Lot
11 
Culloma, Alta Cal./40 (El Dorado). Rare integral rate postmark in red (Williams ELD-420) on 1850 blue folded letter to Maine, letter dateline "South Fork of the American River", lengthy letter which talks of the arduous journey to California & the lost of his wife & mining, "The miners here are managing 4 or 5 dollars a day, some are doing better than this, and many worse. The mines are all crowded with men and they are still flooding in by hundreds almost daily, a very large majority of whom, to be sadly disappointed. You doubtless still continue to hear flattering accounts of fortunes made in California in a short time - but then I presume you seldom see a view of the other side of the picture." etc., minor cover stain, Very Fine. Estimate $400 - 600.
Realized: $525
Lot
12
Culloma, Alta Cal./12½ (El Dorado). Rare integral rate postmark in red (Williams ELD-430) on 1850 blue folded letter to San Francisco, miner's letter which mentions, "We have done much better so far this month, than last, one hole we sunk, and got out considerable of the article, including one lump worth 33 Dollars"… (Letter transcribed), Very Fine and rare, ex-Kutz. Estimate $400 - 600.
Realized: $950
Lot
13
Culloma, Alta Cal./40 (El Dorado). Integral rate cds (Williams ELD-410) in red on 1850 folded letter to Illinois, miner's letter datelined "Cold Springs, 50 Miles of Sac. City, Aug. 10th, 1850", with interesting mining & merchants contents, folded letter discolored, Fine. Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $120
Lot
14
Culloma, Alta Cal. (El Dorado). Postmark in red (Williams ELD-410) on blue 1851 folded letter to Auburn, Cal. with matching "12½" rate marking in red, manuscript notation "Missent", however there is no indication as to where it was missent, letter regarding the schedule of the Court, two light vertical file folds (one through cds), Very Fine and rare. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $525
Lot
15
Culloma, Cal. (El Dorado). Blue postmark (Williams ELD-450) on five stampless covers/folded letters from the "Snyder" correspondence, two originate from Coloma and three originate from the East, all have been forwarded and have handstamped or manuscript forwarding markings, one of the two covers originating from Coloma is a folded letter franked with 1851 3¢ dull red pair (cancelled by blue grid, some defects) datelined "Empire Canyon, El Dorado, County, Cal./Feb. 2nd, 1853", mixed condition, an interesting group. Estimate $500 - 750.
Realized: $260
Lot
16
The D. B. Pratt correspondence (El Dorado). A fantastic Miner's correspondence from 1852-56 addressed to Grand Isle, Vermont, the group consisting of 39 letters (7 with matching covers) and additional 5 covers, the letters are datelined from such wonderful places as Bludy (sic) Gulch, Brownsville, Coloma, Diamond Springs, Forks of Macasmes, Georgetown, Indian Creek, Jones Hill, Slug Gulch, etc., the best of the letters is a lengthy letter datelined "Diamond Springs, Feb. 20th, 1853" regarding gold mining and the hardships of the voyage across the Plains, "We left St. Joseph the 20th of May and the first that we lay by was on the big Blue. There I was attacked there with the cholera, but by good attendance I got along and in a few days felt as well as ever. The next stream of any importance was the little Blue. Here it was very sickly. We passed as high as 21 new graves in a day. It was the worst sight I ever witnessed. Men, women and children were dying. Train after train would stop to bury their dead, then drive on.", the letter continues with much detail of crossing Toll bridge at Fort Laramie, crossing the Rockies, seeing Chimney Rock, etc., some better California covers accompany the letters including the only recorded "Bottle Hill" manuscript postmark (Williams ELD-160), plus three "Bottle Hill, Cal." rimless cds postmarks (Williams ELD-170), one stampless, one with stamp replaced & one missing stamp, other postmarked covers include Culloma, Diamond Springs, Georgetown, etc., Very Fine, a great lot for the California Postal Historian. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
Lot
17
Diamond Springs, Cal. (El Dorado). Double circle postmark (Williams ELD-720) with manuscript date at center on 1853-55 6¢ Nesbitt entire to New York with original 1854 enclosure giving in depth description of gold mining techniques and writer's success at mining, a 2nd entire is included from the same correspondence used from San Francisco in 1859 on 1853-55 10¢ Nesbitt entire with original enclosure, writer mentions that he is about to move to the Southern Mines where he expects to do better, some wear affecting entires & 6¢ with tear affecting indicia, F.-V.F., a nice pair of covers. Estimate $150 - 200.
Realized: $290
Lot
18
Diamond Springs, Cal. (El Dorado). Blue double circle postmark (Williams ELD-720) with manuscript date at center on cover to Connecticut franked with 1851 1¢ type IV (small margin tear) + 3¢ dull red strip of 3 all with manuscript cancels, Very Fine, a scarce California Postal History item, pictured in Letters of Gold. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $650
Lot
19
Diamond Springs, Cal. (El Dorado). Double circle postmark (Williams ELD-720) with manuscript date at center on cover to Ohio with matching "Paid" in double oval handstamp with manuscript "6" rate, minor wear & soiling, Very Fine. Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $220
Lot
20
Diamond Springs, Cal. (El Dorado). Blue double circle postmark (Williams ELD-720) with manuscript date at center on cover to Yuba City with manuscript "5" rate, small stain at bottom left, Very Fine and attractive. Estimate $200 - 300.