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Gov. John Jones Letterbook with 443 letters NV - , - 1891-1896 - 2012aug - General Americana

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Western Americana Start Price:1,250.00 USD Estimated At:2,500.00 - 5,000.00 USD
Gov. John Jones Letterbook with 443 letters NV - , - 1891-1896 - 2012aug - General Americana
Invoicing and lot pick up will NOT be available at the live auction.
Governor John E. Jones was Governor of Nevada from 1894 until his death in 1896. The press book contains approximately 443 letters, most hand-written but some typed, spanning the 6 years prior to his death. These are some of the last letters Jones ever wrote. Jones meticulously indexed every letter in the front of the book, all of which are listed alphabetically by surname and page number. Jones was born in Wales in 1840 and immigrated with his family to the United States in 1856, settling in Iowa. Following his graduation from the University of Iowa, John headed West and taught school. While in Colorado he became a farmer and miner and, in 1869, joined up with the Union Pacific Railroad and worked on the track for the transcontinental railroad through Wyoming. He moved further west into Nevada where he became surveyor-general for Nevada in 1886 and governor in 1894. One of the interesting letters contained in the press book is on page 123, a 3-page letter dictated to N. Davies of Eureka, NV and dated 26 January 1893. It regards a mining case in which the men are involved in a hearing before the Supreme Court. Jones writes, in part: "…the decision of the Supreme Court does not give the ledge or ore-body in question or any part of it to the Tunnel company (Prospect Mountain Tunnel Co.), but merely sends the Case back for a new trial for `errors` committed by the Court below in its charge to the Jury…Genl. Clark has no doubt about winning the case should it be tried again." He continues: "In reference to the proposed incorporation, he thinks (Genl. Clark), that it would be wise and is willing if terms can be agreen upon to join us in it and take shares in whole or in part for his work. He thinks well of the Colorado mine and further believes that the Colorado Mine will get the Tunnel for the Judgment it will recover. In which event he thinks the property will be very valuable, as it could be worked through the Tunnel. In this contemplated scheme of incorporation, I wish to state to you that I propose to have it so arranged that we cannot be frozen out in the Colorado mine." -59898