Van Boskerck Letters (3), Bergen County, NJ ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Bob Stebbins (Medford, NJ), stebbins@cyberenet.net Formerly a Hackensack resident through High School. ==================================================================== The Family of Lucas Van Boskerck lived from the 1860's to 1915 on the river at River Road and Anderson Street. Their ancestors probably emigrated from Denmark or Holland in the early 18th century to Hoboken where they reportedly maintained ownership of several Ferry lines to Manhattan. There were four sons, Lucas, Abe, Cornelius and Robert, and a Daughter Harriet who never married. None of the sons had children. One son, Robert, a landscape artist, was elected a National Artist. His work was displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is contained in the National Academy of Design in New York City as well as several other prominent Museums through the country. The last surviving member of the family, Aunt "Hattie", lived with Bob Stebbins' Grandmother for the last 15 years of her life and is the original source of these letters. Corneill returned from California safely, without having made the anticipated fortune. Nothing is known of Abe's fate except that he did not return. Most of the family is buried in The Hackensack Cemetery. ==================================================================== The following letter is written on two linen-like sheets folded to make 4 pages per sheet about 7-1/2 by 9-1/2" per side, each impressed with an inkless stamp "B & G". Page 8 is the exterior, exposed to make the envelope, sealed with wax. There are no postage stamps but there is a cancellation stamp 1-5/16" Dia, San Francisco Cal around the inside of the circle, Sep 1 in center plus separate red ink numbers 1 inch high -"80" . Letter addressed to: L J Van Boskerck Esq Hoboken New Jersey or Care of Msrs. Brinker & Van Boskerck 146 Front Street New York ==================================================================== San Francisco, August 27, 1849 Dear Luke We arrived here on the 7th after a very long and tedious voyage of two hundred and three days from New York and all hands well, but I must say it did not appear so tedious to me on account of my being somewhat of a sailor and the rest of the passengers being landsmen. It was in the evening when we got in so I could not go to the Post Office until the next morning when I got several letters from home and amongst them one from my dear Father and Mother which made me very happy in hearing that they were well and all the rest of the family. By the by, your letters were dated in May and Mother's was dated in April. I also received one from my cousins in Orange as well as one from cousin John I mean Uncle John which I shall answer as soon as possible. I have nothing of consequence to tell you since we started from Valparaiso with the exception of our losing a man overboard just north of the Equator and having no South East trade winds which I believe occurred to most of the vessels that arrived here as it would take too long to enumerate the vessels that have arrived. All I can say is that a great many beat us and we beat a great many we made about the average passage. I hope you have received my letter from Valparaiso which I sent by the Sloop of War Dale. I might have sent it by way of Panama and Havana by the British Steamer but they charged me so much postage in advance that I sent it with the Dale. I must say that California is about the hardest looking place I was ever into. In the morning it is very foggy and warm until about 12:00 when it clears up and blows like the very old harry until sundown which makes it very unpleasant - there are a great many people here from all parts of the world and most of them live in tents as there are but very few wooden houses here yet and most of the places of business are nothing but joist stuck in the ground and canvas nailed around in all sorts of shapes just so as to make a place to get into. When we first got in the people ashore were dying off like pigs, and a great many do now, but the sickness is not quite so bad now. One instance is of a man lying a whole day in the streets dead and no one to bury him and another instance is of two or three lying dead in their tent until they were very near decaying. The diseases which are most prevalent here are the dysentary and what we call in North Carolina the Southern fever but you must have no fear of Abe and I as we take good care of ourselves. I must tell you that ? Schaffer on his arrival here separated from me and joined some three German shoemakers that came out with us but I think it is all for the best as I found him to be quite a different man on our passage out as I always thought and I was very sorry that you was quite so intimate with him as he contradicted me in many little things for instance as when I said that I paid my own passage he must tell the passengers you had to pay it and put me out in every thing. He also brought two boxes of segars with him and I smoked one occasionally and he must up and tell me that I was no gentleman to smoke his segars and not buy more for him to smoke he did not think at the time that he drank most of my brandy that I brought from home and I gave him the priviledge of using anything that I had but I said nothing to all this but was determined to part with him at San Francisco, but on our arrival there he made the proposition to do so and I was very glad of it so we parted good friends he to do his best and I to do mine. This all happened after our departure from Valpariaso and I think the reason of it was that he got acquainted on board of ship with some two or three perfect pukes who did not like me and they on their arrival left him in the lurch. The business here is carried on very briskly and its every man for himself. A young man coming here without some money has no chance but can nevertheless do very well every body here works rich and poor and the wages now are 8 dollars per day just over half what they were some 2 months ago but then provisions are high if you want to buy by retail, and if a man comes here from city they wont buy of you if you don't sell them below city prices. The cost of houses or I must say tents are enormous being eight hundred dollars per month and that being payable in advance so you see there is nothing for a young man without money to do but to sacrifice his goods if he has any. this is in the town but above that is government land where most all of the people who come out here encamp and this place they call happy valley but it is far from being very happy you can go there any time and pick up cart loads of wearing apparel that has been thrown away by people going to the mines and not able to carry it with them the freight being very high. I am at present working on board of ship helping to discharge cargo, it being so very unhealthy at the mines that I thought it best to stay here until it got to be a little more healthy there and then go and do my best which I think will be by the first of September. This is the greatest place I ever saw for making and spending money. A great many young men come out here and see what kind of place it is and get discouraged and then fall to drinking and gambling and I assure you that there are now some twenty or more houses of that sort in this place and they are crowded from morning until night and I believe the whole night through. The Steamer Panama arrived here a few days ago and I received your kind letter of 28th June informing me of your recovery of the severe attack of rheumatism that you had and of Father and Mother being rather unwell but I hope it is nothing serious. I was very sorry to hear of the deaths in our little place by the Cholera and particularly that of Mr. Chamberlain but I hope there will be no more. You wrote me in one of your letters of our worthy Mr. Burnham and Henry Classen's departure from home for this place since that time the Helena has arrived and I saw young Henry once and only once as I pass my time entirely on board until my departure for the gold region. I am afraid that I shall loose somewhat by my small consignment as I cannot afford to pay $800 for a new tent in the town but I shall do my best and I think that is all that can be asked of me. I have not received my bill of lading for the tents by the Bark Keoka though she had not arrived but I hope to receive them in time. I understand by your first letter that Myers Anderson is married and I congratulate him on his happy union for I think that Louise must make him so if any one can (two ups and one down - good) and tell him that I say the least thing he might do would be to write me a few lines and send me a whole ginger nut for they are very scarce here and tell John to write to for I have no other friends and I should be very glad to hear from all if they if they think that there will be too many letters let them all write a letter in the same letter and I suppose I must take up with that. The postscript of your first was written by one of my kindest friends and I assure you it was received with pleasure. Jennie remarks that she thinks I would not be surprised at her writing and concludes that I have not forgotten her which is the case for I very often think of her and the rest of the family with the greatest of pleasure. She also tells me she intends visiting Mother which your letter by the Panama tells me she has done and also enjoyed herself which I am very glad to hear. I hope Jane, Kate and ??? have not forgotten me and I think the least they all could do would be to join and all write a letter in the same letter. I hope Father and Mother will write to me again for I like to see their handwriting very much. You must write to Uncle Mitchel and the rest and give my love to all my western relations. When you write to me address your letters to the care of Mr. R H Taylor and Co as I think it the best for the mines are some 120 miles from here and when I once get there I shant come down to the town very often but I suppose there are a great many people going and returning. I shall have plenty of chance to write and receive letters from home. You can tell any of my friends that think of coming to California that they had better stay at home for they will get nothing here but poor living and the hard ground to sleep on which I think is not very pleasant to most people and I think Mr. Burnham will wish he had never come for the board here is very high a working man cant get board less than $16 per week and the larger houses charge $40 dollars or more and get no vegetables whatever on the table except potatoes which cost some 50 cents per pound and onions which cost 50 cents a piece for a decent size one. I said before that the most prevalent diseases are dysentery and fever but I think rum and gambling kill more than the first. I saw the other day the schooners J M Ryerson & Genl Morgan and I must tell you that small schooners from 70 to 80 tons bring from 20 to 30 thousand dollars while good ships only bring some 5 or 6 and there are now some 200 lying here that cant get away for want of men. The small vessels are used for running up the Sacramento for they can only carry 7 feet of water up and they make from 5 to 6 thousand dollars in a week but this will soon stop as there are vessels arriving every day and they will over do the matter. A great many people go from here to the mines and come right back without doing anything for the work and privations are most too hard for them. As I have nothing more to say worthwhile I shall close but you may think I have exaggerated a little in my letter but I tell you nothing but the truth dear Luke and so I must end by saying that you must consider this letter as my others to all the family for I think there is no use writing so many letters to the same purpose. Give my love to all of the family and friends and tell them to write as I proposed. Also give my love to all the friends and relations Van Boskercks and tell Uncle Mike and Aunt Sally they must write to me. Abe and I are both very well at present and hope to continue so. so I remain your affectionate Brother, Corn. Van Boskerck (in California) You must not expect so long a letter next time as this one and you must excuse the writing for my hand is rather stiff by working. P.S. Dear Luke just tell Cousin John that I would write to him now but it would be the same that I write to you and you can tell him all but that I will write at some future time when something new happens that will do just as well. The steamer Panama starts tomorrow give my love to Father, Mother, sisters and all friends. I would ask Grandmother to write but I believe that she cannot. I remain Corn. Van Boskerck