.ODc5.NTU1OTE

rather a singular location, for any thing of that kind but you can better judge of that matter when you have a more correct statement of the case. Aunt Sophia, I hardly know how to thank you for the kind admonitions, contained in your letter, but you may rest assured that they will not soon be forgotten; on the contrary we will treasure them up and try to profit by them, for there is not place in the world, where good advice from a friend, is more needed than it is here. There is no restraint whatever upon the actions of men & the greatest wonder wonder is that affairs are not worse than they are. As a sample of the way things are carried on I will give you a specimen of what I saw on last Sunday afternoon, Sunday you must know is the principle business day of the week. On one square in the main business part of the city -- a minister mounted an empty goods box to preach a sermon to the crowd, as he said he could not get a congregation large enough to preach to at the church which was recently erected & while he was preaching 3 large gambling houses with splendid bands of music were in full blast within a few doors & the gingling of the specie on the monte tables & the sound of the music formed a strange contrast when compared with the voice of the minister preaching to the motley crowd in the open street while from numerous waggons loaded with goods men were auctioneering off the remnants of their stock. The next thing worthy of note was a crowd rushing out of one of the gaming houses pell mell some drunk & some sober, some bloody and others with their coats off ready for a fight, which had been commenced in the house and as usual ends in the street. Such scenes as these and many others are nothing unusual; of a Sunday more especially, but you can have no proper conception of these things unless youy were here to see for yourself & that of course would be the last thing you would think of. Jack & Frank wish to be remembered most affectionately to you both & say they will write soon. Give my respects to Helen and to all enquiring friends; be sure to write soon, and believe me to be as ever your affectionate nephew

                                                                                    Thomas J. Oxley.

Dr. T.? N. Oliver Mrs Sophia Oliver

P.S. I think uncle Harvey, if I know myself as I believe I do that you laboring under a false impression in regard, to the reference, made to the sale of the Columbia Property, in one of my letters home & I think you will certainly be of a different opinion when the matter is explained, for I am not in the habit of doing things underhandedly or without an assignable cause or reason, and as to my being ungenerous or ungrateful to you or any one else for any favours or assistance, I may have recived & more especially as it regards yourself, for you ought to know me well enough, to know that I shall allways (let my circumstances in life be what they may) consider myself largely indebted to you in point of gratitude at least. I will here give you the reason why I did it & hope it will be satisfactory. When I was starting to California last spring