Lot
2018 
San Jose, Cala., Aug 18 (Santa Clara), manuscript postmark (SCL-2670) on 1849 folded letter to Virginia, Ill., with "via Panama & Chagres" routing endorsement, manuscript "Paid 52½ cts" crossed out and rerated "Paid 40" below, with letter written by newly arrived M.H.L. Schooley datelined "Puebelo de San Jose California, August 16th 1849" with contents reading in part…I informed you by letter from Acapulco of our safe arival in that port, and now embrace this opportunity to inform you that from Acapulco we had as long & tedious a voyage as we did from Panama & in consequence of our provision & water being exhausted we were compelled to put into Monterey 100 miles below San Francisco and were so hartily sick of the sea that we chose from this to take it by land. And after purchasing a pack horse the only means of conveyance from this place to the Placara, and packing up part of our goods & clothing (leaving the ballance) we started and are thus far on our journey. I do not expect to go to San Francisco at present but have sent by a friend who has gone up upon the vessel for my letters & will probably be in the Placara by then…We are going to the southern Diggings which are on the tributaries of San Joakin. we are going first to the Stanislaus and shall soon decide whether we remain there or go to some other place. We are fully satisfied now that there is great amt. of gold in California but many of the accounts which were published in the states before I left were no doubt exagerations and some true. We have seen, conversed & traveled for some days with men who we know have realized immense fortunes in a very short time some men (but few however) have obtained $50,000 in a few days but we are told that such opportunities do not now occur by digging…Goods & provisions &c in San Francisco are we are informed as cheap as in the city of N. York but the difficulty of transporting them to the mines increases the value three or four fold. A steamer is to start however in a few days from San Francisco to Sacramento City which is 4 miles below Sutters & very soon there will be conveniences for travelling & transporting goods., etc.; cover with some aging and light edge wear, F.-V.F., a wonderful early postmark and letter.Estimate $500 - 750.
THE EARLIEST RECORDED POSTMARK FROM SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.
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Realized: $2,500