Letter from Louisa Cook to her mother and sisters

Placerville [Idaho]
June 19, 1864

Dear Mother & Sisters,

A long time has elapsed since last I wrote you, although I commenced a letter to you about seven weeks ago, but before I could finish it I was taken down with the measles and am just getting to feel like myself again. I was very sick for about a week before the measles came out and then I took cold and they settled in my eyes and on my lungs for a few days. I was perfectly blind and O so sick. My friends got frightened about me and had a counsel of physicians and what with my cough, measles, doctors and all, I guess I did come as near giving out as ever I did. But for the last eight or ten days I have been gaining very fast and O such an appetite as I have got is a caution to all boarding houses. I can just eat everything before me and than cry for more. I think I wrote you that I was teaching in the City of Placerville for one hundred dollars a month. I had taught six weeks when I was taken sick. I shall try to resume it again next Monday morning. This is a good place to make money and it is a capital place to spend money. When I was taken sick, I had over two hundred and fifty dollars on hand. Now I have not got a hundred. Easy comes, easy goes. 25 cts is the smallest change they have here. You can not get a darning needle for less than that. Flour is very cheap now for this place, 20 cts per lb, butter $1.25, eggs five dollars a dozen, corn meal 30 cts per lb., cheese .75, bacon .50, sugar .60, coffee .60, tea $1.50, etc. While I was sick the doctor said one day I might eat a little chicken broth if I had it and a young man who heard him say it started right off to find one and what do you think he paid for a hen, only eight dollars in gold. He made me a present of it, but it was a big price I thought.

Well, Ma, I have found an old acquaintance here in town, one who has been living here for the last eight months, within five miles of me and we never found each other out till since I was sick. Who do you think it is? For fear you'll never guess, I'll tell you, George Plumey. I had been sick about three days when he sent me his name by a friend and that he would like to come and see me as soon I was able to see him. It was as much as two weeks before I could see him and then I could not speak loud. I could only whisper a few words to him, as I lay on the bed with my eyes shut and so weak that I could hardly raise my hand. But I have had a good many chats with him since that. I like him first rate and I guess he is a very good man. He says he has not heard from home in a long time and he does not write because he does not get any answers. Uncle and Aunt think they will go to Cal. this fall. If they do I shall go with them. Hiram Smith is on his way across the plains with another lot of passengers. I hope he will bring them on a little straighter road than he brought us. Mary had the measles the same time that I did, but a week after she was taken, she was as well as ever. She grows quite fast. The greatest fears I have for her is that she is going to get old too fast. There are so few girls or ladies here and so many men. The girls are made so much of that they are spoiled. Since last fall she has had six new dresses given to her and some other little notions. You will think I had not ought to have to buy much, but the trouble of it is folks dress so much more than they do at home. Well, it is the same as the cities there, I suppose, and of course I have to keep Mary the same as the rest or there would be trouble in the camp directly. I will send you some of the pieces. We had a nice May party and a May Queen with her four maids of honor. Mary was chosen one of the maids and she had the white dress made up and presented to her for the occasion before she knew anything about it.

We have a flourishing Sabbath School here. They have just got up a nice library from San Francisco and what do you think it cost. It cost $30 in S.F. and $52 for freight, eighty two dollars in all. That's the way things cost here and yet it is twice as easy to get things here as it is at home because there is plenty of money. Well, it is time to go to bed and I must close. Write often. By the way, I got a letter from Henry, while I was sick, with his photograph in it for which I am obliged. I do wish Emma would send me hers and Sarah, too. I would think so much of them and yours, too. There are no artists here or I would send you Mary's. Half past ten, so good night.

Your affectionate daughter & sister,
Louisa

[At head of letter, reversed]
Emma you should write your sister Louisa a letter. She wants you too very much. She wants your photograph so send one to her or send it to me, I will put it in a letter for you. She wants it so bad, in her last letter, so send her one. I shall send mine with Sarah's and Frank's some time in September. She gets her letters now by government mail. Of course they cost no more than our letters. Her address is Placerville, Boise Mines, Idaho Territory, via Salt Lake City.