Lot
717 
Sacramento City, August 1st 1849, heading on folded letter mailed a month later with "San Francisco, Cal., Sep 1" large cds and purple manuscript "40" rate marking, also with "Sacramento City" endorsement in the sender's handwriting, letter (2 pages) is from a man newly arrived "at the Dry Diggings" to his brother in Belleville, Illinois, the body of the letter is comprised of an account of hardships on the overland trail to California along with a list of prices current, the writer mentions in between "I am going to work tomorrow and will make 15 dollars a day. Gold is plenty everywhere and I am going to make it and save it… write to me at San Francisco," minor edge wear, bleach spots, stamp hinge reinforcements on the back of the address panel, F.-V.F., ex-Newton. Estimate $200 - 300.
Dry Diggings was an early name for Placerville as well as some other towns where late summer water levels dropped too low for placer mining.
Realized: $475