Notes |
- Missouri Governor Guy Brasfield Park was named after John Strode Brasfield - see page 288 of Brasfield book. ********************************************************************* Database: Judge Benjamin Hayes, California Diary Viewing records 1-1 of 1 April 8, 2003 5:51 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer notes from the diaries of Judge Benjamin Hayes, 1849-1875: a machine-readable transcription. II page 61 Maj. S. has gone to Warner's for beef. I am drying blankets, etc., preparing to start this afternoon. Various characters of emigrants. A contented disposition the best. We begin to hear more of the emigration by other routes. This afternoon John S. Brasfield, of Platte Co., Mo., and N. B. Wood, of Savannah, Mo., made their camp here. The former came by the South Pass, the latter by Panama. Brasfield, Wm. Davenport, etc., left Fort Kearny May 7th, and on the 25th August got their teams into Hangtown dry diggings, (derived its name from some men having been hung there for stealing). J. Brasfield, Wm. Davenport, and Perry Wood, leaving the waggons on Humboldt river, 100 miles above the sink, packed into the diggings. The whole wa on the desert from the sink to Carson river, they had no water at all except from a salt water well too hot to drink nor grass; the desert is 60 miles. They suffered much. Weather intolerably warm. They walked nearly the whole way, near 500 miles. Got in August 10th, with their broken-down Indian ponies. Found very little water in these diggings; mined a good deal here; finally went over on the south fork of the American river, 10 miles above Sutter's mills. They have been more successful than they expected. All through the mining region a great many are dying with scurvy, diarrhoea, and colds settling on the lungs. All the Brasfield company have had the bloody diarrhoea. Jan. 10th or thereabouts, the whole city of Sacramento was overflowed with water to the depth of from four to five feet. As fast as they could, the people [p.61] were getting out to high ground in canoes and skiffs. Those at Brasfield's location buy their provisions at Hangtown, packing them over on their backs. Flour, $1 per lb.; bacon, $1.50 per lb.; fresh beef from 37 1/2 to 50 cents; milk, $1 per pint; sugar, coffee each 50 cents per lb.; eggs, $1 apiece; potatoes, $1 per lb.; molasses, $5 per gallon; beans, 65 cents per lb.; onions, $1.50 to $2 per lb. Fresh beef is plentiful. This is the range of prices since the rainy season commenced; from about November 1st it was raining about two-thirds Of the time, when Brasfield left (Jan. 10th). At other seasons prices are not much below the above rates. Hauling from Sacramento City is from $15 to $20 per hundred; has ranged from $25 to $50.
|