Voted The Republican Ticket

November 1856 started with excitement of the Presidential Election.  A life-long Republican by heart, David Lewis Drew voted for the Republican candidate, John C. Fremont, whose home state was California.  The election was won by Demoncrat James Buchanan.

The month was spent gathering supplies and finding a buyer for his claim.  By the end of the month, an old acquaintance, Web Atwood, from Plymouth County, Massachusetts had purchased the claim and David was free to find other sources of income.  His investments in the New York and Know Nothing Tunnels weren’t performing either but he was able to scratch out a living panning and doing other work for the next few years.

November 1856.

SATURDAY 1, -- Went up to Springfield to attend A barbacue given by the American party.

SUNDAY 2, -- Stayed at home.

MONDAY 3, -- Went up to the Republican meeting this eavning.

TUESDAY 4, -- Election day. Voted the Republican ticket. Sent our horses up on Jim Caapers Ranch. 
    Democrat James Buchanan was elected president with John C. Breckinridge as vice president

WEDNESDAY 5, -- White arrived back from the states.

THURSDAY 6, -- Went up on the Flat.

FRIDAY 7, -- Went up to Columbia to help White get down his trunk.

SATURDAY 8, -- Jobing around the house.

SUNDAY 9, -- Stayed at home.

MONDAY 10, -- Went to Sonora.  Came back through the flat.

TUESDAY 11, -- Saw Web Atwood and he came down on the river with us.

WEDNESDAY 12, -- Mr. White and myself went A hunting, and got A trout.

THURSDAY 13, -- Rolled ten pins.

FRIDAY 14, -- Looks like rain.

SATURDAY 15, -- Went up on Shaws Flat.

SUNDAY 16, -- Web and myself came down on the river this eavning.

MONDAY 17, -- Len and White went up on the hill and (brought) down some grub.

TUESDAY 18, -- Went up on the Flat.

SUNDAY 23, -- Came down from the flat.  Have been on the flat all week.
    Drew doesn't tell us what he was doing up on the Flat. He probably worked up a deal with Web Atwood for his share of the river claim, as well as looked around for a better claim to buy into.

MONDAY 24, -- Commenced working on the claim.

TUESDAY 25, -- Went up on the flat.

WEDNESDAY 26, -- Worked on the claim to day.

FRIDAY 28, -- Sold out to Web Atwood for $600.  Three hundred down and the rest out of the claime.  Came up on Shaws Flat this afternoon.

Technorati Tags: David Lewis Drew,Gold Mining,Gold Rush,Lineagekeeper

Went To Columbia. Got A Tooth Pulled.

David Lewis Drew’s diary entries for October 1856 continued to reflect the end of his career of exclusively looking for gold. 

His days were spent maintaining the claim, getting his tooth pulled, visiting other miners and writing letters to family and friends that he would never see again back home in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The weather was cooling off as fall was turning into winter in the low Sierra Nevadas.

 

October 1856.

WEDNESDAY 1, -- Went up the hill this morning to haul down some lumber but it had not come.

THURSDAY 2, -- Went up after letters. Wrote a letter to Fred Drew and one to Farther.

FRIDAY 3, -- Commenced hauling down lumber this morning.

SATURDAY 4, -- Finished hauling down lumber this forenoon. Did not work this afternoon.  Went up to Columbia about night.

SUNDAY 5, -- Took a ride down to Sonora. We had quite a rain last night. (This last sentence is crossed out).

MONDAY 6, -- Weather is A getting cool.

TUESDAY 7, -- Did not work this afternoon.

WEDNESDAY 8, -- Done nothing to day.

THURSDAY 9, -- Went down to Sonora to the Republican convention. We had quite a shower last night.

FRIDAY 10, -- Worked this forenoon but had to wate for spouts this afternoon.

SATURDAY 11, -- Cool weather now.  Days feel like winter.

SUNDAY 12, -- Went up on Shaws Flat to day.

MONDAY 13, -- Went to work on the flume again this morning.

TUESDAY 14, -- Finished puting up boxes this afternoon.

WEDNESDAY 15, -- Caulked boxes to day.

THURSDAY 16, -- Did not work to day. Len went this morning after letters. Wrote to Charles Wadsworth and Sally Ann to day.

FRIDAY 17, -- Went to Sonora to day.

SATURDAY 18, -- Loafed around home today. 
    It is uncertain as to whether David had just given up working, or, more likely, the water conditions just didn't justify trying to "wash" the dirt on their river claim.

SUNDAY 19, -- Went up on shaw flat.

MONDAY 20, -- Commenced getting wood to day.

TUESDAY 21, -- Finished cutting wood and hauled it across the river.

WEDNESDAY 22, -- Sawed and split up our wood to day.

THURSDAY 23, -- Went up to Columbia this afternoon and got a tooth pulled.

FRIDAY 24, -- Rainey to day. Cut up a little pine wood.

SATURDAY 25, -- Had the tooth acre last night, and did not feel very well to day.

SUNDAY 26, -- Stayed at home to day for the first time in a good while.

MONDAY 27, -- Went up to the republican meeting this eavening but it did not come off.

TUESDAY 28, -- Went up to town this eavening.

WEDNESDAY 29, -- Went A gunning a little while.

THURSDAY 30, -- Went up on the Flat this afternoon.

FRIDAY 31, -- Went A gunning this morning and got a few quales.

Technorati Tags: David Lewis Drew,Gold Mining,Gold Rush,Lineagekeeper