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CALIFORNIA GOLD MINING
SETTLEMENT AT DIAMOND SPRINGS
The diary is short and sweet but it tells the story
(see full transciption below) of miner and
the hard times mining gold at Diamond Springs in California.
His name is William Pitt and he tells of miners losing their
small fortunes in the gambling house.
Period note: “Calif Large building gambling house. William Pitt’s house where men stand.”
The period note locates the gambling house as the largest building to the left in this ambrotype. William Pitt’s house is over to the right where all the men stand.
AMBROTYPE, PERIOD NOTE & DIARY
$23,000.00 USD
Also included with the lot are some Pitt family daguerreotypes and ambrotypes.
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DIARY. “Abcent but not forgotten friend it is with much pleasure that I now take my pen in hand to inform where I am and what I am a doing and also that I am well and hope these few lines will find you enjoying the same great blessing. I am now at diamond Springs to work in the mines forty five miles from Sacramento. I have ben here almsot two weeks. i have found some gold. I have made from two to six dollars a day while I have ben here but there has ben no watter to wash with but I think that we shall have watter now for it rains now like sixty and I am seting here in my lgo cabin a taking all the comfort in the world. There is one fellow with me so we tak turns a cooking. So you may know that we live first rate. flour is worth thirty cents a pound porke 40 and other things in proportion so you may know that I must earn something to board. I have got a little gold dust and I will send you a piece so you can see how it looks and have something to remember me by till I come home. I hope that you wont get tired of waiting for me if you should I want you to let me know it but I hope you wont. I meant to wrote to you the mail before this but was bussy to work and I did not think of it untill it was to late. I wrote one letter to you since I have ben in Calafornia the next mail after this I will send you a paper then. I shall look for some thing from you when you do wright I want you to wright all of the paticulars all about the folks out there and what they are a doing. Tell Allen when you see him that Sofiah did not come to Callafornia with me and I want you to wright where you are to work, and how your side gets a long. I think you better stay at home till your side gets well and I will try to earn a nough for you and I to. I want you to take sleigh rids a nough for you and once and a while one for me and I will dig some gold for you. Supose you would like to know what kind of a place this is here. I can tell you this is a hard place. There is a great many folks here that wood be glad to go home if they could and they could after a while if they would save their money but there is a gambling house close by here. I have ben in there and see men loose the last cent they had and I have seen some win 40 and 50 dollars on a few minutes and then go off and got drunk and come back and loose it all again and some will work all day and spend it nights. That is the way with one half of the folks in Calafornia. I should never expect to get home at that rate. But I have not got mutch time to wright for I have got to go two miles today to put it in the post ofice in order to have it go the next mail when you wright directe your letter to Sacraemtno Citty Callafornia. I should like to fill out this back but I have not got time so I must bid you good by for the present. William Pitt. I still remain your affectionate friend and well wisher. Diamond Springs Callafornia.”
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GOLD MINING
SETTLEMENT, DIAMOND SPRINGS CALIFORNIA AMBROTYPE
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HOUSING
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Split case.
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APPEARANCE OF AMBROTYPE
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Incredible detail and content.
Tension even in the logs on the hillside.
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CONDITION OF AMBROTYPE
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Good condition.
Interior diagonal scratch in the glass.
Slight surface imperfections.
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SIZE OF AMBROTYPE
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Half plate.
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CONDITION OF DIARY
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Worn, with loose pages, but letter portion is still easy to read.
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SIZE OF DIARY
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Approximately 5 3/8 x 2 3/4 inches. 12 double sided pages.
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