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CA - Yankee Hill,Butte County - 1859 - “Free” Cover and Mining Letter

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Western Americana Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 200.00 USD
CA - Yankee Hill,Butte County - 1859 - “Free” Cover and Mining Letter
Session D is a Mail-Bid Only Auction. Absentee bids will be accepted only. No live bidding will be allowed. All winners will be contacted after the auction. BIDDING ENDS MONDAY JUNE 27 AT 5PM PACIFIC TIME!!!
A rare piece of postal history. While the U. S. Congress had established the use of postal stamps by law in March of 1847, the rate continued to be free for drop letters mailed at the office of "delivery" for the addressee to pick up at the same office. Also the service was offered between post offices for official business. This letter is from Mary Dewey in Marblehead, Ohio (and postmarked in Sandusky on 12 December) to her brother Hiram H. Clemens at Yankee Hill, who was the postmaster there [Ref: www.archive.org/stream/cihm_18390/cihm_18390_djvu.tx]. Thus, this is why the letter is marked free. In a previous letter, Clemens had asked Dewey to move to California to be with him. Apparently, her husband died and left her with small children. Dewey said “I have thought the matter over and come to the conclusion I cant [sic] come.” Dewey worried about having to sell personal items such as her mother’s bed in order to move. She worried about the move in general and affect it would have on the family’s health. And, as she said, if she got there she doubted she would ever see home again. She would rather stay and struggle than move. She goes on to talk about Clemens’ collecting money from people in the area who owe him and that maybe he should handle it directly. A very readable, poignant letter. The hand written letter is on white, lined paper, and folded in half to make it 3 pages long. The cover is torn on its left side. It also has foxing and two or three water marks. Good condition overall.