278 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE 



June 30th, 1853. My life as a hand-cart-man has some- 

 thing romantic about it. I reside in a vacant store on 

 Market street, the use of which Neuhaus had proffered 

 me. My furniture consists of a mattress, a plain table 

 and a box to sit on. Breakfast and supper are home- 

 made, and dinner is mostly procured at a restaurant. 

 Not being strong enough to take heavy burdens, my earn- 

 ings are naturally very small. I make on an average two 

 dollars a day. Have managed to pay for the cart and a 

 few minor debts and bought some clothes. 



July 7th, 1853. Saulmann offered me a position as 

 hotel-waiter with Louis Etonbleau in Alameda. Salary 

 fifty dollars and board, which I accepted. Good bye, 

 Hand-cart!— Arriving at my new station, I encountered 

 some difficulty, as I told the employer that I was but an 

 apprentice in that position and had it not been for his 

 kind-hearted Hamburg wife, he would have surely sent 

 me away. As it happened, he engaged me at forty dol- 

 lars a month, on trial. The hotel is situated on the bor- 

 der of the magnificent oak-forest, about half a mile from 

 San Leandro Creek. There are but few houses in the 

 neighborhood. 



August 19th, 1853. Every thing goes smoothly. The 

 Etonbleau family and assistants are very congenial peo- 

 ple, mostly French. Strangers are seldom seen on week- 

 days and our table-guests are mostly the artisans from 

 the neighboring buildings, and other toilers. Sunday is 

 our busy day. Plenty of light work, incomparably health- 

 ful air and good, substantial food have brought back my 

 old strength, for which I am infinitely thankful. — Griin- 

 hagen is still in Pajaro ; both the town and this inhabitant 

 have changed their name and will henceforth be known as 

 Henry Jackson of Watsonville, Cal. As Americans in- 

 variably mispronounced his name, friend Griinhagen 

 conceived the idea of adopting the maiden-name of his 

 mother. 



Here follows one of the few remaining letters. 



