Transcription
Cerro Gordo
22nd January 1871
Dear Fanny,
It is a long time since I have had the pleasure of hearing form you. I wrote you previous to Christmas and forwarded to you [via] Wells Fargo &Co. Express some specimens of silver from the ores of this place, and expected to have had a letter from you sooner. Else I would have wrote you some time ago.
In your last you wanted to know what I was doing at this place. You may remember that I told you some four months ago that I was Superintending the construction of smelting works to reduce the ores of this district, and I believe that I wrote you about their success. Well, I am still Superintending the works for the C. G. S. [Cerro Gordo Silver] Co. buying ores, assaying, etc. And you may be assured that I have enough to attend to, even more than I used to at Jordan Hill.
And now for how we spent the holidays. On Christmas I had an invitation to dine informally, where we had everything that could be procured at this outlandish place, and done as well as could be expected, for the turkey was excellent. On the Saturday following, parties here were fortunate to find some 40 chickens to shoot for. I had considerable to attend to that day, but found time enough to shoot four of them for dinner on New Year.
Now you will tell me what pleasant time you have had to parties on New Years, but I believe you mentioned that you were going to stay at home. But that may not be so, for certainly young ladies are not so plenty in that section that you would feel like staying at home on New Year, and presume you have had a pleasant time of it. Merry New Years calls and at some pleasant party in the evening. You will tell me all about it.
I have nothing of importance to write about. It is very dull here at present. I have been assaying all the evening. It is now after twelve o’clock night and I am really very tired, for when the furnace is running (as they are now) I hardly caught time to sleep.
You will do me a favor if you will write me a long and interesting letter. Something that is not quite as dull as this one, for one more such on my part and I will be accused of having a very long face again. Well it has got tolerably long the last week, and good cause for its being so. Please present my regards to all the family. Hoping that this will find you well and happy, and to hear from you soon.
Truly your friend in haste,
Jno. L. Porter
