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to be rich, But whether it will pay for working at the present prices of machinery labour &c or not is yet to be decided and in fact that is the case with nearly every species of mining, you have to risk a good deal in order to make any thing of consequence. Gold mining from beginning to end is a perfect gambling business, if you loose at all you are very apt to loose all you invest & if you make any thing it is apt to be something worth having; a miner may be rich to day and in a few weeks he may not be worth a dollar and work like a negro all the time. I have not done any thing at my profession since we left Washington; for it is rather inconvenient to attend to the Practice of Physic & dig in the earth at the same time; we will continue, mining as long as we remain in the country. We reced a letter from Mother yesterday, they had not heard of the death of Corydon Oliver; poor fellow he struggled hard in this country, to indemnify himself for his trip and after going through all that he did it seems hard for him to be cut off when so near the goal to which he was anxiously hastening. The health of this country generally, is very good & the the climate surpasses any I ever experienced. If every thing else in this country equaled the climate I should be conted to remain here as long as I live. But so long as the gold mines are here, just so long will society be corrupt. I was perfectly astounded when I heard of the affair between yourself & Stille, for I thought, he above all others would be the last man to injure you in any way, & ?less be guilty of the charges alleged against him; it appears that we know no one untill we have tried them fully & even

[written along left margin] I feel convinced that you will think differently of the matter after the explanations above made and that this will be the last misunderstanding of the kind that will ever occur between us. May prosperity and success in all your enterprises be your greatest curse. still yours &c T.J O.