Lot 57
California Gold Rush letter, folded letter postmarked San Francisco, Jan 31, 1850 with boxed "40" and matching "Paid", from an Edward Norton to attorney Edwards Pierrepont in New York, describing conditions in San Francisco, "…the strangest place just now in the world…", he notes that "…the rents are grotesquely high & prices of every thing else are in proportion, for example an office here rents for about the same per month that a similar one in Wall Street would per year." and goes on to tell of an acquaintance who just went to a "[Y]Uba Ville…a starting village among the mines…where he was at once elected Alcalde an office out of which he hopes to make some twenty thousand dollars…and as also purchased some lots there with a like hope." finally Norton offers Pierrepont a chance to buy a one third share in a real estate deal for $1,000, recommending that he do it only "…for the fun of the thing just to see what might happen without considering it as a resource laid up for your old age." The letter is clean and very readable, F-VF and quite fascinating.
Estimate $300 - 400
|
| |
| Realized $250 |
