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Collection of Gold Rush Letters and Covers From California. Ebenezer C. Goff Papers, 1853-1898. 35 letters (25 from California, 1853-1855 and 1860, and 3 relating to gold mining in Colorado, 1859 and 20 envelopes. Ebenezer Goff was one of those unfortunate stiffs who sold their all to move to the gold fields of California, only to rue their actions. In 1853, Goff left his children, his debts, and his farm in Michigan to travel to the northern mines near Crescent City and Yreka California. About his decision to leave for the west, Goff wrote: I suppose my friends there blame me for staying in this country so long but they do not know my circumstances or my feelings so well as you do; misfortune had followed my steps so closely for several years before I came here that I was compelled to see my property sold to the highest bidder and my family beggared or to leave them for a time to flee to a foreign land to try to improve my fortune, so I chose the latter... Like many would-be miners, Goff tried his luck at several enterprises in several locations as far north as the Klamath River, never meeting any notorious degree of success: My ill success, he wrote, is to be attributed to two bad projects; North Yuba fluming and keeping boarding house; otherwise I have been making something all the time. At another point, he swore that the Chines about here have Cleaned out every nook and Corner making it impossible for him to find any gold worth mentioning. Goff vowed never to enter into speculation and never to follow any rumors, but in the end, he resisted neither, entering into an unnamed speculative venture involving mule packing that bound him even longer to the unprofitable life in the golden state. Although he left his family behind, Goff continued to worry about them. He had taken care of them by having them put out to various positions, but earning nothing in the west, he worried that they were coming under ill influences while he had no money to support them and no money to return home himself. His fortune was summed up when he chose to go north to the mines on the Klamath: being sure that I could make large wages and hoping fortune might favor me with a 'rich claim' and 'large nuggets', only to find the Northern mines cannot compare with the Southern or Middle in extent or richness. Instead of riches, he first found unemployment before forming a partnership with two men and earning, he reports, about $150 in gold dust, with the prospect of a meager return in the coming year. He insisted, however, that he would not return until he had earned enough money to pay his debts (while hoping his brother could get the debts discounted Goff's fortunes did begin to look up in 1855, and he was back in Michigan, farming (grudgingly, complainingly by 1857. By 1859, though, he had hit the road again, moving the Colorado to try the gold mines there near Cherry Creek. He didn't do so without reservations, which he expresses abundantly : I fear that there will not be sufficient supplies sent up this Spring, to meet the demand to prevent actual suffering, as those who are returning tell such horrible stories that all or nearly all supply waggons turn back. Among the many good letters are two from October 1855 describing Indian depridations near the Klamath River: all the men on this section of the river at one time collected together and staid two days we now carry our arms with us to our work, It is thought by many that we stand in constant danger of being attacked by them as they have all fled to the mountains and cannot be found. Perhaps the best letter, though, is one from Goff's old California partner in 1860, catching him up to date on events in the northern mines: One article that is in grate demand that is wimmin. I think twood bee allmost impossible to glut the market the demand is so grate. I expect that Shap and me will have to come back & get us a womenn without we can get a cupple sent on by express, if you know of a cupple that is rather good looking not to big wee will say, wate about 140 a piece or their aboutes hight between five and seven feet of a very cind and gentle disposision and knot to paticular in the looks of the chaps that they get because we cant brag so much on the looks but twoo loviner Creatures a person woodent see in a days travell so if you know of a cople that will answer the descripsion send them along and we will pay all damages. The Goff Papers also include a number of items of philatelic/postal historic value, all on envelopes, none dated, but all from mid-1850s. Foremost among these are two scarce ms. cancels from Little Prairie Ronde, Michigan (black L.P. Ronde, Mich with month and day a strong circular black cancel Crescent City Cal. (Jan 11, n.y., but 1855, on a pre-stamped envelope plus six circular cancels with concentric circ. Marks of varying quality from Crescent City; four circ. black Nevada City Cal cancels (no stamps, one strike exceptionally strong, a second very strong a manuscript Yreka Cal. Jan 18 (no date, but with ms. way marking 10 and a handsome example of the imperforate green ten cent Washington stamp (X in the corners A rich and very informative set of letters from one of the legion of California gold miners who never struck it rich, unusually literate and tinged with sadness and regret.