October 7, 1853--A. T. Maltby to Stephen (Page 1 of 2)

(Page 1 of 2)

1853

Oregon Bar

Middle Fork

Oct 7

Friend Sherwood

Since (?)  your Letter to T you wished me to send you to send me some money  I am sorry to say that I am not able to comply with your request as I have not got any on hand nor have I since I done your business for you here  The mining Business is pretty well dried up and it is hard getting money in Cal  but I still feel  __hope to get a little of the _____ yet times have changed very much Since you left here before I left Hangtown i rote to Mr Frances of Sacramento requesting him to send enough money to his Brother at Kenosha to redeem the place with what (?) I have already forwarded to my wife and paid out for you here but I did not hear from him before I came here nor have i since I rote to Eugene to go and see Mr Frances and if he had not sent any money to  forward (?) his wages as soon as possible but I have not heard from him on the subject and I cant say what the ____is but I hope for the best if I ___ of known of the situation of affair

Notes:

A.T. Maltby  (Alanson T. Maltby).  in 1860 was listed with his wife Susan and their three children in Goodale, Lake, Illinois adjacent to where Stephen Sherwood's home was located.  They were likely acquainted and involved in business dealings in California.  In 1870, he is listed in Decorah, Winneshiek, Iowa with his wife and two children.  He died there in 1875.  He was born about 1809 in New York.

Eugene was likely A.T.'s oldest son from his first wife Priscilla.  He may have been living in Goodale   with his step mother, Susan, and children when his father wrote him to go and see Mr Frances (at Kenosha).  Apparently this brother had another brother of Sacramento (see letter).

The husband of Laura (Dennick) Francis was Artius (Aretas) Francis.  Stephen married Laura's daughter, Elizabeth Dennick, after his second wife, Sophia died.  They were married shortly before this letter was written (September 24, 1853).  They were both buried in Bristol, Kenosha County about seven miles over the border in Wisconsin. Kenosha is about twenty miles from Antioch.  So there seems to be a connection between the Frances, Maltby, and Sherwood families mentioned in this letter.

Eugene (1832-1917) was in Siskiyou County, California when the 1880 and 1900 Census was taken.  He was in Butte County, California when the 1910 Census was taken.  He had a sister, Julia Ann Maltby who married Charles Simons.  They may have been in Sacrament about 1850.  Julia died about 1858.  I believe Eugene and Julia were children of the first wife of A.T. Maltby, Priscilla.

October 6, 1853--Hermann to Stephen (Page 2 of 2)

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they had very good crops in the valley some  fases (?) of wheat ______ in ______   by _______ clothing of all kinds nearly as cheap as in the states  potatoes sevens cets a pound ham thirty buter (?) five shilling (shillings ?)  I have delivered your mesage to Maltby  will do the same to Fancher (?) the first chance he is working on the middle fork  ino not what his situation is  Malthy is like my self in rather close (?) ________  A present he is at work a few rods (?) be lo here and enjoyes good health had I the means i wood try to asist you  I havi  net (?)  Although prospects is more favorable than they have ben   I have not heard from George for three weeks  then i was over to Hangtown  he was well and talked of going to the city to work at his Trade  his health has ben very poor untill a few weeks past   he thot of trying beter work than mining for a month or so

yours with respect       T T (?) Her????   
                                    (not readable)
                                   
     

October 6, 1853--Hermann to Stephen (Page 1 of 2)

Diamond Springs

Old Placerville (Hangtown)

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October 6, 1853

Dutch Bar El Dorado Co

With respect to a Fathers (?) and in answer to yours of the 16 _ improve this opertunity also to inform you that I enjoy good health and am at work on the middle fork of the American River  times has ben very dull this summer  there has not ben much (?) ___ mining done in dry digens  they did not get in the rivers until the middle of Sept  some ar doing well while others ar not making wages so not thing (?) of  the expense of flooming (?)and and putting in their pumps  The river is flooded over three miles here the best clames? ar  in poverty  and  ____ a bar (?) they work them night an day  There has not ben very heavy emigration here this season   the most went to  oragon  a great many cattle and sheep drove acrost this season  most of them pas (?) ____ Dimans (Diamond) spring an Hangtown   in ___ ___  of those places wages ar from thirty to forty Dolars a month

The three towns mentioned here are Dutch Bar, Hangtown, and Diamond Spring.  They are all near Coloma, where gold was discovered in 1848.  Dutch Bar is about seven miles west of Coloma. Hangtown is nine miles southeast of  Coloma, and Diamond Spring is about three miles south of Hangtown (Placerville).  It is difficult to tell from the writing if the person who wrote this letter is the same person mentioned as being with Stephen in his letter of March 1, 1850 to his wife.