Miner's Life - Illustrated

              (Direct as usual to Park's Bar Cal)
Michigan Hill July 4th

Dearest friends. I received lots of News from Hartland to Jay by letter and verbal by Mrsrs Stocker and Labaree. Fredd Bagly was down with them from Rough and Ready. I was much surprised to see them and very glad. They brought my dear wife and children along. I think Dear Jane you must be very thoughtful in fulfilling my wishes I think you all look well first rate the children look better than when I saw them and you look quite as well, I am obliged very much. You will be obliged to find my Likeness in some of the cuts on this sheet for the present but the reading don't [illegible] my case yet. I have not repented yet, these Cuts Mining Life and Scenery are very true I think it may please the children. My visitors dined with us in our cabin and what do you think we had for dinner,  New potatoes (are plenty), pork, oysters, lobster, green corn and peaches we got up a very good dinner. They had a good time coming out and are all well and in good spirits I should say. Fred. B. think our claims are good ones when we have them properly opened. I think I shall sell them and [illegible]in them they go back as far as Land hill to night and up in morning R.R. we have been prospecting our claims by running tunnells for the last 5 weeks a part of the time I took a small job making a ditch for a Co we worked three weeks on it and made about six dollars per day on it, our prospects are very good for rich digins on or in the Hill. I am bound to stick awhile longer