Townsend Correspondence 1849

              Beleiving that every congressman in the United States ought to know
the feelings of the California emigrants realtive to their neglect of making
provisions for a government I have taken the liberty of publishing an extract
from your letter which in my opinion will be calculated to open thier eyes
If you will number 100000 this year I think Congress had better allow
California to form a state at once making a provision for its division into
two or more states ar some future period when the population shall have
increased sufficently to justify it
In your letter you have said nothing of the soil and climate. This
is a subject I would thank you to give me some correct information on
in your next letter. I have formed the idea that it is a good soil and a
fine climate. if not when the gold shall have become exhausted which it
undoubtibly will then the agriculture must form the basis of prosperity. For
which provision can not be raised neither commerce nor the mechanick arts
can flourish to any quot extent nor will it be possible to sustain a dense
population. Agriculture then must form the basis of all permanently
prosperous states and without it a state however prosperous for a time
on account of its commerce it will eventually dwindle down to insignifixence
as most of the South American States have These views will show you why
I am desirous of knowing what the soil and climate of Californai are. If
you were a Geologist and could tell me what are the underlaying rocks of
California I could tell you from here what is its soil and from its
latitude could form a tolerable idea of its climate But you can
after a residence of four or five years tell better what influence on
the climate the prevailing winds from the great pacific and from
those lofty mountains compasing the Siera neveda actually have than
any general opinion I may form here. Give my love to Elizabeth and
with my best wishes for your prosperity and happiness I reamin your
Affectionate brother
Thomas Townsend

Wheeling Va 10th of the 7th Mo 1849
Dear Brother
Your letter of the 28th of April last together with
the Bose of specimens of California Gold came safely to hand yesterday
through the medium of the post office from W. Fields of New Orleans.
Accept my thanks for so valuable a present. I shall make the disposition
of the pieces which you desire as near as I can. But as to giving Elizabeth
her choice of the two pieces, The Bird and the Old Man's head is unhappily out
of the question. had you received any one of the three letters I have written
to you since the receipt of yours in July '47 you would have learned that
Elizabeth became deranged and was placed in the Insane Hospital at Staunton
in this state where she is not yet recovered nor do I know wether she ever
will. She mended rapidly until about a year ago when she became stationary and
still remains so I shall select the Bird for her and give Sarah the Old Man's head
The Knight I will have riged as a watch key Elizabeth's Bird I will have
riged as a Brest pin and should a suitable opportunity offer I will send it
to her at the Asylum. As you have not received any but my first letters I
will repeat in substance what I have heretofore written concerning our relations
Of Elizabeth I have already told you. sarah has been considerably troubled
with rhumatism this summer. She lost her second child, a fine boy 14 months old
Her first, a girl, was born shortly after you saw her last and is now a fine girl the 3rd a boy
and the 4 a girl now nearly a year old all tolerably healthy. She and her husband are
living on a small piece of land of their own about a mile from where they lived when
you were at the house. N. W. Robert lately bought 40 acres of land adjoining to mine
on Sunfish about 50 miles from this place James and Mary Kirby are going on in pre-
cisely the old way and no appearance of either of them marrying. I can tell but little of
Uncle Aaron's family. They are all doing well but Madison whose wife was and is an
opium eater and they have lived very unhappily. I do not know whether they have separated or not.