Life in the Calaveras County gold fields continued to sustain life but not be very profitable for David Lewis Drew in June 1856. Summer had arrived and it was hot. One of his partners left the fields to go back home to Plymouth, Massachusetts for a visit.
David notes that he wrote a letter to his ‘farther’ on the 14th. I first thought he’d accidentally spelled ‘father’ wrong when I initially encountered this spelling, but have found that he consistently spells it the same way throughout his diary.
June 1856
SUNDAY 1, -- Went up on Shaws Flat to day. George H. Haskins came down to go to work for White.
MONDAY 2, -- White leaves this morning for home.
TUESDAY 3, -- Wrote to Fred Drew last mail.
WEDNESDAY 4, -- Jim Marks commenced work on his claim to day and took our water.
THURSDAY 5, -- Commenced to work nights last night do not like it very well.
It was necessary to work at night because Jim Marks, upstream, was using all the water in the ditch during daytime.
FRIDAY 6, -- Horses strayed away today.
SATURDAY 7, -- Len went up this afternoon to try and find our horses Took out this week $177.85.
SUNDAY 8, -- Been out all day looking for our horses found them about three oclock this afternoon. heard from White today.
MONDAY 9, -- Went up to Columbia this forenoon.
TUESDAY 10, -- Shifted sluice this afternoon. Gorge went up on the flat to day.
WEDNESDAY 11, -- Begin to like night work better get clear of the hot sun.
THURSDAY 12, -- Hot day to day the hottest that we have had this season.
FRIDAY 13, -- The river is running down fast it will be down in the course of a fortnight.
SATURDAY 14, -- Wrote to Farther this mail. Took out $178.50 this week.
SUNDAY 15, -- Took a ride to Sonora to day and came back through Shaws flat.
MONDAY 16, -- Uncle Pell, Mr. Pierce, and Nathan Churchill were down here to day to look at there claim.
TUESDAY 17, -- Got some lumber down for spouts to day 1000 ft.
WEDNESDAY 18, -- Went up the hill to day to get some barly paid 5 per pound Got states papers to night.
"States" was an expression used for a number of years after California itself became a member of the Union. It poignantly indicates how far away the east seemed to Drew
THURSDAY 19, -- Hauled up a spar for Jim Marks to night.
FRIDAY 20, -- River is down pretty low now. can wade accross it any where.
SATURDAY 21, -- Reed commenced this week to dig a race for his flooming.
SUNDAY 22, -- Went up on the flat to day. got a letter from farther to day.
MONDAY 23, -- Did not go to work this morning not being very well.
TUESDAY 24, -- Went to work today.
WEDNESDAY 25, -- Sick again today.
THURSDAY 26, -- Had to give up washing to day. the (river) has run down so low that we can not get the watter into the boxes.
FRIDAY 27, -- Went up to the doctors this afternoon and got my jaw lanced. which made it feel easyer. Uncle Pell and Co come down to day.
SATURDAY 28, -- Went cutting wood this morning. Took out $105.25 this week Expences on claime this month $78.50.
SUNDAY 29, -- Took a ride up to Streets big resevior to day. It is a splendid piece of work.
This reservoir was built by a company know as Shaws Flat & Tuolumne River Water Company, in Sullivan's Creek, four and a half miles east of town
MONDAY 30, -- Commenced puling in boxes from the spring.