Lot 586
Hand Drawn Miner Pan Handling Scene, blue and gold crayon scene showing two miners on last page of 1½ page letter datelined "Merced Co., California, March 11th /52" and starts "I am now in the southern mines but have quit mining & am going to farming…", entered mails with blue "Stockton Cal. Mar 31" cds with matching "10" rating handstamp to Nashville Tenn.; some outersheet soiling, Very Fine and attractive.Estimate $500 - 750.
Realized: $350
Lot 587
Happy New-Year 1858 To All At Home (Baird unlisted) 4x6" wood engraving banded red brown, blue, gold, blue and brown with California Seal at center, by T. C. Boyd, folded double sheet 9.75x15.50"margin), with letter datelined "Herald Office, Marysville, Dec 17/54" lamenting…I do know everything has gone wrong with me since I left home.…news not published in New York before departure of steamers, but put on board just as Steamers left.…in San Francisco, I found it impossible to get anything for this news. Except for the Alta & Bulletin, the papers are nearly bankrupt.; some soiling on outersheet portion not affecting design, otherwise Very Fine, a spectacular and rare multicolored design.Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
Theodore C. Boyd, a wood engraver and stationer, known for numerous small 1860's song sheets, engraved a similar New Year's greeting in 1856. Marysville publisher Amos G. Randal & Co. ran a noted book and stationery store, produced "Overland via Los Angeles" stagecoach covers, and served as a community center. A paper reported, "The mail for the Pony closed at Randal & Co's newspaper agency last night [May 17, 1860] at nine o'clock.".
Realized: $900
Lot 588
How the California Mines Are Worked (Baird 104) This finely executed 3.75x7.25" wood engraving on a folded 10.75x17" white double sheet, shows placer miners using the pan, rocker, long tom, and sluice, Anthony & Baker engravers and The San Francisco Wide West newspaper publisher, with lengthy 4-page letter datelined "San Andres, June 25, 1855" from miner…I never worked so hard in my life as I have since I have been here. Up early and late diging in the hot sun, then to my Cabin and instead of finding my meals Cooked or [wife] Maggy in it, I find that I must Cook the one and hurry back to my work and get enough to take me where the other is., mentions unethical bankers and thieving friends at home…after working like a slave to earn something for them [Maggy and son Benny] and then not have them receive it., He sent $175 to two friends to give his wife and she says that she has only received $25., additionally, he had deposited $900 in three San Francisco banks which vanished during the financial panic of February 1855; minor fold splitting and toning, Very Fine.Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Realized: $800
Lot 589
Hutching's California Scenes, The California Indians (Baird 105, Kruska 5b), Anthony & Baker Sc. in various illustrated blocks, Excelsior Print on blue laid, three-page letter datelined "Goodyears Bar, May 14th, 1855" and signed by J. Meister to his brother talking about his brother becoming a plumber and, "I think next winter when our luck wills it, our financial difficulties will ease up and we will be able to move more freely. Together with some other men, I will built a dam (Wingdam) in the Yuba river. I had intention to let you come to California later on but I decided against it because it would be too hard a life for you.", entered mails with red "Goodyears Bar Cal. May 28" cds with matching "Paid" and "10" rating handstamp to Herman Mo., lettersheet Extremely Fine and choice.Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
Realized: $1,350
Lot 590
Hutching's California Scenes, The California Indians (Baird 105, Kruska 5b), Anthony & Baker Sc. in various illustrated blocks, Excelsior Print, three-page letter datelined "San Francisco, Sept 20th 1858" and signed by C.M. Hitchock to Chet George about a debt owed for Draft from New York, lettersheet silked on inside, some ink bleed from letter and couple edge stains, Fine and desirable design.Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Lot 591
Hutchings California Scenes-Methods of Mining (Baird 107) design of the 11 wood engravings, Charles Nahl drew and T.C. Boyd cut 4 bottom ones. Hutchings supplied sophisticated explanations. Hutchings illustrated new methods of mining, including hydraulicking, ground sluicing, turning rivers, and the Guyaskutus, a Placerville-invented machines that saved fine flour gold, with letter datelined "Buena Vista (near Mokelumne Hill) January 7th 1856" with mining news to home; some toning and wear along file folds, F.-V.F.Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Realized: $800
Lot 592
Hutching's Panoramic Scenes. - Northern California (Baird 110) unused 9 x 11¼" illustrated lettersheet published by James M. Hutchings, San Francisco, six panoramic scenes of Shasta, Jacksonville O.T., Yreka, Mount Shasta, Scott's Bar and Weaverville showing the Northern California Gold Rush, blank back; some edge tears, otherwise Very Fine.Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Realized: $600
Lot 593
James Stuart Hung by the Vigilance Committee on Market Street Wharf, on the 11th of July 1851 (Baird 121), published and lithographed by Justh, Quirot & Co. of a "View Taken from the Storeship Byron" on July 11, 1851 at the end of the Market Street Wharf looking back toward the city, the crowd, as with Jenkins, grabbed the rope with a will and Stuart hangs on a cargo crane between the masts of the brig in the left foreground, image on gray paper on an 11.25x17.85" folded double sheet, with lengthy letter written by Panken Brown "San Francisco, July 18, 1851" to his daughter Susan M. Brown…I thought I would purchase this sheet of the drawing, or painting of the execution of James Stewart, who was executed on Market St. Wharf within about 20 feet of the bows of the Byron [a bark that arrived on July 12, 1850, 127 days from Bangor, Maine]. You will see the Brig Maquila [?] lying at the lower end of the wharf, her stern against the Byron's side, which end the Byron's bough lay against the wharf, and the view was taken from the Byron's deck, so that you can only see the stern of the Byron…This was the doings of the Vigilance Committee that are doing great good in this city, and through out this state, and the papers give the good tidings that three are to be executed tomorrow at Sacramento City, and there are 2 or 3 that will meet the same fate in a few days here…Market St. wharf is about 200 yards long, and 20 wide, and you will see the wharf was crowded, and the water was covered with Boats, and the Byron's and brig's deck, and every thing in perfect order and stillness. The Vigilent committee, about 500 came from their rooms, four deep, each man with a pare of revolvers and Dirk, and Stewart in front and then hung on the crain that is used to hoist in Cargo with; minor wear, Very Fine.Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
A REMARKABLE LETTER AND LETTERSHEET DEPICTING AND DISCUSSING THE HANGING OF JAMES STUART.
On February 19, 1851, James Stuart, a former Australian convict, 49er, and leader of a gang of robbers in the mines and cities, clubbed dry goods merchant Charles Jansen and stole $2000. This was the first robbery of a member of the commercial elite, incensing San Francisco. Casually arrested on July 2 for a suspected robbery, boatman John Sullivan, who had captured Jenkins, recognized the prisoner as "English Jim." The scene is based on a watercolor by English artist John Prendergast titled, "Justice Meted Out to English Jim." (Jeanne Van Nostrand and Edith M. Coulter, California Pictorial (1948), 150-1.) A week after the hanging, our letter-writer Panken Brown makes reference to the "painting;" he implies both were on the deck of the bark Byron.
Realized: $1,700
Lot 594
Jonas G. Clark & Co., Importers and Manufacturers of Furniture, Sacramento, illustrated lettersheet showing Building View with ads for Sacramento and San Francisco stores, with letter datelined Sacramento City, Sept 19th, 1858 (1859?) with lengthy letter regarding Sacramento and San Francisco, including a San Francisco funeral after "the last notable American duel" fought between Senator David C. Broderick of California, and ex-Chief Justice David S. Terry of the Supreme Court of California, Very Fine.Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $550
Lot 595
Michigan City (Baird 155) Barber & Baker published this 4"x7.5" illustration on a blue folded double sheet 10.45"x16.5", with letter datelined August 26th, 1854 with news regarding working in the area…I have had considerable labor in rigging a pump and other fixtures,as all the lumber necessary has to be sawed by hand, as we are situated far from saw mills and other kindred appliances for saving Labor and our diggings are about 14 miles from this place and [on] a worse road than you can imagine, only traveled by mining pedestrians and pack mules., and mentions the lettersheet illustration…The view of Michigan City is taken form the entrance or upper end of the village and is a poor, dull representation of the place as all the business is down in the lower part which is entirely hidden from him., Very Fine.Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Wolverine State miners founded Michigan City in Placer County. When it intended to slide away, they moved further up the slope to inhabit Michigan Bluff, which received a post office in February 1854.
Realized: $1,600