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83 Sunday January 6th 1850

The commencement of a year - produces a feeling of singularity in our breasts. The change of date comes unnatural - the old order is broken up. Every date reminds us that life is progressing - and that every new date adds to our accumulating years. This year the change is more than usual - the order of 40s has gone - 50's has commenced. Another 10 years fled - another 10 years before us - what shall they produce? And every new date - gives more antiguity to those gone by. 1837 tis long - long ago - it returns only in dim shaws. 1827 'tis gone altogether. Years tread on years - producing and destroying each other. The past week has been rather rainy. Winds very light and from the west and North West. Still the temperature is agreeable - neither [?] nor heat befalling us. Donned my new canvass trousers. This is a new production of my hands - and adding as it does to the class of articles made - adapted to the wants of man - places me among the valuable class of men - viz - the producers. According to Political Economists therefore I have benifitted the human race - ie: myself. But I have not benifitted Neighbor: having deprived him of the pleasure of taking $16.00 from me for a pair of moleskin. A circumstance of California complexion - occurred the other day - of rather interesting nature. Neighbor received a quantity of Sandwich Island sweet potatoes. A miner coming into the store - held up one and asked the clerk what he would take for it - $1.50 he replied. Done said the miner. The potatoe was weighed and the clerk found he had lost .75 cts on the trade. How curious that sounds .75 cts lost on the sale of a single potatoe. But "potatoes are potatoes" on Mormon Island as Neighbor says. They feel now [?] ones of 8/ per llb. Irish 6/. Beautiful Agricultural Country this. The Texain farmer paid $120.00 for his feed potatoes. Williams made me a present to day of a boiled Sweet Potatoe. How nice it did taste! How prodigally have I eaten them in Albany and knew not their worth! California will yet make me repent and confess my many misappreciated enjoyments.