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 from two weeks to three weeks. Crescent City is about two days run for steamers north of San Francisco. We have a good deal of wheat sowed on the shares in this valley which looks well and will pay us good interest on our money. The Indians are all quiet and I expect them to be all summer.

I am very sorry that I will disappoint you by not coming home this spring but we are fixed for making money now and will stay till fall. As soon as we dispose of our wheat I will be ready to start home. Old Man Lawson started for the States this Spring. Frank Wilcox left here for new diggings and I have not heard from him since he left. . . . I am writing in a store where it is all business and I can't write much and I have no other place to write. When I come in again we are going to lay over two or three weeks and I will write you a long letter and give you full particulars. Give my love to all.

Your affectionate Son

John R. Tice

Jacksonville, O. T., May 17/54

Dear Father and Mother,

... The mails in this country are very irregular. Like every new country, it has its inconvenienves. We arrived from the Coast about one week ago, and expect to start back soon. ... Business has been very good this spring and freights have been a good price but the rainy season is over and freights a[re] going down. But we can make good wages this summer. We are packing from a place called Crescent City on the Coast. ... It takes us about two weeks to made a (round-] trip, but it is a very mountainous road and nothing but a narrow trail most of the way. I will tell you all about our business affairs here. In the first place we have our train of mules which consists of fifteen at present. Then we have one half of the crop of about seventy acres of wheat and barley together, about two hundred dollars in debts standing out, with five hundred dollars in cash. If our wheat turns out a good average crop we will be able to start home with a good little sum. Besides we will run our train till we dispose of our wheat and we can clear between us about three hundred dollars a month. . . . Just as soon as we can dispose of our wheat I am going to start home whether Andy does or not. I would have come this spring but he was in favor