Sacramento June 25 1856

Dear Brother,

It has been so long since I have I have heard from home and so seldom I have written recently that it seems like the meeting of cut acquaintenanceship to do do and the apparently unreasonable delay in none of you writing makes me almost dread to receive a letter. I hope our seldom hearing from each other has been the result of accident or carelessness. I am sure the old homestead with its past memories feels dearer to me at this moment than ever before, and busy as I may be I shall hereafter try and retrieve the past and write more frequently. The last letter I wrote I was amid the winter's snow storms. It is now here midsummer again with its warm bright days and cool refreshing nights. Among the farmers harvest is mostly over at least the hay harvest and probably most of the grass is already cut. Crops generally especially hay, I think are lighter than usual. Hay was very high last winter owing more to the unusual severity of the winter than any other cause. It has fallen from eighty to twenty dollars a ton since the new crop has come in. Barley from five cents to two and a half. Though no doubt if the next winter is severe both barley and hay will be higher than they were last. This spring has been a favorable one for mining. The late rains and heavy snows in the mountains has kept the streams up longer than usual. Ditch facilities too are much more abundant and miners as a general thing are doing as well or better than any other class, though the country is full and probably ever will be of distressed, reckless, dissatisfied men. The mines in many places are doubtless failing. The surface and ravine diggings before many years will doubtless fail but new discoveries in the hills are constantly making and the gold country is so extensive that no calculations can be made as to how long the mines will last. Stock, especially cattle, keep at about the same rate. Fat steers from fifty to a hundred dollars apiece and milk cows from sixty to eighty. Prices of property are becoming a little more settled but trade and business generally I think on the decline or rather the profits are not so good owing more to the great competition than any other cause. I am still at my old business as I have not means to settle myself and I know it is useless to do so and try to compete with those who have the means to pay down for their goods as the difference between cash and credit here would about take off the profits of trade at least on a small scale. I will probably continue through the summer to haul up vegetables and sell them out of my waggon. I do not see any prospect at present better though I am sick and tired of the business. I will start out with two light teams this trip and will go high up in the mountains. If my eyes do not fail I am in hopes this summer I can make some little money. My eyes are now better than they have been for two years at this season of the year though the dust is now very bad. If they fail I will stop at some point with my teams and try and sell as fast as they haul up. I have also taken the same garden I had last year on the shares. I have a boy lined up to attend to it. The crop looks pretty well at present and I hope to make something out of it but make or not I am determined to get out of the business this season. Ranching at the present prices of produce is a good business. If I had some five thousand dollars to invest in calves and milch cows in connection with the Poultry business I think I could make money fast and live a very cosy life. Yearling calves one month worth about twenty dollars, at two years from forty to forty five, at three from sixty to eighty. Fresh butter still rates from four to six bits per pound. The range is failing some in places but still so good that young cattle would keep fat the year round. If I remain in the country I will try and do something of this kind or go to practicing Law. Though my health has not been so good for the last six months as usual as I was exposed a great deal last winter in the snow. I am stouter since summer set in. The general health of the country is very good. You doubtless in looking over the newspapers have seen the state of things at San Francisco. Lynch Law is in full force sustained by bristling cannon and gleaming bayonets. One cause and another keeps the excitement up and what it will end in no one can determine. Tenney, the Judge of the Supreme Court stabbed a committee man a few days since and is now in the hands of the vigilance committee and will doubtless be busy if the man dies. The Governor called upon the militia but there was no response. The whole community were pretty much with the vigilance committee in the outset but many are thinking they are carrying things too far. It is certainly an awful state of things but I am inclined to think a necessary one. Some move of this kind had to be taken on the country overrun with desperados. The alternative is a dreadful one and no telling where it will end. I will try if possible to make my arrangements to come home and see you all in the Spring. However it is useless to make any promises. I received a paper from Bro. Tell him I will write to him before long. This is the only intelligence I have had direct from home for more than a year. I find this morning the reason of it. I thought some one was taking out my letters. I got one this morning from Peavey Young which was taken out and broken open. He does not write any news but mainly a letter of inquiry as he had not heard from me for about a year. Write to me very soon and direct to Nevada care of Jessie Wall by this means I hope once more to hear from you. Tell Molly to write. I scarcely know who has written last.

My love to Mother and all of you.

Your Brother

R.D. Powel

Letters are the property of Mrs. Jessie Lyons Brown of Surgoinsville. May not be used without permission.

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