Handwritten letter from man in the "Redwoods" of California to his brother in Austinburg, Ohio giving details of his trip with companions to the West Coast, including places and dates of departure. He recounts leaving New York on Feb. 9 and arriving in Greytown [likely Nicaragua] on Feb. 19. They then took a boat up river to cross the Isthmus leaving San Juan, Del Sur on the Steamship Cortez on the morning of the 23rd. He writes that he saw whales on the trip and arrives in San Francisco on March 7 where they stayed the night at the Commercial Hotel. The next day they left by stage coach for "the redwoods" where they had "no trouble finding the boys" who were working in a steam sawmill and told discouraging stories about the state of mining. He asks that his brother tell the young men in his town to not bother coming to California due to the difficult economic conditions. He requests that a return letter be directed to Woodside, Calif. Includes a photocopy of the original mailing envelope addressed from Woodside, Calif.
