A NEW YEAR

Jan 1--'Will' went to Kingman to see about trunks.

Jan. 2, Sun.--Frightened last night on being awakened by firing of pistols just outside the house; two men from Kingman out to locate mines just after 12 at night; came in and treated to wine; 'Will' came home this eve no better.

Jan. 3--Baked and washed.

Jan. 4--Tom Burke moved down from Stockton, will be here now. Bought some hay for 'Will's horse from two Indians--two bits for bundle--got beat.

Jan. 5--Baked pies and read the papers; no one here--weather still fine and dry.

Jan. 6--Weather same--reading--cooking.

Jan. 7--Chief Scherum stopped to talk White Man hico [?]--'Will' out to the Park with Bill for groceries to send to Sac [?]--got letters

Jan. 8--Warm and dry. Could see it raining at Hackberry 20 miles away--windy.

Jan. 9, Sun.--Getting colder--a little ice on water bucket outdoors--Jim went to hunt--got 9 quail and a road-runner--was reading all day.

Jan. 10--Tom and Jim took the horn and went 7 miles up the valley to locate spring--found water enough to do 2000 head of cattle--put up monuments to witness at each corner of claim--put notices in tin can at first monument.

Jan. 11--Washed all day and baked--cold for here but not too cold to wash outdoors and in cold water.

Jan. 12--Baked, canned strawberries and blackberries and had quail pot pie for dinner; 'Will' burning charcoal--rest working at mine--Tom says he saw Hualipi Charley riding up to C.O.D. mine with his squaw walking behind carrying props--went to the camp and found 11 dead Indians--they let the packers alone after that.

Jan. 13--Clear--cooked--fixed Tom's pillow and wrote two letters.

Jan. 14--Warm- Indian Bob brought cloak--not quite what I expected--cost $5.--bought. Saw Sherum's boy, good looking and well dressed and riding good horse--'Will' went to shelter--baked, done house work and wrote two more letters.

Jan. 15--'Will' went to Park--got some papers and letters--not all we expected--got bill for goods from Frisco--went over to I.O.U. mine and got some nice cacti to take home.

Jan. 16--Windy but clear--Boys went to see the Penawa spring; the Indians claim most same name (?) meet there in the valley and wanted to know why Hico dig so much Indian spring; they claim most of the springs but as they are not on their reservation they can't hold them but the boys think best to give them something for their claim rather than to get their ill will. Mr. Gray came over from Sander today; he brought me some rich specimens.

Jan. 17-Bright and fair--'Will' went to Kingman to see about the goods brought over and see to getting an assay of the mineral Jim and John got out of I.O.U.--they finished the assaysment [sic] work on it at noon and began on the Westmoreland; baked bread and pressed some flowers and plants; had quail pot pie. Old Chief Scherum and one of his squaws brought some hay--six bundles on a horse and she was carrying two--they are to weigh 25 lbs. apiece but do not always hole [sic] out; he said the squaw had got the hay 14 miles out in the valley--squaw walked heap much; heap much tired--pretty soon Indian bring no more hay--too far in valley. I took four bundles--two bits per bundle and they took the other four to Stockton--they stopped on their way back--him riding--she walking--she knocked at door--I went to the door---she laughed and looked frightened--he said you give squaw sugar--papoose--squaw no milk for papoose--must have sugar--wanted me to put it in the corner of a dirty flour sack she had around her shoulders--I put it in a tin can.

Jan. 18--Still clear and windy--cooking and reading--'Will' came home from Kingman with the news that our provisions were burned--and he had [to] eat on the way--ordered the ____tile sent C.O.D.

Jan. 19--Cool--no sign of rain--doing house work--Tom got home a tarantula--in his prospect hole--it is lively--Tom says it holds more poison than a rattler--put it in a small tin box to take home.

Jan. 20--Cloudy this morning but clear and warm this afternoon. Baked and washed outdoors as usual.

Jan. 21--Clear and bright. 'Will' went out into the valley today to hunt his horse--did not get him--but got one cottontail and six quail.

Jan. 22--Clear and cold though not freezing; 'Will' did not get his horse yet--now working in Westmoreland. Squaw and papoose and a little boy stopped at cabin today--had two horses--papoose had beads and cunningest little pants of red and black color--held it till squaw got on horse--she had its ears pierced and a string through and bunches of black and white beads tied to them.

Jan. 23, Sun.--Bright and warm--went over the mountan to C.O.D. mine by trail--a hard climb-sometimes going north--sometimes south--all the time going up--found the men all at work--about seventy--they were putting up the engine--expect to have it in operation this week--they have seven houses--many tints [sic] expect to do a big biz.

Jan. 24--Cloudy and windy--sunshine this afternoon--never any frost here.

Jan. 25--Windy--washed and baked.

Jan. 26--Warmer--men still working on mine--heard first mine whistle--in basin at C.O.D. mine.

Jan. 27--'Will' went to the valley to hunt his horse--did not get it--Worp [?] moved to town--he had a job of packing ore--would put a sack of 200 lbs. on the biggest squaw and one apiece for the others--he has three. Chief Scherum has six--he was thrown from a breaking horse and almost killed. The Indians buried him in mud up to his neck and left him three days--Jim saw him in the mud--he got well rapidly--Col. Harvey packed merchandise through from the circle they had--the Indians would steal his pack mules--he put up a job on them--loaded a poor old horse--doctored some--sugar and other things to--got the driver a good horse and sent him through--the Indians held him up and he took back on his good horse; they took the pack home. [ evidently loaded with bad ore or stones ]. Will begin work tomorrow on the Rainbow mine.

Jan. 28--Some ice in bucket outside--warm and bright in afternoon. Two young bucks passed--had not got 'Will's' horse yet.

Jan. 29--Very warm--sun as hot as summer--men still at work in mine. Baked pies and washed--got yucca roots and powdered them to wash on Monday.

Jan. 30, Sun.--Weather fine--spent the day reading and cooking.

Jan. 31--Quite cold--thought would have to wash in the house but was warm enough to wash out by the time got the work done--had several squaws and kids here today--could talk and motion--seeming to understand some.