Lot 47
(Letters) 1856 San Diego Letter. Wonderful letter brother to sister (in New England), full of humor, describing his activities in this "stupid country", taking an excursion to San Pedro Harbor and thence by carriage to Los Angeles, where they were deposited in front of the Bella Union Hotel - "Do not picture to yourself rooms at the St. Nicholas in New York" There was a "crowd of lazy Yankees sitting about the halls and every one of them was exhibiting his nationality by whittling - all the benches, chairs and posts were completely whittled away - this listless crowd seemed to be the idlers of the place, and showed no indication of energy, till the dinner bell rang, when all suddenly manifested the utmost competition in their efforts to be first at table…." And so goes the letter, with extensive descriptions of the ranches and orange orchards and traveling back to San Diego by land - full of amusing anecdotes. (no photo).Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $350
Lot 48
(Letters) 1857 J.W. Denver/Pacific Mail Steamship Company. Interesting group of 3 letters, including "Sept 28 1857" on Pacific Mail Steamship Company letterhead to J.W. Denver, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, signed by Wm. H. Davidge, regarding renewal of mail contracts for transporting mail from and to California via the Isthmus of Panama; one letter is to Denver at Leavenworth, Kansas Terr., the others to him at Washington, D.C; covers accompany (no photo).Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $400
Lot 49
(Letters) California Gold Rush Letters. Six letters; including letter datelined "North Fork of the Sacramento River or the American Branch of the Sacramento River, Painted Post Bar, Sept 17th, 1849" with content regarding mining and doing well for several weeks, friends getting scurvy form the voyage from Panama, etc., 1854 letter from Mormon Island from a general merchant, 1860 letter and cover from Yuba, 1854 letter from French Corral regarding the overland trip out to California, 1860 letter from Indian Valley regarding buy out a claim, and a 1853 letter from Petaluma City to Genl.Vallejo in San Francisco (no photo).Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $500
Lot 50
(Letters) Los Angeles Mexican War Military Cover, 1847. 1847 letter addressed to "Capt. Synder, Qr. Master Cal. Batt., Ciudad de los Angeles" (John Fremont's aid) from Lieut. Davidson and reads…It is the wish of the Lieut. Colonel comd F. to quarter the troops now at this place, in the city. You will oblige me these by giving me information whether the house belonging to Capt Bell is rented for government purposes, or for private use.; contemporary notations on front, F.-V.F.Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Realized: $900
Lot 51
(Letters) Mormon Battalion Information Request. 1848 docketed folded letter sheet from Halifax, N.S. to the Secretary of War in Washington, D.C., docketing regarding inquiry of Robert W. Whitworth who was mustered into Company E. of the Mormon Battalion on August 4, 1846 at Fort Leavenworth and mustered out on July 16, 1847 at Los Angeles, Cal.; file fold, Very Fine.Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $200
Lot 52
(Letters) R.B. Mason, Col. 1 Drag., Gov. California. Signature on letter datelined "Monterey, California, June 7th, 1847" to "Mr. L.W. Boggs, Alcaldie, at Sonoma California", letter with interesting content regarding the authorization of land grants in California…I have reflected upon the subject presented in your letter of the 6th of May addressed to Genl. Kearny, my predecessor in office. I Possess no Authority to make or Authorize the grants of lands in California, my Authority here is that of a belligerent, which gives only the right acquired by conquest, to establish a temporary Government, during the time the province is held by a military force. Any grant of land that I might make or authorize to be made, would therefore be null and void if at the definitive treaty of peace, Mexico were to retain California. I do not mean by this that there is the slightest possibility that Mexico will ever again recover California, by treaty or otherwise. It being the practice & custom of the country for the Alcaldies to sell lots within the limits of their town, as I know is done both here and at San Francisco, you are hereby authorized to carry out so much of Genl. Vallejo instructions from the Mexican Government, as relates to the sale of lots in the town of Sonoma; the proceeds after paying expensed, to be applied for benefiting and improving the town. I see that in the instructions to Genl. V. above mentioned, as published in the Californian of the 10th of April, that the word: "Grant" is used, and not the word "Sell" or "Sale" that word "Grant", as applied to town lots I construe for your guide, to mean the Sale of town lots, _to sell town lots, _town lots sold, and in view of the construction, I have used the word "Sale" in the authority above given to you. The town lots sold by the former Alcaldie Mr. Nash, must stand, as to title on the same footing as those sold, or to be sold, by yourself. Congress will unquestionably confirm all titles so given, when our title to California is made absolute by a definite treaty of peace, if the title as it stands, is not deemed sound & good without such confirmation., Very Fine, a wonderful letter from the fifth military governor of California Richard Barnes Mason, written shortly after his appointment as governor, to Lilburn W. Boggs.Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
Lilburn W. Boggs was most notable as Governor of the State of Missouri when in 1838 he signed an order calling for the extermination or expulsion of Joseph Smith and the Mormons from the State of Missouri.
Realized: $5,000
Lot 53
(Maps) Accompaniment To Mitchell's New Map of Texas, Oregon, and California, With the Regions Adjoining. S. Augustus Mitchell, Philadelphia, 1846, 46pp. text plus colored folding map, 22½x20¾'', original gilt morocco binder, gilt on binder especially bright, major western map with accompanying text, the detailed "New Map of Texas, Oregon and California with the Regions Adjoining." showing the western portion of the U.S. to the Pacific, with Indian Territory, Missouri Territory, Iowa, and portions of the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Wisconsin, as well as northern Mexico and part of British Columbia, illustrating in detail the trans-Mississippi region on the verge of the Mexican War, Texas is elaborately depicted, with the Rio Grande as its southern border and the overland route; Oregon is shown to extend to 54° 40"; and the Santa Fe Trail and the Oregon Trail are both detailed, the latter with a table of distances published in the lower corner of the map; some fold splitting in map center and light binder edge wear, still Very Fine for this, a wonderful early pocket map and guide in unusually fine condition.Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
Realized: $3,250
Lot 54
(Maps) c.1870 Railroad Map of California & Nevada. Promotional publication of Bacon & Co. printing office, with details of railroad routes and towns along the way, from San Francisco to Salt Lake, Oregon to Los Angeles; interesting inset of downtown San Francisco showing location of hotels; some edge faults barely detract.Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $290