Dear All,
 
Somehow in trans. from my file to the List the letter format became  altered, 
so I endeavour to copy same again to prevent any distortion which would  
spoil accuracy.
 
Regards, Bernard
 
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From Lynchburgh (Butte County,  California), to Crowland P.O., Canada West. 
"Lynchburgh, Friday May 25th  1855  
My Dear Brother, 
I have just recd your letter of April 15th containing the melancholy news of  
the sudden death of Father Chapman. It will be a severe blow for Joseph to 
hear  of his Fathers death so suddenly & he so far, far away from home. But 
God's  will be done we know tis common all that live must die, passing through 
nature  to eternity, the last I heard from Joseph was 4 weeks ago when Henry was 
here.  he and the rest were well, and were mining. I will go over & see him I 
think  someday next week (15 miles from here). it seems as if Father must die 
in Aus.  if he is sick nearly all the time and he now 57 years of age. I would 
send him  the first money I can get if he would only go home but it seems he 
would not  & a gain I don't know how I could send money safe. As I've written 
him 3  letters & he has never got any of them - I will write him again soon 
your  letter of Apr 5 is the only one I've got since yours of Aug. 21st 1854. 
I have not written you since Feb 21st. We got some rain here at last & we  
worked about 5 weeks in our diggings and took out about $700, or a little over.  
$70 went for a hired man $150, or over for water & $50 we lost in buying a  
claim however I had $80 to my share after pay all my debts for my share of  
lumber winters provisions &c, &c, &c. we've used 16 pounds of  quicksilver in 
mining which cost one dollar per lb., sluice fork cost $7 &c,  &c good boots cost 
$5.50 to $6 per pair and a good pair will last a miner  about 2 months. we 
quit mining the middle of Apr because water was to high &  diggings to poor & 
for 2 weeks and 1/2 we prospected & slept our time a  way but last week we got 
the water below and other camp that went to work above  us, for $2 a day so we 
(4 of us now) pitched in to gold run & went to  sluicing rocker tailings and 
made $10 a piece in 4 days besides paying a store  bill of $22.00 we worked 4 
days this week and made $4  a day each but we'll  have it worked out in 4 or 5 
days more & the water will fail entirely in 2  weeks more & rain is about over 
we took up 4 claims on the river bank at  Ophir (one mile from here) 
adjoining 2 other very good claims & we commenced  to prospect them to find coarse 
gold on the bed rock and we sunk a shaft 33 feet  deep & 4 feet in diameter in 3 
days, easy digging of course, through coarse  gravel with a little clay but 
the water came in and stopped us but the ground  has dried pretty well now & 
we'll try it again in a week or so. I have not  got anything yet of the ditch 
Comp they owe me $100.00 what to do this summer I  don't know that is for 2 
months in Aug. I shall go on the river again I  think. 
You say something about my not staying in  Cal. another winter. I don't see  
how I can possibly avoid it but first you hope that I & Joseph will come  home 
in the spring and then I must not think of staying here another winter. my  
dear brother the spring is now nearly past & finds me with less than $100 in  
my pocket and $100 owing to me that I can't get till another winter I am  
confident I can $50 or $60 a month for harvesting through June & July &  then $75 
on the river & next winter there will be a big ditch in here from  Feather 
river which will furnish constant water at about $4 a day instead of 6  and 8 as 
was paid this winter and we have claims that will pay $4 a day clear of  water 
Cal is not yet worked out. I may get a little money yet. No dear brother  my 
thoughts by day & dreams by night are all centred on my friends & my  home but, 
I must make a few hundred dollars before I come. I am comparatively  
contented here where I always have a hope of making something but to come home  
without money and leave this country where I might make $3 or 4 a day. I would  
absolutely die! its out of the question! I never could come home &  stay!!  May 
26th we took out to day (4 of us) $17. clear of water & did  not work over 10 
hours. I've worked twice as hard many a day (learning my trade)  for twenty five 
cents. We live on good bread, butter, ham, tea, coffee &  sugar, molasses, 
cheese, dried apples & potatoes for about $4 per week flour  is only $6.00 per 
hundred pounds right here at our door. 
In some of your letters that I've not got, it seems that you have given some  
powerful reasons for my coming home soon in yours of Aug. 21 all you say on 
the  subject I know to be true but it is impossible nearly for me to come 
before  another spring. I hope that I think as much of Mother as you do and will do 
all  in my power to make her comfortable it is a great consolation for me to 
think  that in the absence of her husband and sons, that she has a grand son 
where on  to place her affections why should Julia go at all to an academy 
unless she is  to be an author else a physician an extra education will not 
conduce to her  happiness unless she is lucky enough to get a husband that is well 
educated and  able and willing to keep her without work & I would sooner see 
her marry the  most ignorant and poorest man in the country so he was virtuous & 
 industrious than to become a school Mistress a professional school Mistress 
I  would not marry if never got a wife. May 27th I send you enclosed a 
specimen of  our gold ($3.25) just as we sell it after the quicksilver is burned off 
we get  $17 per oz. I also send a gold twenty five cent piece. Direct your 
letters after  this to Oroville P.O. Butte Co. Cal. and I will be apt to get them 
and also send  me some papers occasionally. I will send you some form time to 
time and give my  love to all, 
Yours affectionately, 
Archibald McAlpin 
(Postscripts) 
You could be in the mountains here for a year you would be a new man prospect 
 it that will be in 2 or 3 weeks my health is excellent I wish to  heaven 
that I will write you again as soon as we get to the bottom of our  shaft 
The last I heard from S.W.U. he had sued Ellis for the hogs that he had  sold 
.... 
Let me know if you get the book I sent you it is a true representation of  
Cal. life who is governor of Canada are the listing troop for the Crimea in  
Canada what do they think of the war poor folks must nearly starve with wheat at  
$2 a bushel how does reciprocity treaty work but never mind I' will learn all 
 this if you send me some papers"