2516
San Francisco,CA - 9 April 1850 - Gold Rush Letter :
Currency:USD
Category:Collectibles / Historical Memorabilia
Start Price:300.00 USD
Estimated At:600.00 - 1,200.00 USD
SOLD
700.00USD+ (122.50) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2011 Mar 16 @ 19:00UTC-7 : PDT/MST
Did you win this lot?
A full invoice should be emailed to the winner by the auctioneer within a day or two.
From Harvey Chapman to his wife Caroline who is living in Ohio. On yellowing letter sheet with some holes at the folds. Written in black ink. An interesting read. While Harvey could write, many of the words are spelled phonetically. It will take readers a few minutes to acclimate themselves to his writing style when they begin to read the document, but the letter is easily read once readers understand Harvey’s unique spelling style.
As soon as Harvey got off the boat at San Francisco “Californy,” as he spells it, he wrote to his wife to let her know of his safe arrival and good health after being at sea for ninety days from Panama. He also sent her a letter from Panama and from a port stop in Mexico, so she should expect to receive them. He is also very anxious to hear from her. He hopes he has a letter awaiting him at Sacramento when he gets there. He told Caroline that he will not gamble with the gold he finds as he has already met a man who had $3,000.00, “which he dug in one month,” but lost it all gambling. He heard about another man who came to the mines with nothing and “could not be touched for fifty thousand” now. He also heard one man “dug up $7,000.00 in one day.“ All he wants is to make enough to build her a little house and set himself up in business. The 1880 U. S. Census records he was a jeweler.
Harvey’s words express great empathy for his wife. He obviously loves his wife and “sweet child” (a female) he left behind (the 1850 U. S. Census reports Caroline and her daughter Sarah, who was two, living with the Beal family in Springfield, Richmond, Ohio). He asks Caroline to bear it all, as he feels sorry for her, until he comes home. Harvey gives Caroline instructions to pray with "the child" and to not forget to pray herself. Harvey also reminds Caroline to take good care of herself. He has received a present of a homemade Bible from a friend he traveled with. He asks her forgiveness for all his faults but he reassures her that he will be faithful to her while “in this strange land.”
His companions were the "Kenton Boys." These men may have formed a corporation back home in Kenton, Ohio, as many did before coming to the mines in California. It also was nice to have familiar faces with which to share the highs and lows of the adventure. The men most likely had culture shock when they arrived in California and the mines as Kenton, while the county seat of Hardin County in Ohio, was a small town. It was a farming community in Harvey’s time and newly incorporated as a city in 1845 [http://www.kentoncity.com/history.htm].
U. S. Census records show that Harvey lived in Kenton, Hardin County, Ohio later after returning from the Gold Rush. Harvey assured Caroline he would not be in "Californy" long because men can “make a fortune in a short time.” He recounts the costs of food items to his wife. He says he is meeting people from every country in the world. His letter closes by telling Caroline he is on his way to the Southern “diggins” [sic] on the San Joaquin River. He begs her to take comfort in the fact he will be home soon. He signs the letter “yours most sincerely and affectionately for [sic] ever.” With all the wonderful news the letter contains, all the hope his heart contains for finding a fast fortune, and all the words of affection Harvey lavishes on Caroline and their daughter, he knows his wife cannot read well and will not get but half of the letter read. Sweetly, he promises to read every one of them to her when he returns home.
Auction Location:
Each session will be held at different locations, Sacramento, California, 95815, United States
Previewing Details:
The auction for session C will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center 1400 J Street 95814 Room #308. Previews for this session will be on Tuesday March 15th from 12pm to 6pm, and on Wednesday March 16th from 10am to 4pm at the Convention Center in Room #310.
Tax Details: Nevada sales tax will be added to all orders pick up at our location in Reno, NV or shipped to an address in Nevada unless a valid resale certificate is provided prior to invoicing. California sales tax will be added to all orders picked up in California or shipped to an address in California unless a valid resale certificate is provided prior to invoicing. Resale certificates can be faxed to 775-852-8866 BEFORE the auction closes.
Taxes:
| Tax | Rate | Desc. |
| NST |
7.725% |
Nevada Sales Tax: |
| CST |
8.75% |
California Sales Tax: |
| CSTx |
9% |
California Sales Tax |
Buyer's Premiums:
| From (Incl.) | To (Excl.) | Premium |
| 0.00 |
Infinite |
17.5% |
Additional Fees:
Shipping Details:
Shipping will be calculated prior to invoicing, based on the size and weight of your purchase. A $5
handling fee will be included in the shipping charge. The customer is responsible for all shipping charges.
We do not ship any purchases until the auction invoice is paid in full. Purchases will be shipped via
our approved, insured carriers, Federal Express or the US Postal Service. All items shipped Federal
Express will be insured for the full value determined at auction by Holabird-Kagin Americana at no
extra cost to the buyer. Federal Express shipments will be sent the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday
following receipt of payment. Pick up is available from our Reno Office the next business day after
the auction. NOTE: Some shipments (of unusual size, dimension or weight) may require special
handling for which individual costs will be calculated and applied to the shipping charge on the invoice.
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1. This is a Live Auction which includes an important Mail Bid/Absentee Only Section.
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From: To: Increment:
$0 $29 $1
$30 $95 $5
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$200 $475 $25
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20. Shipping: Shipping will be calculated prior to invoicing, based on the size and weight of your purchase. A $5 handling fee will be included in the shipping charge. The customer is responsible for all shipping charges. We do not ship any purchases until the auction invoice is paid in full. Purchases will be shipped via our approved, insured carriers, Federal Express or the US Postal Service. All items shipped Federal Express will be insured for the full value determined at auction by Holabird-Kagin Americana at no extra cost to the buyer. Federal Express shipments will be sent the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday following receipt of payment. Pick up is available from our Reno Office the next business day after the auction. NOTE: Some shipments (of unusual size, dimension or weight) may require special handling for which individual costs will be calculated and applied to the shipping charge on the invoice.
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