoma,. Returning we took the F.a.st Bound passengers which had arrived on the Premier from up Sound points, to the Boundary, where we turned the train over to_j:.he C .P.R. which :e� .-.. :_ �---:--· i ' (41, conne.cted· at the Missi,�b. wt.th_ the Atlantic �xpress ,_ -?..r.i.c. whi;;h <3.elivered passengers an<l coac::.1es for the East to it "before proceeding t'o \/aµcouve�. _ 'I'.his- d2.jly e?Cpr_es_s _service has since _ cont inuf:'d_, - the St.ea:per -Eastern Oreg-on ai terr..a t inF 1.vi th th_e . . . . .. ' . . . . Premier urider an a:JTee.:ient ;x.de with. t_he TraffiG depart:ment of .. . . . . . ' . ' ·•- _ '• . ... , . ••,.:\.'..I. Under th-is a�sreement they now Give us all their through b'usiness jetween Eastern ar�d Sound points, which formerly passed through Vancouver. I have also just made satisfactory rates on Iron_ Ore to be brought over th"e C�P .. R. to ·-New Vfua.tcom for shipraent to Tacoma. The_ through Eastern r,asser�§:'er travel both ways has averag:ed since 22nd June-., 65 per day besides local business to Th::e: through ·' freight is OI."!lY just begin.ni-ng to seek this channel 1' but is· points on C .P.R. Eas't of Brar1d.on and on our line. . . ; . - . .. :. . . -� � .,.; , ., . : :·,:;: - rapidly. increasing in quanti tg:; · so far it has averaged 10 tons per d.:t.7. We are also beginning to ship Shinsles East, hz.ying so far shipped 17 car loads. .. •• ' Vie expect next uor!th to ship the hop crop from the ?fooksack Valley East over the C .P.R. We rim, ir. _addi'tili>n to.the exi_)ress, .two rnixe-d. trains to SUID.as for :freight and local passenf;er busin<ess, :1nd ·run two or three trains dail�/ to i)ring in logs, piles ar�d cord ·wood; we are. also . .,· carrying the U .S .:!viails. I append table of . gross earnt.r,.gs, and disbursements with reference to which I would state ihat the eost of tra_ck .maintena.nc_e for July is :;,.,.uch higher ,than it wil·l be , after being fully "?" ·';. , • ballasted, and SODe expenses iLcidental to transfer of trains h3,ve also been done away with, :_yhereas our . t-1- �->e2.rnin::;-s are likely to increase as t�e efforts n•:JW bei:1:c made by the C.P .. R. to obtain freight. t2.ke effect. ·-, �-:·· . '· �" �-4, -J -- We have also a.;reed 1'dth the Dorimitn Express -Co to carry tlleir business Jver our " .. '· ' · ,_ �ine for 40 percent of their gross earninGs. '' •; (5} ,: •• o ..... ----------------•.••• 0,••..• Our Rolling stock consists of two old lgcomot'ives brc;mght from ..; "£ . th " . , is about worn out; ,., e Bl 1._ac.r:l, D'· ''1�ona. 1v11ne, · t,ne s1:1a11er o f wuicn 1)ut the larger one has just been built �ver in our shops, :1nd is now a very - serviceable Engine. We have also a good new Baldwin passep.ger Engine, and a Mogul freight ·Engine has beeL ordered. We have just recei ved fron Troy two new co.aches, a11d a combination Passenger and Baggage car. We have also a 4.8 ?asseng-er coach whieh we :ma,(lte here, a Caboose which �a$, .sest last year from- San Fra.neiseo, 50 old c_a.rs built by Mr �il:.k and not accepted by the C.P.R. which we have put in repai-r s:0 as to be good, · ( 12 as box and 18 as tlat car s ) and we have ais:o· 12 flat cars and 12 Rair of logging trucks built by us here-•. 3ranch R.ail Road t,o Lake Vv'hatcon. --·-----� -oOo---------In the fall of 1888 I i:iade a preliminary locati ;r.:, OL the South side of V{.natcon Creek for a branch Rail-road 5 miles long to Lake What�oE:. In 1890, I found and located a ::ietter thouc-h sofilewt.at loq;er liLe le<1..vir1rr our main liri.e at the Sun,ni t ., 3 miles from the tovn-1, a.nd runr�r.g to the L4-ke oa.:. the :,J::,rtr-� si.de of �. vn:atcoD Creek. ThP_ � •l..,,.. • ., 'I.he cost of eith-er woulJ riot ex�eed $75.00C. · · e i.;�t ;__ Ii, 'uuildirn� � th1_·s branch would be to rea,.;.h the fine OOJ a:.-1d extensive �jdy of t.im.ber lying- a.round. the S,:;uti:: end of· the • .�•i,. Lake and t8 retair::. the tr?,cle between the South f )rk of �c'i:::s,;;.ck and t.he Sout ..-"1 end of the Lake which nay� otherwise 1..J-,;1 .., el.+he-r,_. ... .,i, .._I which passes a few �iles fr:Jm it. the S. .L .S .&.E .R:,r, ·t,..., C:.=-a++ V'- le, w v_...... -or An;::r>orti=>s, or· b"ly a line --- be diverted. .._,, • 1 to Fairhaven. ·I .I (6) -:�� --0 �..:- .•· '!'he re:�ent devel,opmert ... s of Coal on the East side or the Lake wc::;.ld appe:::�r to warrant the expectation� of considerable t� tide water, though to do that 0:1 a lar;;� s,:::ale would require considerable out lay for tracks and bunkers beyond the above naned figures. - Goal Prospecting. 00000:0:ooooo In 1838 & 89, .we did eor�iderable prospecting_ f_�r coal on the Tributaries of the Noo-ksa.ck River'. T�e only in¢.icati,ans which I felt warranted in followiri� up and spending.money on -w:£re on Ar.1.ders rm Creek about ten n:iles N .E. of the Bav and abe:i:ic\ .5 miles J . •.·. ' ..., .. , .-.� There we f oun<l: .. a :y.ei,� of East of our na.in line at 6 miles out. fai r quality though dirty semibituninous Coal from 4 t.o 7' 1-2 ' ·:r:;e sank i.:.1 it about 40 feet, as far as we &a,1Ii1:d wit not. t :ruachinery, and followed it some distance, . ,. • -:, ,; --':·-.,,,-;,+ 1·+ '-,-""st +,.. s+np unt.;1 ,.... e ('.,oulct· ;">.vr\T",t,1· nue ·th-e S\•1•. ..'..:1y1··np- � '--'-' •. •• .,_,• ..., '-•,_J-�V ':..J _ - \, V V' \..: _ ...L.- V'J· _. ..., ,._.., ., - l::� al-"'Q eit2'!.er ::.:y �irillir.:-g- 0r with a steam.Enr;ine. This Sumner we.are agair.. prc,s_pe-:tir:g out s-o far without rauch result. Snall Saw Mill • . . • : 0: .... Early iE 1339 ,, we ::milt a s1�:all Saw Mill of about 4-000 feet Capacity _per l:0---.::r. I operated it supplyir.:.g- our o-w-n needs ::or 1838 -:Jf.it i.l :-::--:rver:::oer 1890, wher:. the ri.e·. Saw Mill beir1g almost {'\T,0 ._,..,,I,..., J . a. : :) · inc�e/.se t.l�e Stat e,.,=�"--.i,.i=:-v� , .... --o�-1- -� -r i- +.,�-� ..,rrro ,.:,.. s uso-1 +·J..l1 0 H'.hrr1· ;· 0 .,.1,_. ..... u ....,, -·• b l··:al ·"',·..· .. and. ,.,, .. �i ------· ...... {7} ----·:O:----- life time. By it you will s ee ,it earned $26 .·6?5 .82 a'bove ''its running expenses. over and .. New Saw Mill. ---:o:-·--- In October 1889, we commenced bU.ildin� the Bew Saw Mill. It has been constructed in the .most thourough r!.nd substantial sa.nn:er and started up for the first time on the 15th January 1891 Since t her. some additions, planers, dry kiln, lath Mill &c, aave been Bade to it, so.me of which .are still u1lfini.s�tl:•. It has a capacity of about 10.000 feet per hour, and¥ oow··in operation as a. sepll!!jat� and indep�ndent department .·'lili• · :i? ·the · --�;-' . .. _. .. - ·, 2anas-en:ent of Mr Atkinson, wJio takes his instructions�:;,�:>� ···:..·\1L · reports to t11e Presidents offi0e direct. ...·,.. . �.:. �· ,,· •••• 00 •...• In November 1889, we commenced t he const ruction of the Eleetric Light Station and plant with one Engine and one·65 Arc light Brush dyrfin:o ( of 2000 .C .P .Capacity each ) and coa:nenced operatine it on. the 4th of February .1890 with 19 lights. As consumption ±n·:!reased and ·warranted we added two more 65 Arc light dynamos and one 850 { 16 C .P. Capacity ) West.ingholis:e -. incandescent dynamo and increased the power by the addition of th� Ene:i:;:).e 2.r:c!. ooiler which had beer. in the· SE1all Saw Mill. 1r�le ct.. re r:.O'\¥ suppl�ling, to the City of New Vfuati.;om. 65 Arc lights, t.:) pri v?...t e ,.;onsu.:�i:;rs---and T.:. os e • 11 75 I II ----390 incandescent lights. stal:ement ·•Xmdi'ttL to the Cit:, are supplied Ulider contract by which we get .l \ I ,, (8) -----0----$13.00 per month for eac-h light; those at 3. to private consumers are· sGnewh.at higher rate. B. B. Water Conpany. --------�------------0 : : -------· ------- Early ir.:. 1889, I co�:1eEced su,rveys for supplying Old and New Wbateo.E1 with water from Lake Whatcom, which is 12 ·miles long and a nile •Nide ar1d the lowest Sun.:::.er leve 1 of which is 312 fe�t above low tide. Having found a good route and made ?- loca.'tion survey 1 we revived a local tncorporation .made in 1383 f.ex ··the sc:1.Ee purpose, subs.cribed for 7925 of the 10 .ooo shar�P·j• ·�i-tal' ' ....:·. . ,··- . _:.- st'::lc1: ( outside parties taking the rem2..ining 2075 sha°T�h): procured the passage of ordir.ances by the Coun�ils of ��¥��. a�·.d Seh0�s1e :;iving us all the rights we -desired for 45 ·y.�� ..... " , ;, f:-'.Jn the 12th of June 1889, we agreeing to place hydrants?�-,;0::ar ·:iwn exper.se at ea.ch street' int ersection reached by our mai&is: and to supply them free of charge with water for extinguishing fires, and commenced wor_:k clearing the right of way_, making a road the whole length and prep�ring to lay pipe. r1y plan conte2plated a deep cut or t unnel to take water from the Lake at a depth of 7 feet below low water level, but, in order to s2..ve t i:.1e a,:·!d exper:i.se at that e3.rly and aimo�t · experimental st21,ge of the er,.terprise, I followed the edge of Whatcom Greek for some distance from its head at the Lake for 4800 fe·et, faljir;g 7 feet' uo«R to the top of the upper falls, with an 18 iLch riveted steel pipe; thence on a grade of 5 feet per mile witr_ 2. 20 ir.::.;h pipe 6200 feet� and thence with 2.n 11 inch pipe � .8740 feet to the intersection of Maple and Hish under presure ,.. s+.reets ir.:. New Whatcow, fallin g 105 feet to an elevation at' t :,A.t :r,oi.nt of 187 feet above low tide. A'----,---·---·-- -· ·--..-· - ... � I'-'· :· ' �·· ' (9) -----0----I had contemplated g-rade carrying the water as far as the 5 foot extends in a flume, but substituted a light buried·steel pipe tJ avoid the dar(;er to be feared from fires and falling the :.::arryinrr Capacity of the pipe being 2 .000.000. gallons per 12.y, ir.. ,Jantiary 18-90, wb.en we CDllli..1eLced layine the main� for dist:-ibutior:., being 8 rivetted steel an.d 6 inch and J.aer sizes of iron. We have 12.id Mains· between Lake .and High Street11, 18, and 20 tnch.: 19.740 feet. Mai1:.s in tov;:n distribution,81 6, 4 and 2 inch: 58.188 • Service pipes:2, l, 3-4 .; aL<l 1-2 inch _1§�7§7�-� Xot-a.196.685 feet. Vie have so. far pu� iL 39 hydr�.i.t s and a;bout 450 se'l"Vi�, . •. i, mny .. ·, ·';: •. ' . '·f-�:�- _�::._ ' -, ·:-.,.. !)f �9.u!. which supply more than· one ;house. The tot.3.l cost to date has been..---- •, ... $107. "127 .41 � -----.--,-�'� less recei·ved �-to pay for connection$ • 3 .452...G'5.f $104�275 .·'.:.;1f:. Of which the main to town cost about, -And the distribution servi-ce a.bout, $58.000, 46.000, The 18.. t t.er covers a large a.re a and ·will provide wtth c�mparative ly ).:itile exterision for a large increase of cus�omers, although .. ·,. -� I think it will be wis:e to ext·end the :mains from· time. t9 t i1;.;.e 'i . l irlto districts in which we -wish to sell property. · ... The upp•:r two thousand feet of pipe near the Lake is now beinp; rer.uv::ed with throug-h' ?. i larger and L.1ore per.raanent o.-ne, reaching the Lake a cutar1d short tunnel. The increase of size at t:pe head from 18 to 06 inch with an increasedhead beir.g for the purpose of c.ontrollin!;" oy possesion for -6-ee@ _futura-use-il- .., I I I .. ; ·----� - -- - ---�--------,qp/ ....--__,,.. __ ----\.-,-.. ,it: ' . 20 .QOO oOOO gallons per 24 ho-qrs instead of as at present. · You will see by the aecompa�ying stat:�rit . ....."\i::•:·'' that the receipts have increased steadily until in JalY. ti1ey ·: ·••; ·: . .;.__ reaehed $1.2a4.50 at a cost of operation of +�ss t·han·-$·te:v:.: per Eotth. Wharf and Wood business. '-:... ------0------ .. We have built good and substanti3.l wharves 15 feet deep. · The New Mill Wharf· is 700 feet · fror;: 20 to 24 feet of wat.er at lo-w tide�l';he-re are �m1:ef_ Steamers plying between Bellingham Bay, Seattle and Tac�jJi}?··. , . ·. ° ·:-:; � ........ � ,;. ';" •' . '.· - . The U.P. b?tve;oe-side� their. daily l O"cal St.earner plying J.,,-. .lellingham Bay an.d up �-Jund Ports, two Steamers making_ �-b��- ·5 trips a month between here and Portlar1d. The toats of t.he o.r.co. tne also the Ste?..mer 1N C.P.N.Co and the P.S •.&.A.C.o♦,�s asco,n1ak- .daily round trips between B l�ay and up Sourid Ports,.,. The P.S.&.A.Cos Boat making elos·e·_ e,@�itiian ··,:/�: � l' at Port Townsend with their boats to and from Victoria. .• ., · ;j 'i The P.C.-S.S.CQ_S Steamers als·o cooe to our wharf every fi;ve days with freight for California. Vie have attracted Steamers to lie at. our wharf by -k�eping a large stock of wood constantly on hand for their use and contractirirr to supply them at reasonable ,tates as well as supplyine them vii th cheap water. ; - '\",,.. •' .. ) - �--- ·,. -�•:•.,.•••,·: :_h,;._ ; !" r. ,, .. ' '< .• - :·� .·!.,.,.-·· ' ':, • - - - - - - - -.... !"9'. You will see by the statement of .w.0_04 rec•�ipt.s, t�ct:t,,d·ur\Iig: the .. l�st half ·of 189.0'. our sales of wood reach.ed $3 .000 a month .and . . have aggre(ifled t o date $41. 099. 83, ?a.Ying a siaaii' nargij{,�ver expenses uesides the advantage above· mentione�ma.kii.g w:o�i-/ei. ....,. niet1 and teams1�ud helping to clear our la�d. · Duri:ng·tli1e .l�st. . ' year -however the Steamers ·on these routes have ·. ._ ·.n:ru.�J�r-��l·· in Character and are now chie,fly coal turners, so tfyat our• _w�od trade' . is rapidly and steadily decreasing. :·-.. 't· In June 1890 I thl,ought it advisable to l.owe.r. our from 50 to 25 cper ton a:nd even at those rate.s �¥,,_;��I'® considerao.lefreight by it:s b�ing taken .for le:s_s at �l. wharves on th,-e Bay. The freight coming fo by the , R ,R . also ·_···"' :._;,.,r,a.t�s \\ tr , .J �r · • . {";t derives JM some of its forllleT income and_aithough it;�used lar�:11:'.:\ S�t.:- transfer of freight for up Sow1d poi:r.1.ts. fro1:1 rail to b:.'!;�}�t::'.i1 treated in tnat respect as a R.R.ter.rn.inal d-epot and reeeii�t:• viharfage for such use. .zi�1 The accompanying stater;.ent shows the wharf receipt.s to have "'exceeded the expe�di t ures· by$5458.25. Machine Shops. ---------------••••• 0 •••. � • . 1\. ne and bl�cksmith shop..s Mac2nt enie conv Vfe have fai:r sized a._n.st. do - all our with a ·go�d assortment of tools which enable us to - · k· besides owr.1.·· repai1'ir.i.g and some co:.n.structton .of rolling stec ly• some out.side. work which -we have done .until late ing it turned all we have rJ.ow however for the purpose of encourag established here• outside wori over to a foundry w.hich has veen over, a.nd added to, Vi: h_�ve ;as menti:oned elsewhere, bui-1 t .&Jl« · · f on:=-� pass.em:�re r coach ,. 12 flats and 12 ' e, ,.:;u1· 1t one old locoB.ot±v , much mill. bridge an.d pair logging trucKS, t wo· tur.,..1. ••tables, a.nd .· }ii'. ._.,;:_:fi '"" 1 1 ,;t: ' -� � - ' · ·- ·-·-·•·-----.,-··-·····-·-·· ·--�-------.....----..,..--------------........ '- ' ------·-----(12) other work. The accompanying sta.t:ement shows a balance of /ff'. receipts over eJq>end. i tures $1951.09 besides a fa.ir a.mount of . . /l stock on hand. Town I.q,rove.ments and Real Estate ---------------------------------••••••• :00:00: •••••••• 1�.e Among the first thir1gs I saw on my .arrival here was need -o·f _ .,1 ·�-..:.,�•�·. aecOJll.O<latior� for s.uch new arrivals as -··· ···'· · be ablt. should not to provide fo:r the.m.5elves otherwise.To that endibuilt 2?- j'l.ain but neat and comfortable cottages containing • z, 4 5 ..f�-, a11.4 ·-<·::: •' . -".:' :" �- '.1·: --• . : - . ...,-: i�4g4 costing from $350 to $5-50 each which we have sinee. ., .·....�....!."::f- •.eontil1uously for $3.00� 10.00 and $12.00 per We al.so built offices, store house, stahles ar.1d a.···: ,:;ha.11, � ¢ which latter fo:r a time, and until other- and large?-- . .· .·� �<::--:.j;f{{1.:.' ·- b Ui l dir.ig s were erected1provide� �it her free or at a . charge� a much needed place for gatherings. It h9-s· outlived its usefulness and into a rovr of dwelli.ngs-� we .·; ��;�ei.aetate ,...,... ·;;;,:�::._•�/ .· ·;i$w··a15�t·· . are thfnkin.g of transform;i.ng. � · . j, · ·· ... it ' We have ?.l so leased at nol'.rainal · re-ntals a considerable number o:f lots or� which labore r-s and oth:er·s o--£ very small means- have beer;, e:n.:lblecl to ;,;uild and. live in C-a�ins, their leases-teing We have terms all of terminable at·a als-o given 5 year renta;t $ lease,.on moments notice. a good many business lots on increasing from year to year. have. today . . , in . 122 t�nant$ ·the rent paid by whom in· July 1891 aJJ;lOlm:fe.d to $753.·00\ 'the total to date being- $16.385.45. 300 We acres of We have cleared Town.site South of Whatcom Creek and 500 aeres North of it which latter we placed on the market for eomparatively cheap Residence sites in Octoier 1.889 under the name of Addition to New Whatcom •. w-e a 1st have graded 13 miles of streets of which more than one half are planked and thre·e quarters are •I I.. ◄ -· i . J· 1¢'\#-.Z s. {1:3) - . -------0--- -- sfdewalke-:d., We have kept 5 er 6 tea.ms of our own in. eom:tant us� in the several· departmerits·. besides, s_o:me we hav.e -h;ad t.o hire e.-r occ-asionaily for extra work in hauling wood, lumber &c gradirig in town f€lr . · pieces· of workall adapted to be let by eontraet ln 1890 we obtain-Ef d. from the two towns:" Whatcom -and Seheme., a street _car f:ranchis·e, but before we commenced work en. il · a . ' · Council inimical t'O; us was elect.ed for the r�ty- �lidated City of New Vit'hatcom and th-eyrefused to r�tify the iold_ .franchise excepting with restrictions to which. we would· not-�. . of the Co·s s-tock. ., , • :. • -��:: �' i<.;";·, About 2 1-2 miles have been buili�-.;- are in operatioL but. I have ..-. :•:�'!'.·. : . . . •• "X,_,·__ ,. had nothir�g to . do with eithfT:�-- <-;,/ •: ;. You will see by the accompanying statement of Real �- sales . ;_ . �: t.hat.. in 1883 ... 4 sa,les were wade by ��e Cos Agent .4��.aco-ck an1ount iL:: to $73 .137 .5·0. The .terms .of these sales were· ��r�ird ··•···,. '. ·.:. •.· cash and th!:" de·ferred payments to �e made in 6 and 12 mGn:5:s. with 7 per cent int ere st. The first sale, c.=tfter my arri:val was· in July 1888 when I sold two lots on Elk street at $20. per foot In 189()we sold some ir:. the same street and neighb-orhood at $120. The first sales on Holly Street in 1889 were at $20 per. f�ot ar.ci the la.st irl 1891 at $225. Sales .r:.ave been made. DY ethers at �uc_h hig,her prices than by us a.nd we have double· .lo-ts rese-rved {generalJ,,y l�ased ) (:m m.os·t of the �romir�er�t corners. Vfe have sold· since I came lots t q the amount of $781.531. 71 besi4es interest· o:n. deferred payments and we have collected a.11:· of t·he principal ar.Ld interest on same ( as well as deferred ·:t· ,\� . p��);1ID.ents on sa.1-es of 1883·- 4 ) excepti:r..g $3·8.343.70 over due and $31.488 050 not yet due. in These col le cti ons have been .made ·without having ,. a single instance '?.:mployed legal or other ''.i I 'j i /·:'·· .,_,\. -•. --·, ,·,·a : ·.�.-.; J�} ., • .. ... '' ... '" ., . -- \.._ ��- --..-·---- ··':t· 2:. - •' I attach· statment of sales • e.,_:lsi:<;,J;l. . " -,. ', . ,'· ·,. >..... Litigation. ---------- --- - We have had and ar.e still having sOJne lita�atior1 aris'i.� principally from uon �9mpliance in early days with all the • :.·?ci::�a:�----•:,_ :·c�:_;_1_-::, __:2�::.s ·-}. : ter_:;,_�\_;r·ial .. wh:i!bh c -t�� : "4,· � .· d_ · 1···,-, S ..!:.--, 4_ . t'.r,.z,, t OI ;_,,:,, "'-c,1 1IOTUl.�,,2. · -� . ·-· nd t�.·r.om t L.··1::j_�c-.S � ·ffe.,,_,_ _. sr-,;n. --i:,, r""'spet ."' ,, • - 7� • :i.�;,\}fkif:;,,\0r:. r · . &6 .•• c'v a1 Jlac,-ma.il ba�.d Qn :1W"rent" 11;�i? of!f�hor�l:tffetthe rnlcLJ z: 0f some deeds b? yo'-'r firs- Agent h-r,wh.�� ,"'�';�!r atte.�r- '�d t.o •;)� strengtheEed by t he,.�L�,in:ant,·.��i"°'''.' · .. , • . .. : �.'\•��; • • ,, •. �. uee:. .;'."--:.':.!.� d�J:licate·::on·;.sue�-- L��t?f}-�1fi:J.�S- h'.JW�ver not.tu�· ve�_�;rie;us . i� ar.y of t �#.,:'<µ,a�:..:S.{rrn-ni)��erit ir. ��1: r was instru2ted° .that the. no,oks w,:;.ul,�; be ·k�pt in San.�r�, ,� � tChat I snould �··· --- . • ' ..;'. ·" ... .:· · lg' -" m:�:�.: s :� tr,,, ';, • L • s erJ up t o me • t. ion of which-,Jntc diferent 2.:1J. m\:tf\\,"� I ',:;t� , ! c c . .-. r- 1•: ...,.:.:., accJunts was :rrade in the S.F .Cos office. Since then we have kept accounts here and charged to ea.ch :lepart.mer.t the disbursm.,. e1:.ts �a.de here in cash and material a.ntl. Ats" lilt.� er .:..:.oor ir.. ;;ash or J.ue for labor or material suppl_ied to other -f; I attach stat�ent o:f totals of disbursments .made .J here ( caaa and Memo ) Sir1ce March 1889. 8f' those ma.de by San Frapei:$-CO 9ffice, we ha:v:e uo rcecord. For a.11 complete records for. rece;;_Pts anc. ,J.isbursments I must refer you to th e San Fran 1;. office, wh-., 3..ll the account·s have been kept from the teginnir.g In conclusio� I would say that I consider yot:.r porperty irl i:;ood condit ionJ whatever has t:ieer.i. ctone has been done substaa.ntially I"' and. well, anc.i witt full re1:;ard� to true econom.y according to my "'-· r: . 'views and· to th.-e very best of my ability. . . --�· ....... ..... ,
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Identifier: wwu:29278
Title: 1866-10-10 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his sister Lucy
Date: 1866-10-10
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18661010_b
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18661010_B [Page 1] [Steamer] Arago Wednesday 10 Oct. 1866 My Dear little sister If I wish you to keep your promise about writing, I must set the example, though there is not much in the scenes of shipboard that would interest you unless painted by a more lively pen than m
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18661010_B [Page 1] [Steamer] Arago Wednesday 10 Oct. 1866 My Dear little sister If I wish you to keep your promise about writing, I must set the example, though there is no
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18661010_B [Page 1] [Steamer] Arago Wednesday 10 Oct. 1866 My Dear little sister If I wish you to keep your promise about writing, I must set the example, though there is not much in the scenes of shipboard that would interest you unless painted by a more lively pen than mine is today. If you had come with me I do not think you would have seen the humorous side of things, though anyone with a keen appreciation of gymnastic feats and tours de force could see plenty to admire, or rather laugh at. I was singularly fortunate in escaping from all the ridiculous casualties which occurred to nearly all who were well and able to be up on decks or in the [Page 2] smoking room. That was for two or three days a perfect pandemonium. The motion of the ship, being such as to make it impossible to sit on the fixed seats without holding on and often not then, often a sudden lurch would send five or six off their seats and to the other end of the room like rocks out of a catapult, and there they would roll backwards and forwards a tangled mass of human beings, pipes, and spittoons, several times before getting hold of something to stop them. It was great fun to me who happened to hold on at the right time and had a constant performance for my benefit. A great many were bruised and clothes spoilt, [Page 3] but strangely no bones broken and all entered into the fun of the thing though occasionally a few "cursory remarks" would escape from some of the victims. Those who preferred to stay below got some thrown out of their berths, others inundated in them when seas were shipped, and at meals more nutriment was generally taken externally than internally. Sometimes during a few moments of fancied security, we would be eating and all at once the tables would be cleared at one sweep, leaving only the cloth and racks on the table. As I told Mama, I have not made any sensation among the female portion of the community, though the males who have dubbed me "San Francisco" seem [Page 4] to think in their envy at my having been always on the laughing side that my antecedents are of an uncertain nature with a tendency toward a belief in an acrobatic or "circuitous" career. I also improved my mind on occasion by interchange of thought and puns. Here's one: Who was the first man mentioned in the Bible? Give it up? "Chap I!!!!!!" The weather is pleasant and the sea calm, though we have got into such a habit of rolling that we can’t break ourselves of it all at once, and writing becomes difficult under the circumstances. Goodbye, Lucy – give my love to Matthew and believe me your affectionate Brother, M. L. Stangroom Write often
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Identifier: wwu:29297
Title: 1860-05-10 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his sister Charlotte
Date: 1860-05-10
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18600510
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18600510 [Page 1] Michigan Bluffs Placer Co., California 10th May 1860 My Dearest Charlotte I received your letter and Mama's of the 5th February some time ago but have been waiting, as usual, for some news to tell before writing. Since my last, I have been vegetating
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18600510 [Page 1] Michigan Bluffs Placer Co., California 10th May 1860 My Dearest Charlotte I received your letter and Mama's of the 5th February some time ago but have
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18600510 [Page 1] Michigan Bluffs Placer Co., California 10th May 1860 My Dearest Charlotte I received your letter and Mama's of the 5th February some time ago but have been waiting, as usual, for some news to tell before writing. Since my last, I have been vegetating in this old place, working a little, reading a little, and idling a good deal. I get about enough work to pay my way but not enough to pay quite all my arrears on my mining claim or to enable me to get away across the mountains. I have been expecting to get the job of laying out a new road across the Sierra but am afraid I shall not have it, as the President of the Co. has a brother, an engineer, and wishes to have him get it. It is not absolutely certain that I shall not get it, but I think my chances very slight. If not, I shall not be able to get away until I get my arrears of pay for the RRoad work, and when that will be is very uncertain. In the meanwhile I consider myself lucky to be making a living. I hear from Charly about every week. He is very well and seems to be improving fast but I am beginning to get very uneasy and dissatisfied about him. He is now old enough to notice and imitate everything he sees and hears, and I do not think the influences by which he is surrounded at all desirable. As I have no doubt frequently explained to you, Louise is a very kind and good woman but indolent and slovenly (no doubt the result of repeated disappointments and discouragements), and although she would do anything on earth for the boy she is too indolent to have things as I wish them to be round him. Her mother is very orderly and hardworking, but she is only one in the household. Colburn himself is more disagreeable to me every time I see him, his first words on entering the house and his last on going out are grumbling and growling. It is no doubt mere habit, but the influence on Charly is [Page 2] not the better on that account. Louise is so accustomed to it that she neither notices nor cares for it, but her mother has always felt it and has lately felt and told me she thinks Charly would be better away from him. He is really kind enough and fond of the boy, but he has no self-control nor probably any idea of an occasion for it, being one of those men who consider themselves especially persecuted by providence (and therefore justified in [grousing?]) when all their various schemes do not succeed as well as they foolishly expect. My great wish now is to get as soon as possible permanently enough settled in one place to begin housekeeping again and have him and his grandmother live with me. I do not know how we shall manage or how Mrs. Mather will get along away from her daughter, but I am determined to try it as soon as I can and, having once got him away from them I don't think I shall let him return. As far as expense is concerned, it costs me as much to live now (boarding out) with what I allow them for Charly as it did to keep house when Emily was alive and her mother lived with us. The expenses of housekeeping with care and management are very slight compared to the prices charged at hotels and boarding houses. My great fear is that Mrs. Mather may not be well enough always to take care of him alone and I should then be in a "fix," but I can only get started in that way. I am willing to take the chances and the happiness of having him with me will more than make up for any trouble or inconvenience that can possibly arise. By the time this reaches Florence, you will probably be getting ready for your trip to Geneva. I much hope you will enjoy yourself there as much as you can possibly wish or expect and that the change and excitement of travelling will regenerate your general health and spirits. About a month ago, I had a letter from Aunt Bessy and Alice. The latter was on the eve of her departure for Paris to [Page 3] complete her education as governess. She seemed in good spirits and evidently was not inclined to borrow much trouble from the future. She tells me Fanny's health was very delicate and suffering from her throat, so much so that Dr. Ransome thought she could not have health in so cold a climate as Stockport. Can it be that she is consumptive? I hope not; it would be sad for her to be taken away now, when I have no doubt her trials have softened her and joined amiability [illegible] standing qualities. Aunty Bessy seems low spirited about Wm's prospects of making a living and also seems unhappy about Harry's behavior. What an unfortunate woman she is, how much of it from her own fault I cannot judge, but I am very sorry for her and for the girls. They have always been very kind to me. They tell me Frank Evans has sailed for South America. What to do? And that Aunt Eliza is no better. I hope to hear better news of her from you. We have very variable weather here, the latter part of last month was very warm; last week we had 3 or 4 days of snow and very cold weather and now warm weather again. I think [illegible] has set in for good now and that this storm is the last "définitivement et sans remise." I have been steadily pursuing my instruction in the art of self defense, and it has, I think, kept me in better health than I should have been without any exercise, and I know you would be amused at my preceptors' extravagant ideas of my latent (!) powers. If Engineering fails, I can perhaps turn Benicia Boy or rather turn against him and avenge my country's honor – who knows? Of course, the excitement of the fight in England reached [here] if it did not [illegible] your transalpine abode. There was more excitement about it all through California than about the pending Presidential election. We only heard the results yesterday, and the Englishmen here (most of them Lancaster men) are very much disgusted. We now get telegraph news from New York in 9 days by a new line across the Continent called the Pony Express, which is carried through on horseback between the ends of telegraphic communication at the rate of about 16 miles per hour. Pretty good travelling en attendant que le Railroad soit made. The letters, whether by steamer or by overland stage, take about [Page 4] the same time, viz., 21 to 23 days. What does Papa think that French coquin means by the annexation of Savoy! I think Geneva is doomed to change her state before many years. I have been reading lately the first vol. (all that has appeared) of "Buckle's History of Civilization in England". It is interesting but I take him to be dreadfully conceited and determined to make everything prove his favourite theories. Have you seen it? I have today finished a book which has pleased me [illegible] "Life and Correspondence of Dr. Arnold," headmaster of Rugby for many years. He shows more true Christian feeling and spirit and toleration in his everyday life as well as his letters than I have often seen or heard of in a clergyman of the Church of England, and he was reviled accordingly. I don’t know when I have read a life whose simple and plain beauty I have admired as much. I have lately made another acquaintance: a man named Baker, senator from this country, married again a year ago. They live on a small ranch two miles below here. I have known him for some time and Tyler is a great friend of his. Some weeks ago, we went over on Sunday afternoon for the walk and stayed to spend the evening. We have since then at their invitation walked over every Sunday afternoon to dinner. We spend the evening pleasurably enough generally singing sacred music, in which I generally manage to hit a small percentage of the bass notes "thar or thar about." He is quite a pleasant person, about 35, just out from Massachusetts, and apparently with more refinement of thought and manner than the generality of women here. The silver fever still rages high in the new mines at Washoe (the other side of the Sierra) but one or two of the mines have as yet being tested and the bubble will soon burst now the snow is getting off the ground. Thousands have gone over there and have suffered a good deal from want of provisions. The hard times are now mostly over. The Indians are beginning to be troublesome, and I see by today's paper that a party of Indians have killed a number (20 or 30) of men in one night. If they begin that style of business they will soon be exterminated or driven away. [Page 5] Although I have but little doubt the white men have been (as usual) the very first aggressors, the retribution generally falls on the innocent – on both sides. Those Indians are an entirely different race from our California Diggers, as I think I told you before. Within a few weeks of the last time I was over there in 1857 and went into their camp with only one companion, they took by surprise [and killed several?] men. [Illegible] determined to oppose the settlement of white men in their country as far as they are able. I am glad I had not the means to go over there when I first came back here, as my constitution objects naturally to a limited supply of food, and however much roughing it I can bear when necessary I should not do it by choice, when no benefit it to be derived from it. All those who went there at first have been spending at the rate of $25 to $30 per week for the base necessities of life and excepting the lucky few, very few who have got rich claims have not done anything as yet. Next month will be in plenty of time for me if I can get some money by that time, and if not or if I am doing anything here I shall not worry about it. My tunnel is about the same as every going on very slowly with the same exceedingly minute quantities of gold, not enough to be worth working out. Patience and perseverance may do something for us in time, if they don’t nothing else will that I know of. I never realized more than last week the [small?] ______ [illegible – page damaged] in which human life is held in excitable populations like this. Last week 5 men killed. The remaining ____ talked about it a few hours afterward as of an everyday occurrence. On Sunday evening two ______ quarrelling drew their pistols, fired a couple of shots apiece and killed a man sitting quietly by the stove in the room (a billiard[?] room). He was a stranger, no one knew anything about him – he was [Page 6] buried and that was the last of him. The two m[en?] thought it very hard they should be sent to Auburn to be tried for manslaughter and did not seem to think anymore of killing that man than if he had been a dog. This is a [reminder?] of gamblers and sickeess in men strewed over the Country yet, but the general state of feeling has improved ____ within my . [illegible – paper torn away]. Mrs Young who has arrived safely in Washington where her family resides she seems to think she will return to California before very long. I hope so for she and Emily were so intimate that I feel more drawn towards her than I do towards Louise. Tell Mama that to please her I have ___ the flattering unction which she recommended (rum and castor oil) not to the sole of my foot but to the crown of my head and with what result beyond that of making my pillowcases exceedingly greasy, time only will show. In my last, I talked of looking old the other day for something. As I made a clean shave of my face and everyone tells me I look about 16, so it seems that circumstances alter [illegible] in this as well as in copybooks. I hope Lucy’s enjoyment of Othello answered her expectations. It reminds me of the story told of Macauley, who, when Mrs. Beecher expressed her admiration of Shakespeare and gave Desdemona as her favorite character answered, "Yes, of course, you must sympathize with her fondness for a black man." Talking of the expense of living, I am told by Charly Blake, whose family live at Newhaven, that families retired then live exceedingly well for $3000 or $4000 per year, the society there being entirely different from what it is in New York or even in Boston. I should think the society there would suit Papa better than that of any place I know, though I have no idea that you can ever come over. I merely mention it. You have of course not seen my name in the American papers, though it has been a few times in the Californian one, in connection with the RRoad [illegible]. They put names in print on very slight provocation here. Give lots of love and kisses to Mat and Lucy, Papa and Mama, and believe me, Dear Charlotte, your very affectionate brother M. L. Stangroom
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Identifier: wwu:29294
Title: M. L. Stangroom typed chronology
Date: 1901~/1913~, 1901-1913
Description: Typed chronology of Marc La Riviere Stangroom's life from 1832 through 1901.
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroom1_1
Text preview (might not show all results): �tILLS AT SA:h11\1:Al\IISH .., INGLEWOOl), P. 0, ,T, F, WEBER, MANAGER ·. ' ,:J r, /• Marc La Riviere Stangroom, 1832 Born on 22n d M ayo 1842 To school at Gen ev a. 1844 To college at Geneva. 1848 To Germany and bac.k to Geneva (c ollege). 1855 1855 1859 To Eng land & on North Staf f ordsh
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): �tILLS AT SA:h11\1:Al\IISH .., INGLEWOOl), P. 0, ,T, F, WEBER, MANAGER ·. ' ,:J r, /• Marc La Riviere Stangroom, 1832 Born on 22n d M ayo 1842 To school at Gen ev a. 1844 To college at Geneva. 18
Show more�tILLS AT SA:h11\1:Al\IISH .., INGLEWOOl), P. 0, ,T, F, WEBER, MANAGER ·. ' ,:J r, /• Marc La Riviere Stangroom, 1832 Born on 22n d M ayo 1842 To school at Gen ev a. 1844 To college at Geneva. 1848 To Germany and bac.k to Geneva (c ollege). 1855 1855 1859 To Eng land & on North Staf f ordshire Railway. To Ca lif ornia. Building c an al for Nevada City and Sacramento Can al Co. Placer Co. & Sacramento Va lley R ailway .. 1861 To Corns took ( at Gold Hil l, Nevada. ) 1866 Chief Engineer Western nacific Hai1 lwa.y '.;o. 1869 Benicia & Red. Bluffs Railway. 1871 San Joaquin River 1870 Orovi}le & Virginia City Railway. a anal & Irrigation Co. 1876 Rub y Con solidated & other min es. 1878 Orovil le & Virginia City Railwa y 10. 1879 Son oma -% Marin 1881 ilway Oo. San �rarnisco & North nacific Railway. 1882 Bon anza Min e (Sierra co.) 1901 State S11perv:i sing Engineer (Seattle.) 1886 Bellingham Bay & British Columbia Ry. Co. (Wh atcom)
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Identifier: wwu:29284
Title: 1855-12-02 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his mother
Date: 1855-12-02
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18551202
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18551202 [Page 1] Nevada, 2nd December 1855 My dearest mother I let [the] last mail slip by without writing, as I had not much to say and very little time to say it, as we have settled down for the winter in our peaceful cottage by the wood and are getting very comfortable
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: Stangroomletter18551202 [Page 1] Nevada, 2nd December 1855 My dearest mother I let [the] last mail slip by without writing, as I had not much to say and very little time to say it, as we h
Show moreTranscript: Stangroomletter18551202 [Page 1] Nevada, 2nd December 1855 My dearest mother I let [the] last mail slip by without writing, as I had not much to say and very little time to say it, as we have settled down for the winter in our peaceful cottage by the wood and are getting very comfortable. We have built a stable and have our horses up at home and a manservant to look after them and do all the dirty work about the house, so that we live once more en messieurs, excepting cooking, making our own beds, etc. Shortly after my last letter, we, i.e., Darcy, myself, and a friend, went on an exploring expedition up the Sierra Nevada up beyond our corral. We started from here in our buggy, a kind of low phaeton with only one seat, very strong and light, built on purpose for these bad roads, I driving, Darcy and our friend riding. We drove to Bear Valley the first day, 25 miles off, and stayed at a ranch there all night. [Page 2] We left our buggy there and went on the next day on horseback, each having his blankets strapped on behind, and provisions (flour and salt pork), ropes, [illegible], etc., hanging in front, altogether in regular marching order. Your son presented something like the following appearance – [drawing of horse and rider with equipment]. The picturesqueness of the turnout is, however, easier conceived than described and wants colouring to give you an idea of it. My proud animal, as well as Darcy's, is a large piebald; my hat red flannel; my blankets blue, red, gray; large jackboots, revolver, axe, lasso, and flour bag completing the equipment. We only went between 30 and 40 miles to the summit of the Sierra Nevada range, generally following the Emigrant track from the United States through very rough and fine country, camping out at night and sleeping in the open air, round our fire in our blankets. I made the bread, making the dough into round balls [Page 3] and sticking them in the fire to bake. It was very good. The meat was not as easily done, as we had to toast it on long sticks, and it always fell in the fire several times before it was done and got burnt to a cinder on [illegible]. However, I enjoyed it amazingly. The only part I did not like was the night’s being so cold, there being ice ½ inch thick and all the ground being covered with frost. We could not sleep well for the cold and had to get up in the night to relight the fire and sit smoking round it till daylight, when we resumed our cooking operations and went on our journey. As we saw that the weather was going to change, we pushed back to Bear Valley, and it began to snow the very night we got there. The next day we got out of the Valley as quick as possible, as where snow once sets in up there, you must get out at once or stay there and starve. We had a hard day’s work driving home 25 miles through the snow covering up the road and our carriage breaking down twice getting up the hill. One of our horses [Page 4] had not been in harness before, and it took us 3 hours to get them up the hill, the road being so bad that I sometimes thought we should have to leave the buggy. The chemin des chevres, thickly covered with loose rocks [illegible] may it give you some notion of it. However, we got home safely at last, after a hard day's drive. We have been here since then, most of the time riding or driving about the country to look at different works 15 or 20 miles round. The day before yesterday I went out with Lane and a friend (a German physician) for a place 14 miles off for a day's quail shooting. I was driving over a piece of very bad road with a high bank on each side with a wagon before us. Lane, who is very impatient and was on horseback, said we should be all day if we did not pass the cart, and as the Dr. who sat behind me was game, I tried to pass, but the bank was too much for us and we had a regular capsize, I being thrown 10 or 12 feet off and the carriage turning completely over and covering the Dr. like an extinguisher. The front wheels luckily came off and the horses [Page 5] ran away with them and did not drag the carriage. I fortunately fell on my head, so was not hurt. The only damage done was breaking 2 bottles of wine that we had with us, and in 10 minutes we were going on again and laughing heartily at it. We had such good sport that we did not leave in time and got caught in the dark, which is no joke on these roads. It also set in to rain very heavy, which did not make things any the more pleasant. It was so dark that we could not see our horses' heads and had a job to get to the nearest town. We there bought a lantern and made our man ride slowly on in front with it. After a drive of 4 hours we got home drenched to the skin. We are getting very comfortable now that our parlour is furnished. We had 2 ladies up here to breakfast last week, one of them, Mrs. Colburn, [Page 6] is the lady who [illegible] Wm. Nicholson so long; she is a very nice woman. The other was her sister who is staying with her. She is a very nice girl indeed, about 20, very well executed and very sociable, altogether much better than I expected to meet in the country. They are Americans. She is a capital horsewoman, and I went for a long ride with her a few days ago on our horses. We had good fun when they came up; they helped to cook the breakfast and taught us to make buckwheat cakes. Mr. Colburn is one of [Page 7] the Californian Company and we do not like him, but that is no reason why we should not like his wife and sister-in-law. Our fellows chaff me rather about the fair horsewoman, but it does not at all affect my happiness. Perhaps I like her none the worse because her hair is light and long ringlets and her name is Emily. You need not be alarmed, as I fancy she is already engaged to some San Francisco gentleman, though that is not at all necessary to keep her safe from an old bachelor like myself, who has given up all thoughts of another state than single blessedness, and you need not be at all afraid of having an American (or any other) daughter-in-law till Matthew grows up. As Charly reads German, he can probably translate what Schiller and I say: [illegible German quote]. [Page 8] I shall have nothing to do for 4 or 5 months till the winter is over and till the lawsuits are decided, but I daresay we can manage to pass the time well enough till then. I got Charly’s letter to New York only a week ago. The post office here is detestable and I do not know if it is its fault or my correspondents that I get no letters, but I live in hopes of getting some some time or other. Give my best love to Papa, Charly, Mat and Lucy and to Grandmama when you write to her. Write soon and believe me your ever affectionate son, M. L. Stangroom Tell Papa that I could get 2 to 3 per cent per month on any amount of capital on perfect security (mortgage, no speculation). If he can, it would be worth his while to send me some to put out for him while I am here. We have just decided [Page 9] that Darcy is to [illegible] by this mail. He will be there for some weeks, and it would be a good opportunity of sending by him, should Papa think it advisable.
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Identifier: wwu:29277
Title: M.L. Stangroom Reminiscence
Date: 1888~/1913~, 1888-1913
Description: Handwritten reminiscences of Marc La Riviere Stangroom.
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Text
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomrem1_3
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: stangroomrem1_3 [Page 1] Dear Matthew, Reminiscences of an "Old Timer" showing, among other things, some instances of the uncertainties of mining on the Pacific Coast in the early fifties – and later! Early in 1855, I came to California, as engineer for an English company to br
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: stangroomrem1_3 [Page 1] Dear Matthew, Reminiscences of an "Old Timer" showing, among other things, some instances of the uncertainties of mining on the Pacific Coast in the earl
Show moreTranscript: stangroomrem1_3 [Page 1] Dear Matthew, Reminiscences of an "Old Timer" showing, among other things, some instances of the uncertainties of mining on the Pacific Coast in the early fifties – and later! Early in 1855, I came to California, as engineer for an English company to bring water from the South Yuba River, a large stream having its source high up on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Range of mountains, to supply the deep gravel mines of Nevada County with sufficient water to enable them to be worked on a large scale, with large quantities of water delivered under a high pressure (or head) through wrought iron pipes instead of small quantities (as supplied until then) at a low pressure through canvas hose. During that year I necessarily became personally familiar with the topography of the central portion of the Sierra Nevadas lying in the counties of Nevada, Sierra, and Placer, from the foothills in the Sacramento Valley to their summit at an elevation of 6000 to 10,000 feet, and embracing a territory of 100 miles square – or more –. Their summit was then the dividing line between the State of California and the Territory of Utah but is (now) that between California and the State (formerly Territory) of Nevada, which was cut off from Utah in 1888 soon after the discovery of the Comstock Lode, which is, with some other mining districts since discovered, within its boundaries, all of which are tributary to California. [Page 2] Being fond of exploring and "roughing it," I went, in the summer of 1856, as one of a party of 14 (10 men and 4 women, one of whom soon afterwards became my wife) on horseback and with pack mules (from our home in Nevada City) on a pleasure trip across the summit and down the eastern slope of the mountains, following the Truckee River 100 miles or so from its source at the north end of Lake Bigler (since called Truckee Lake and now Lake Tahoe), a beautiful sheet of water of great depth, 50 miles long by 20 wide, lying (at an altitude of 6000 feet) between the snowcapped summits of the range (which at that point is double) which tower 3000 to 5000 feet above it. We followed the river to the point where it sinks (as do all the streams which rise on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevadas) in the great central basin of Utah (lying between the Sierra Nevada Range on the west and the Rocky Mountains on the east) in which the Great Salt Lake and other smaller alkaline lakes or saturated deposits are caused by the water flowing in the rivers being more or less evaporated by the dry heat of the arid plains. Many of these alkaline deposits have since been, and are now being, used for commercial purposes. We were well mounted and equipped, and often found emigrant roads or Indian trails to follow, making the trip generally an easy and always a pleasant one. On our return we followed the Carson River (another large stream running down into the desert) up to the eastern base [FOOTNOTE: 1. The Piutes (Pah Utah Indians), who had been giving considerable trouble to the white immigrants passing through their territory were all round us and had to be watched to keep them from stealing stock and poking their noses into the women's tent, etc., but by treating them kindly (but firmly) and mounting guard over our stock at night, we got along very well with them.] of the mountains and crossed their eastern summit to the south end of the Lake Bigler and camped there, intending to stay and rest [Page 3] for a day or two – That evening, however, some Mormon packers (who had been to Sacramento to get provisions and were taking them to Salt Lake) reached our camp and informed us that Nevada City, a mining town of about 2500 inhabitants, had been burned to the ground a few days before and that only 4 brick buildings with iron shutters (out of 40 supposed to be fireproof) had escaped and not one of the several hundred wooden ones. We saddled up without much loss of time, rode all night and next day, and did not "draw rein" until we reached our respective piles of brickbats or burnt lumber. Some of us who had no buildings to lose had money loaned out and secured by mortgage; but, as the stone courthouse was gutted (with all the county records and its other contents), any attempt to collect such debts would have been an empty farce. So, as what can't be cured must be endured, we at once went to work to help build a new town, without anyone thinking of "crying over spilt milk"! For such was the general spirit of California in those days! In the summer of the next year (1857), two men of my acquaintance, who had "crossed the plains" in 1850, told me and some others that his party had camped on the north bank of Truckee River and had "panned out" (at the foot of a hill covered with broken quartz)"dirt which went over a dollar to the pan," but that they were too crazy to reach California to stop "en route" for any prospect, however good it might be. [Page 4] I thought I recognized from his description a hill covered with quartz on the north bank of Truckee River, which I had seen the year before but (not then knowing much about mining) had not paid any attention to. Four of us started immediately on foot with two pack mules to find and prospect the hill in question, but, notwithstanding my feeling so sure of being able to go straight to it, we were unable to find it and returned "res ineffectæ." A year later (in June 1858) the first silver-bearing lode in the United States was discovered in Utah, less than a mile from where we had camped on the Truckee River, and it soon became world widely known as "the Comstock." In returning from our "wild goose chase," we started west from the Truckee River to cross the summit of the Sierras by an Indian trail, so plain as to promise well for its continuance. After a day's travel on it, however, we reached a high altitude at which, although it was in August, there was snow several feet deep, entirely obliterating all signs of the trail, which had evidently not been used that season. The surface of the snow was so soft that we sank deep at every step and had considerable difficulty in getting our small-footed animals through it. To do so at all we had to improvise snowshoes out of a blanket for them and to carry their loads ourselves, piece by piece, several miles and making several trips in the two days it took us to [Page 5] reach bare ground on the west side of the summit. We found ourselves at the head of a deep, rough gorge or cañon, which proved to be the north fork of the American River (one of the large streams running down the west slope of the Sierras to the valley of the Sacramento River. It took us two days to get the mules over rough and precipitous ground at the head of this canyon, and at evening of the second day, we came to a very narrow backbone or ridge dividing it from the middle fork of the same river. Following this ride down a short distance, we again found the trail (which we had lost in the snow) coming to and running down it at a point (as we afterward ascertained) about 40 miles above Michigan Bluffs, at that time the highest mining camp in Placer County. Looking across the ridge down to the middle fork, we saw, about 3000 feet below us (what we afterwards found were known as the "Big Meadows"), an extensive river bottom covered with grass over knee deep. As our mules had been on very short feed of scattered bunch grass for some days, we thought we would give them a feast and a rest, so we went down into the valley to camp and turned them loose (merely dragging their ropes), taking for granted they would not stray away from the good feed. We were, however, much mistaken! On waking at sunrise the next morning, there was no sign of them in the valley, and we found their tracks and the marks of their dragging ropes following to the top of the ridge, [Page 6] those they had made in coming down the evening before. They knew better than we did how much sweeter to them was the scanty bunch grass than the coarse meadow grass – "Et hinc illa lachrymal!" Two of us started up the hill on their tracks, thinking we would soon overtake them, but we were badly fooled, as we had to climb to the top of the ridge before we found one of them that had got her rope wound round a manzanita bush so as to hold her fast. This was close to the trail running down the ridge, and while my companion took the mule we caught back to camp, I followed the track of the other down the ridge thinking I would soon overtake him; but I was again fooled, as circumstances showed that they must have started back very soon after reaching the meadows on the previous evening and have traveled all night. The brute had apparently sauntered along on the trail, leaving it occasionally on one side or the other to nibble, but always returning to it, as the sides of the backbone were very steep and rugged within a short distance. Counting on always picking up his track each time he returned to the trail, I kept along it for several hours, but finally lost all traces of him. Supposing that I might not be very far from some mining camp or mountain stock range and that he would probably work his way down into them, I kept on until about noon, when I found in a small grassy flat some butchers [Page 7] who were herding cattle to supply meat to the mining camp of Michigan Bluffs (about 20 miles farther down the ridge). They promised to catch my mule if he strayed (as was probable) into their band of cattle, and asked me to take potluck with them, which I did without much persuasion as I had left camp without breakfast. While I was taking the sharp edge off my appetite, one of their companions, who had gone down to "the Bluffs" the day before, returned with a sack of flour on his shoulder and with the news that the town had been completely burned down the day before. Although I had never been there, I had a friend there engaged in a gold dust buying and banking business, and I took a notion (Semel insanivimus omnes!) as I had only walked 20 or 25 miles since dawn and was in light marching order (trousers, flannel shirt, knife, pistol, and pipe) to walk on down to see the ashes, which I did. My friend treated us handsomely, dividing some coffee and crackers (just came in) and his blanket with me, and I slept the sleep of the just (without rocking!) The next morning I started out early for my forty-mile walk back to camp. Climbing the ridge out of town, I overtook a miner who told me of a rich strike of gravel just made, 5 or 6 miles up the ridge, which I could see by going with him along a mining ditch past it, and said that I could easily re-ascend the ridge from there. I did so and became as much exerted over the discovery [Page 8] as were the many men who were already on the ground "locating extensions" of the new discovery. Without loss of time, I got back to camp that evening, and the next day we walked down to the new discoveries and located and "staked out" claims for ourselves and some of our friends. The auriferous gravels of the Pacific Crest may be divided into two distinct classes: 1?. The shallow deposits of gravel in the beds of existing rivers or smaller streams caused by the recent erosion of the strata through which they ran in the form of quartz veins. 2?. The deep deposits of gravel formed in large rivers [over] many geological ages, often containing gold-bearing quartz, or free gold, which has by long attrition been rounded and freed from its quartz matrix. The greater part of these ancient deposits of gravel have been subsequently covered by lava or (in miners' parlance) cement, through which the recent rivers have cut their way, exposing on their banks sometimes the lava, sometimes the gravel, and sometimes the slatey or schistose formation underlying them, through which the early rivers had cut channels (which latter is called by miners "the Bed Rock"). In the present case, the gold-bearing gravels were exposed on two projecting points (about 3 miles apart) of the banks of the deep gorge and stream (called "Eldorado Canyon") several hundred feet above its bed. They proved rich and were being washed down and the gold extracted from them, but hydraulic process, i.e., by streams of water under high pressure being brought to bear on the gravel, washing it onto "sluice boxes" in which, under the action of the running water, the gold (being the heaviest) is separated from the gravel and sinks to the bottom and is "saved," [Page 9] while the lighter material passes on and is carried by the water back into the ravine or cañon. Between these two points the old channel was naturally supposed to be in the bedrock, where it could be reached by tunnels run from the exposed surface of the hill toward it, and, through the rimrock, into the channel or old river bed. According to mining regulations and customs, we located (on the supposed course of the channel) 100 feet in length on it for discovery and 100 feet for each locator or claimant, each claim extending in width as near as could be guessed at right angle to the course of the channel to the center of the river dividing Eldorado Cañon from Volcano Cañon (a deep ravine on the other side of the ridge). In this case the length of our claims was from 1000 to 1500 feet, and if the channel across our ground had been straight, a few hundred feet of tunnel would have reached and enabled us to work it to advantage by the system of underground or drift mining, which consists in taking out by pick and shovel the gravel lying a few feet above bedrock or as much of it (generally, 4 or 5 feet in depth) as should be found to pay and taking it out in cars to the mouth of the tunnel, where it is "washed" and the gold separated from the gravel and "saved." [Page 10] Having determined the best point at which to start the tunnel to be run to reach the channel supposed to be on our ground, I left my companions to begin work on it, went down to Michigan Bluffs to arrange for supplies being sent to them, and, having a presentiment that my wife in Nevada City (about 70 miles roundabout by road but only about 40 in an air line across 3 deep canyons) was ill, I shouldered my blankets and walked over there across country. Thus endeth the 1st chapter! We ran the tunnel for seven years, at a cost of several thousand dollars, until we had to stop it for want of means. This was also the case with companies on each side of us which ran their tunnels as we did a thousand or two feet or more before abandoning them. Two or three years later, some miners sank a shaft on the other side of the ridge and struck there the channel we had expected to find in our ground, and it proved as rich as we had hoped to find it. At about the same time, the channel was struck very rich on our side of the ridge a mile or so beyond our claim, so it would appear as though the channel had adopted that curved line of beauty for our especial benefit (?). My only consolation [Page 11] in the whole matter lay in the hopes that the mule, which had been the cause of it all, got fast round some bush and starved to death, as was probably the case, for we never heard of him again. "Requiescat en pace!" "Thus endeth the first chapter"! It changed, however, the entire current of my life, as to be near my claim I moved with my wife from Nevada City to Michigan Bluffs, where my oldest son was born and my wife died, and where I stayed mining and practicing my profession as an engineer and surveyor until the discovery of the Comstock in the summer of 1858. In 1857 and 8, some of the advanced guard of the prospectors – consisting, generally, of one or two miners, with pick, shovel, pan and a burro (donkey) – pushed forward from the California mines to, and across, the summit, and worked their way down to the Carson River and its tributaries. On one of the latter they found, on the eastern slope of Mt. Davidson, surface gravel which paid to carry down to some of the small creeks running into Carson River, where they panned out from it enough gold to make "good wages" (not less than $4 or $5 per day). Two of them (Aleck and Billy Henderson) were on what was then, and is still, called Gold Hill, where the ore contained free gold with little admixture of silver and were making good wages. (Later they and others became rich from the yields of the Gold Hill group of mines.) Two young men (the Froesch Brothers) had discovered during the [Page 12] previous autumn some free gold, which one of them took over the mountains to California late in the season and over deep snow. After reaching the upper part of Placer County, he lost the use of both eyes and died from frost and exposure. The other one died soon afterwards, and their discovery was not at that time traced to its source. In the spring of 1858, a man named Comstock was working on the croppings of the Ledge (to which his name was given later). He sold out his claim to some other prospectors for an old horse on which he crossed over to California and became lost to history. The prospectors on the "Comstock Lode" were much bothered with what they called "the black stuff" which, being mined with the quartz and dirt, and being very heavy, made it difficult for them (in panning out) to separate it from (and to save) the gold. A Mexican prospector named Maldonado came there and thought he recognized it as being rich silver ore carrying gold (sulphmets) such as he had seen in the mines of Mexico. He located a claim (1400 feet) on the lode and sent some of the "black stuff" over to Nevada City and Gran Valley (the two nearest mining towns, both in Nevada County, California) for assay. Assays of it made by Melville Attwood, Mining Engineer, who was superintendent of the Aqua Fria (or Gold Hill) English Mining Company in Gran Valley, and also by Julius Ott, assayer in Nevada City, gave similar results, showing values in gold and [Page 13] silver of over $1500 per ton. Attwood at once arranged to send Judge Walsh (Sec'y of the G. H. M. Co.) and Joe Woodworth (a mining surveyor connected with them) over the mountains with the least possible delay, to make locations for their joint benefit. On that day I had ridden over from Michigan Bluffs in the adjoining county (about 40 miles from Nevada) to keep an appointment to examine and report on a mining and water proposition for which report the owners had been waiting patiently 2 or 3 weeks. As I rode through the valley into Nevada City (the towns are only 4 miles apart), I met Walsh and Woodworth on horseback, getting ready to start over the mountains to the new discovery. Knowing how useful my knowledge of the mountains would be in enabling them to get there as quick as possible and ahead of the hordes of men who would be sure to rush over as soon as the facts leaked out, they strongly urged me to join them, and they were right, for within a few days every trail and road leading across the Sierras was (figuratively speaking) black with the crowds on foot or on horseback, all eager to outstrip the others in the "search for the Golden Fleece." However much I wanted to go, I could, of course, not disappoint the men who had been patiently waiting for me so long, and with much regret I had [Page 14] to decline going until after I had kept my engagement. They arrived on the ground in time to make a bargain with Maldonado and others to sell them, for $10,000 (which Walsh immediately went over to Sacramento to borrow), 200 feet at the south end, and 1000 feet at the north end of his claim (which he called the Ophir), he retaining the 200 feet between the two on which he was working. This latter proved extremely rich and became known as the Mexican claim. They located several claims on Cedar Hill extending northwards from the North Ophir, but none of them (nor the North Ophir itself) ever paid the expense of sinking on them until, many years later in 1878, a small body of good ore was found in the Sierra Nevada claim, one of the northern locations, which caused an excitement which, however, lasted but a short time, and, after declaring a few dividends, it relapsed permanently into its old habit (according to the custom, with a few exceptions, on the Comstock) of levying assessments or, as we called them, "Irish dividends," from which pernicious practice they have never since departed. Within a few months of the purchase from Maldonado, Judge Walsh sold his one half of the $10,000 purchase of the Ophir claim for $60,000 in cash, which he took down to Mexico. He lost it all there in mining speculations and died poor. His partner, [Page 15] Joe Woodworth, retained his interest in the Ophir for two or three years, during which time the claim, having been incorporated in San Francisco, and having a large body of ore (50 to 60 feet wide) between its walls and several hundred feet deep, which proved extremely rich, large dividends were declared. The number of shares in each company, which was originally one share for each lineal foot of ground on the ledge, was increased almost without limit to bring them within reach of every laborer and servant girl in the state as well as the middle classes and capitalists. Until then, the gamble of mining was exclusively in the supposed actual values of mining properties, but from that time on it consisted largely in the manipulation of the stock market. Joe Woodworth received large amounts of money, running up in the millions, from dividends declared by the Ophir Company and still larger amounts by the purchase in the market of dividends in that company in advance of their being declared. He was, for a while, a very rich man and built in San Francisco a palatial residence larger and more expensive than any on the Pacific Coast. He played, however, his favorite game of buying dividends on a very large scale in advance of their being declared or earned once too often, and he also died a poor man. The enclosed print (which please return to me) is taken from a reliable work on gold and silver mining published in New York a year or two ago. It shows in black the shafts sunk on the two and a half miles of [Page 16] the Comstock Lode, which has been worked out, and the etched lines show all of the ore bodies that have been found within that distance to the depth of 2000 feet below the surface. On the left side of the picture, the vertical lines filled in with pencil show the Midas or Sylvester Belcher claim which was [synegated to sold?] to me at the extreme southern end of the Belcher, which I knew to be a good one, and the north end of the over[man?], which has, to my knowledge, a fairly good body of ore. I never got the cost of the candles out of it though I and my partners spent more thousands on it than you would believe possible and left us with a debt that broke us all up. "And of such is the Kingdom of Heaven!" Selah! M. L. Stangroom
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Identifier: wwu:29298
Title: 1856-08-02 Letter from M.L. Stangroom to his father
Date: 1856-08-02
Digital Collection: Stangroom (Marc LaRiviere) Papers
Type of resource: Manuscript
Object custodian: Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Related Collection: M.L. (Marc La Riviere) Stangroom papers
Local Identifier: stangroomletter18560802
Text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: stangroomletter18560802 [Page 1] Vos vos Nevada 2nd August 1856 My Dear sir – Since my last letter I have had a good deal of change and of excitement, so much so as to have taken away even some of the charm of variety. I am now writing in the house where Emily lives, a short distance out
Transcript text preview (might not show all results): Transcript: stangroomletter18560802 [Page 1] Vos vos Nevada 2nd August 1856 My Dear sir – Since my last letter I have had a good deal of change and of excitement, so much so as to have taken away even
Show moreTranscript: stangroomletter18560802 [Page 1] Vos vos Nevada 2nd August 1856 My Dear sir – Since my last letter I have had a good deal of change and of excitement, so much so as to have taken away even some of the charm of variety. I am now writing in the house where Emily lives, a short distance out of town, where I have found a temporary refuge. But let us begin at the beginning. We started as arranged on the 14th. We were a large and pleasant party, 4 ladies, 11 gentlemen. One man (an English distinction) to look after the pack animals and 2 pack mules, of course all on horses or mules, each man carrying his blankets behind him. We went in easy day rides varying from 20 to 25 miles over the summit of the Sierra Nevada and about 40 miles the other side to Lake Bigler. We stayed there 3 days enjoying ourselves very much, fishing without success, getting wet on a raft in the day and sentimental round the fire in the evening. It is a beautiful sheet of water but very wet, as near as we could guess about 20 miles long and 6 to 8 wide. It is between 6000 and 7000 feet above the sea and surrounded [Page 2] by the peaks of the Sierra to the height of 2000 feet more. It abounds in splendid fish (salmon and speckled trout) and though we could not catch any, we traded with some Indians who could and exchanged divers old flannel shirts for sundry day's work spearing trout and got as much as we cared for. The Indians on that side of the range in the Utah territory are a fine, tall, handsome race, from all accounts very much like the Chippewas and other northern tribes. Those round us were the Sioux or Carson Valley tribes. They came round in such numbers as to be troublesome, and we had to keep good watch on everything and to mount guard on our cattle at night as they only wanted the opportunity to help themselves to anything from horses downwards. They made themselves so perfectly at home round our fire, to the exclusion of our party, that we considered them wanting in courtesy to their visitors to the Utah territory and taking the law into our own alien hands, made them vamoose ([illegible] mizzle) which, from the number of rifles and revolvers lying about, they judged prudent to do, though with ill grace. We were out 12 days travelling along slowly in the day, sometimes laying by while 2 or 3 went out to explore, [Page 3] the ladies sleeping in a tent and the men anywhere. The days were pleasant but the nights cold and frosty. On getting back to Nevada on the 25th, we found that on the 19th the whole town with the exception of 4 buildings had been destroyed by fire in a couple of hours. There were over 500 buildings, 30 of which were brick, supposed to be fireproof. I lived in one of them and lost everything, books, clothes, instruments, and papers. Mr. Young and Mr. Anderson, whom I lived with, were both fearfully burnt, but are getting on slowly. Eight lives were lost, 3 friends of mine. After looking at the heap of ruins for an hour, I got a message from a friend of mine dying 22 miles off. I immediately got a fresh horse and got down there in time to see him but too late to be recognized. I stayed with him till he died, had him buried, arranged his affairs as well as I could and am now going to let his friends in Hull know all about it and in due course have what money he had saved sent to them. I got back here on the 28th and have spent all my time since then helping to nurse my poor burnt friends. They require a great deal of attention, but they have many friends who do all they can for them. It is almost worthwhile to be burnt out once to see what generosity there is in the world. Every house and every purse are open to the sufferers, who in many cases are almost [Page 4] as well off as before the fire. There is hardly such a thing in the place as low spirits except with the friends of the wounded, though they bear it wonderfully well. I am very thankful I was away, as I should certainly have stayed as long as they in the house and probably shared the same if not a worse fate. Though it is rather awkward to have no clothes, I am in luck, having found 4 shirts and a suit of [holland?] at my washerwoman's. My instruments, books, and papers are difficult to replace, especially the latter, as all the county records are destroyed and nothing is left to prove my mortgages. I have, however, $1500 due to me if I leave the Co. and $1000 that I can depend upon (one of 2 mortgages) and perhaps the other $1000 if I am lucky, so I am well enough off after all. If I leave the Co., I shall not have to replace my instruments. If I do not, I can afford to. My matrimonial arrangements are put off for some time, of course. I just got yours and Charly's letters of the 3rd and 10th of June. I am sorry Mama was hurt at not being written to. I thought she of all of you understood that my letters were meant for all, whoever they happen to be addressed to. If it would make her any happier, I could address all to her. I am in a great hurry, having snatched a little time from my nursing duties. I will write again by next mail. With best love to all, believe me, your affectionate son. M. L. Stangroom I send you a paper.
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