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[Ashley & William Hibbard]

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Fort Townsend, Washington Territory

Feby [February] 7th 1859

Dear Brothers,

It is now more than two years since I have received a letter from you, or have written to you. This is not right, we should correspond once a year at the least, but I suppose that you like myself, have been your whole time, so occupied with business, that although you have often thought of me, and, determined to write to me when you would have leisure, yet the time has insensibly passed away, and the letters are still unwritten. I do not seek to excuse myself but my sittuation [situation] has been one that has been calculated to render me in a great measure, selfish and indifferent even to the claims which [ ] those who are near and dear to me have upon a portion of my time, for, the last ten years of my life have been passed as you may say, outside of civilization striving to acquire that which would enable me to go back and pass my days away you whom I treat with such inexcusable neglect but for whom God knows my heart beats with warm affection. I have been in this Territory for the past three years, and have been doing better than I did in California as I have made over a thousand dollars a year

which I have invested in land that is daily increasing in value. I have been doing business here for a house in San Francisco. The firm of A.M. Gilman and Co, I have had a great deal of hard work to do as I have the whole of the Puget Sound to travel over once a month. Our business has been jobbing goods to traders. We have our depot at this place, and have a Schooner of fifty tons with which we travel about the Sound. For the past three or four months I have been the most of the time at Victoria, and, Fort Langley in Brittish [British] Columbia. It was my intention to have closed up my business here this winter, and to have returned to Canada in the Spring, but since the discovery of Gold in Brittish [British] Columbia Gilman, &, Co will not consent to my leaving, and as I have had sole management of of the business they have offered to sell it out to me. I do not yet know whether I shall buy them out or not, but I have decided to remain as I am with them a few months longer until I can decide what I had better do. I have purchased six town lots at Fort Langley, and on hundred lots in the Town of Semiahmoo twelve miles from Langley and on the American side. It has the finest harbour [harbor] of any place on the Sound, and is destined soon to be a place of importance.

I wish very much to go home and be once more, with those of you that are left but I must defer it a while longer. I trust that you will write me immediately on receipt of this for I am very anxious to hear from home once more. Give my kindest regards and sincerest love to our dear parents if yet living and tell them that I will write to them soon

Give my love to all, kiss your wives, and babies for me, as I cannot be there to do it for my self. And hoping that the Almighty Ruler of all things is granting you all health and prosperity, and that he will yet permit us to meet again. I remain my dear Brothers

Ever

Your Affectionate

Brother

Augustin Hibbard

Ashley Hibbard [Esqr]

&

Wm. [William ] R. Hibbard [Esqr]

Montreal

Canada East

Location

Port Townsend, Washington Territory

Date Original

2-7-1859

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Source

MSS2.H621 HIBBARD, AUGUSTIN GOLD RUSH LETTERS

Owning Institution

University of the Pacific Library Holt-Atherton Special Collections.

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Letter from Augustin Hibbard to [Ashley & William Hibbard] Feb. 7

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