Vanhuschal, an emigrant to Colorado, likely during the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush, writes his sister, seeking financial assistance, and informing her of his movements:

         “Dear Sister,

              I take the present opportunity of writing you a few lines to tell you I am in excellent health and have been ever since I left you may have thought strange that I have not written before this time but the reason why I did not write was I could not write anything good I should like to have heard how thing were going before this but had almost determined to never come back to the States until my circumstances were altered. I have been in the Rocky Mountains ever since I left home excepting last winter I was in New Mexico. I started for there this winter But hearing of very unfavorable reports from there the Company I started with concluded to come to the Missouri River I am here at Weston at present about out of money and can not get any thing to do as times are very hard here at present. I want you to send me twenty five or thirty dollars if you can get it for me any way or more if you can get it as my clothes are not as good as I would wish for. I will come home as soon as possible and return the money as quick as I can get it, if I am worth anything in the States yet I want to settle up my business and sell out or get it in a proper shape as I expect to try my luck again in the Gold Regions. I should not have been in need of money if I had known at Denver City that I was coming to the States as I could have come through a great deal cheaper and quicker some other way as we were 42 days in getting through at an expense of about a dollar a day each besides losing considerable on our team and out fit there was five of us in company and we used about three lbs Flour a day to the man I weighed 174 lbs yesterday.

               I shall not write any more at present as it would not be any use in trying to tell my travels in a letter I had kept a memorandum for five or six months but lost it. I want you to send the money immediately if you can get it if you do not send it I wish you would write soon and let me know so that I would know what to depend on. Give my love to all my friends as I do not know who is living or dead this is the first letter that I have written since I have left home therefore please excuse all mistakes…”