LIVE AUCTION #24

CALIFORNIA-CANADA

CALIFORNIA

168. California. Wells, Fargo & Co Express Hand Sealer. Stamps bag sealer. One side has W. F. Co. Ex. The other side has 8640. Designed to stamp about 0.5+ inch blank. Stamp mfg by Chas Morrill, New York, Patented 190x (difficult to make out). Overall length is 10”. We believe this piece to original authentic. Very fine.

Est. $300-500

169. California. Alameda. Oakland. Atlas Imperial Engine Co Brass Engine Placard, 1925. 4 x 8.5”, heavy brass, raised lettering. Placard from diesel engine with 65 horsepower. Patent dates listed at bottom. Fine. Est. $50-100

170. California. Alpine. Scheelite Ore Specimen. Tungsten ore collected by AL Laird, Lane’s cousin. About 5 pounds in four specimens. Museum size, largest about 4 x 5 x 4”. Please see the story of Lane and Laird in California. San Bernardino. Calico.

Est. $50-100

171. California. Alpine. Leviathan. Alpine County Mine Survey Book. Survey book for the Leviathan mine by L. B. Spencer & Co. Entire book used for the survey of mining claims, millsites and underground workings of the Leviathan Mine, today a superfund site. Spencer performed the work for the Siskon Corp. in 1945. For the story of L. B. Spencer see Nevada. Mineral.

Est. $75-150

172. California. Amador. Herbertville. Herbertville Quartz Mining Co. Cert #25. Issued to Lewis B. Harris for 1 share in 1854. Signed by Lorenzo Hamilton president and Samuel Davis secretary. No vignette. Black print on blue paper. 5 x 8”. Located at Amador City in the early 1850’s, it was renamed the Talisman and was ultimately part of the Spring Hill mine. It produced good free gold from quartz almost immediately, about 1 ounce per ton recovered. (Logan, p.91). Very fine. Est. $350-700

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173. California. Amador. Jackson. Argonaut Mining Co vs. Kennedy Mining & Milling Co, 1897. Titled “In the Circuit Court of the United States, Ninth Circuit, Northern District of California.” 56pps, 6 x 9”. Damaged at upper right corner affecting all pages, otherwise Very fine. This is an indepth legal dispute over what constitutes a “mining claim” with several diagrams outlining the projection of the claim in question. The claim in question is the Pioneer Quartz claim located in the Jackson mining district, Amador County. These were neighboring major gold producers in Jackson! Est. $75-150

174. California. Butte. Morris Ravine. Monte Del Oro Mining Co. Cert #1340. A British corporation. Issued to James Aitken for 520 shares in 1887. Signed by Charles Mowery, Claude Webb and John Gayland. No vignette. Brown print. Uncancelled. Printer not noted. 9 x 10”. Burchard states (1884, p.126) “There are several other mines in Morris Ravine upon which but little work as been done, while high upon the mountain side may be seen Monte de Oro, a drift claim that has paid well and is still yielding gravel.” Very fine. Est. $100-200

175. California. Butte. Oroville. Butte Table Mountain Cons Mining Co Receipt, 1865. Received of Arthur McDermott, $84 for mining shares assessment on the Butte Table Mountain Consolidated MC. Signed by Charles Waldren, secretary. Vignette of allegorical maiden on left edge. Printer: Butte Record. Datelined Oroville. 3.5 x 8. VF. Est. $75-150

176. California. Butte. Railroad. Western Pacific Railway Tunnel Collapse Photo Postcards. Western Pacific Railway tunnel collapse somewhere near Oroville, c1908. Group of six original photo post cards from the McFarland collection. Four are sharp views of a tunnel collapse, but are unlabeled. In the same file are three other views labeled as W. P. Ry, photos by Hogan of Oroville. Grizzly Creek Tunnel, Bridge A (trestle) and trestle near Clio, California. All are unused. Est. $150-300

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California. Calaveras: Calaveras County Gold. In 1849, a placer gold deposit was discovered in Calaveras County along Carson Creek, a Tributary of the Stanislaus River in the Mother Lode District. A year later, on Carson Hill, above the placer deposit an extremely rich gold-quartz lode deposit was found. This important discovery and others in the area precipitated a rush to the county and the town of Melones was founded. Lode mining in Calaveras County from 1880 through 1960 yielded over 2 million ounces of gold. Since its beginning in 1849, it is estimated that placer gold mining produced nearly 3 million ounces.

The state of California has yielded a tremendous bounty of gold. The famous California gold rush, touched off by the discovery of placer gold in El Dorado County in 1848, accelerated a migration of hearty souls to California (and the entire mountain west region) that changed the course of American history. From 1848 through 1965 over 106 million ounces of gold were produced in California.

Gold mining continues today in California, but, the historically important placer and lode gold mines have been largely replaced by large open pit, heavy leach mining operations which are now processing huge volumes of sulfide and oxide ores to recover gold. The famous Mother Lode Gold Belt, as well as the East Gold Belt and West Gold Belt which bracket the Mother Lode, extend for over 120 miles through the Sierra Nevada geomorphic province. This 120 mile long series of gold-bearing quartz veins and mineralized schist/greenstone extends through Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, and Mariposa Counties. California’s gold production is not limited, however, to the Mother Lode district. Significant quantities of gold have been mined in 41 of California’s 58 counties. In fact, the Grass Valley-Nevada City District, which lies outside of the Mother Lode district has produced well over 12.6 million ounces of gold.

Many of the world’s finest crystallized gold specimens and spectacular gold nuggets have been found in the lode mines and placer gold deposits of California. (Ref: Principal Gold-Producing Districts of the United States-USGS Professional Paper 610, Koschmann and Bergendahl, 1968).

177. California. Calaveras. Calaveras Gold Specimen. A cluster of bright, skeletal octahedral gold crystals. Largest individual being approximately 4mm on edge. 4.6 grams, 20mm x 10mm x 6mm. Est. $250-500

178. California. Calaveras. Calaveras Gold Specimen. This piece is a crystallized gold specimen featuring a combination of very bright, sharp octahedral to slightly skeletal octahedral gold crystals along with tightly packed dendritic gold crystals. The largest of the individual octahedral crystals being 4mm across and the majority being 1mm across. Superb. 8.9 grams, 26mm x 25mm x 5mm. Est. $1500-2500

179. California. Calaveras. Sonora. (Gold Rush). Sonora Gold Rush Illustrated Lettersheet, c.1953. Captioned Sonora From the North, Published by G. S. Wells, Sonora, May 1853. By C. H. Goddard. Printed by Lith Britton & Rey, SF. 7.75 x 10” image on sheet. Baird 257 [ Baird, Joseph; California Pictorial Letter Sheets, 1849-1869; 1967]. Britton & Rey, San Francisco lithographer. Art by C. L. Goddard. Published by G. S. Wells, Sonora, May, 1853. Light foxing on right half. No back sheet. (Most letter sheets were published with one blank page) Unused.

This classic scene of Sonora in 1853 exemplifies the gold rush in many ways. The hills have been stripped of most of the trees. The town had one long, wide dirt street with many prominent buildings. Sonora was the center of the “southern mines.” It was the most important of the southern gold rush communities and as such, acted as the central hub of commerce. The lithograph itself is 7 1/16” x 9 15/16” on light blue paper, typical of the period. Scarce. Baird recorded six examples in institutional holdings and three in private hands. Est. $500-1000

180. No Lot

181. California. Contra Costa. Martinez. San Francisco to Martinez Letters with Covers, 1864, 1865. Both letters are one-page, single side, authored by M.J. Klanche and covers carry a 3-cent George Washington stamp, postmarked San Francisco. Brown ink on white 5 x 8” paper. Excellent.

Est. $200-400

182. California. General. California Fruit, Grain & Grazing, Specimen. Incorporated in New Jersey. Dated 18xx. Specimen in red and holes punched across signature lines. Stub attached. Vignette of allegorical seated female with bear reclining at her feet and farm workers in background. Brown border with allegorical faces in corners within border, brown underprint (“Common Stock”). Printer: ABNCo. 7 x 11 without stub. Dateline Jersey City. VF. Est. $150-300

183. California. General. California Gas & Electric Corp, Specimen. Incorporated in California. Dated 1907. $1000 denomination. Specimen stamped in red on signature lines and holes punched. Vignette of seated allegorical female beside a reclining bear, with farmers working in background, flanked by a male and female angel. Orange border and underprint. Printer: ABNCo. 10 x 15. 60 coupons attached.

Est. $200-400

184. California. General. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Specimen. #00000. Incorporated in California, 19__. Unissued, undated, unsigned. Vignette of two allegorical female figures seated beside a turbine, with streetcars in background. Red border and underprint, denomination of 10,000 shares. “Registered and Refunding Mortgage Gold Bond Seven Per Cent Due, December 1, 1940” printed under masthead. Orig. stub attached. Printer: ABNCo. Meas. 9.25 x 13” without stub. Est. $200-400

185. California. Inyo. Lone Pine. Bonham Bros Dairy Milk Bottle. Embossed with: Bonham’s Bros / Dairy / Lone Pine. Half pint bottle. Clear glass, no chips or dings. Very clean. This is an exceptional specimen. Mint. Est. $100-200

186. California. Lassen. Westwood. Westwood Lumber Real Photo postcards. 8 photo post cards from Eastman’s studio of views of Westwood lumber camps , town views, birdseye views and a street scene. Eastman #’s: 3081, 5780, 1090, 1144, 471, 7802, 62, 1710. All mint. Est. $50-100

California. Los Angeles. Los Angeles. Los Angeles Original Watercolor by Sandham, please see Art. California.

187. California. Los Angeles. Los Angeles. Buttercup Creamery Milk Bottle. Embossed with One Quart / Buttercup / B / Creamery Co. L.A. Cal. One quart bottle. Clear. Mint condition. Fantastic display piece. Est. $25-75

188. California. Los Angeles. Los Angeles. Los Angeles City Department of Water & Power, Specimen. Incorporated in California. Dated 1954. $1000 denomination. Specimen stamped in red over signatures and holes punched. Vignette of Mexican senorita above cityscape of Los Angeles with dam and electric towers in background. Green border, underprint and seal. Printer: ABNCo. 10 coupons attached. 10 x 15. Est. $200-400

189. California. Los Angeles. Los Angeles. Los Angeles Documents, 1888-1892. Lot of 3 different pcs. One is a billhead from J. J. Hathaway for building supplies sold to W. S. Devant and A. G. Brice, datelined Los Angeles, 1888. The second is a Western Union Telegraph sent to Wm. S. Devant from A. G. Brice, 1887. The last item is a legal property deed issued to Charles Ducommun in 1892. The property was located in the Alan’s Vineyard Tract situated on Ducommun Street (formerly known as New Commercial Street). This legal sized document has four pages. All fine. Est. $40-80

190. California. Los Angeles. Los Angeles. Los Angeles Improvement Co. Cert. #2. Incorporated in California, 1885. Issued to J. M. Tompson in 1885 for 1250 shares. Signed by Jesse Yarnell, president and Edw. A. Hall, secretary. Cancelled with lines through signatures and “Cancelled” written across face. Vignette of a bunch of grapes at left end and of dog’s head bottom center. Black border and print. Printer: Kingsley, Barnes & Co., L.A. 4 x 9. Dateline Los Angeles, Cal.

Est. $150-300

191. California. Los Angeles. Los Angeles. Southern California Edison Co. Cert #0000. Specimen. Unissued, unsigned. Vignette of a winged man holding up a torch. Brown border and underprint. Cancelled by hole punches through printed signatures. Printer - ABN. 8 x 12”. “Specimen” printed in red over printed signatures. Extremely fine. Est. $100-200

192. California. Los Angeles. Mt. Lowe. Mt. Lowe Photographs. Three 8x10” photos of the Mt. Lowe railway car on the way to the Taverrn. Probably printed about 1935 from the original negatives. From the McFarland Collection. Also includes a Mitchell post card circa 1908. All xf. Est. $60-120

193. California. Mariposa. Fremont Estate. (Gold Rush). Anglo Californian Gold Mining Co. Cert #53516. Certificate of Share issued to Mary Topham in 1852. Signed by John Baker, Murphy Dawson and George Gardman. No vignette. Black print. Uncancelled. 8 x 8”. This was the largest foreign issue of a California gold rush venture. The company literally sold thousands of shares in a venture of which little or nothing is known. The company began as the Anglo California Gold Mining & Dredging Co. Very fine. Est. $100-200

194. California. Mariposa. Fremont Estate. (Gold Rush). Le Nouveau Monde. Share #35751-35755. Issued to bearer 1851. Signed by Kraus, Rick Taylor and one other. No vignette. Printed in French and English. Uncancelled. Printer not noted. 6 x 10”. “Le Nouveau Monde” printed at left edge in red, typically this feature is trimmed off. Paper clip mark at upper left. This was the first company formed by Fremont to work the gold rich estate of Fremont. Fine.

Est. $150-300

195. California. Mariposa. Fremont Estate. (Gold Rush). Le Nouveau Monde. Lot of 2 different pcs. Similar styles. One is printed on white paper, the other on pink paper. Both very fine. See story above. Est. $200-400

196. California. Mariposa. Mariposa. Crusader Mining Co. Cert. #173. Incorporated in California, 1875. Issued to H. J. Band, Jr. in 1876 for 100 shares. Signed by A. White, vice president, and Wm. St. Matson, secretary. Vignettes of masted, steam side wheeler vessel beneath masthead, and California poppies at

bottom center. Black border and print. A band of design borders left side. Uncancelled. Printer: H.S. Crocker & Co., S.F. 4 x 9.5. Dateline San Francisco. Discolored along top, some wrinkling, but good condition overall. Est. $300-600

California. Merced. Yosemite. Yosemite Beer Advertising Piece, please see Saloon. Beer.

197. California. Modoc. Strawberry Valley. Strawberry Valley Ledgers, 1872-3 & 1885. Lot of 2 pcs. One ledger is the Strawberry Valley Hotel Register for Jan-Oct. 1885. 281 pgs. Filled in with handwritten entries. Leather covered with impressed design on the cover. 8 x 12. Condition very good. Second volume is a grocery ledger, No. 19, 1872-Sept. 19, 1873, consisting of 288 pgs. Filled in. Boards covered in multi-colored scallop-design paper, with leather corners. Worn at edges. 8 x 13. Fine. Strawberry Valley is located northeast or Oroville and slightly southwest of Eagleville, California. Est. $400-800

198. California. Mono. Banner Springs. Gray Butte Gold Mining & Milling Co Lettersheets, 1910. Lot of 2 typed letterheads. Each are two page letters from 1910 to the stockholders of the company discussing progress of the company. Ben Kimber of Black Hawk Colorado was a shareholder. Please see the Colorado section for more information on Kimber. In the matter of the Grey Butte, the mine manager was George E. Austin. The August 1909 letter indicates a surface strike and their intent on driving a 50 foot long drift to reach the vein and a shaft. They also owned the Swastika Mill. The letter is signed by Albert Lewis as secretary and is all double talk about what they will do versus what has been done and exactly where they expect to get. The 1910 letter is specifically addressed to Kimber, instead of a generic mailer. It discusses the production at Casa Diablo Mine. The letter notes that the Grey Butte now has a 200 foot drift and 4 men working. The neighboring property is the Chicago, which was producing that year. The remainder of the letter is a pitch to sell Kimber more stock in a rather odd manner. Est. $100-200

199. California. Monterey. King City. King City Train Wreck Photo Postcards. Three photo post cards of the King City Train wreck, 1910 on the Western Pacific Railway. Photos by Hill & Smith. Unused. Today King City is famous for being a town where everybody has a story of getting a speeding ticket, similar to Tonopah, Nevada. Est. $50-100

200. California. Monterey. Monterey. Monterey Souvenir Plate, c.1905. Scene of Midway Point, near Monterey, California. The classic stunted Cypress trees of Monterey are depicted on rocky coastal outcrops. Image is reminiscent of 17 Mile Drive in Carmel. 7” diameter. Made in Germany stamped on reverse. Minor wear to rim. Very fine. Est. $75-150

201. California. Nevada. Nevada City. Red Dog Mining Co Cash & Journal Ledger Books. Cash Ledger, dates 1895-1902, approximately 103 pgs. with entries. Meas. 8 x 12.5, cloth boards with leather corners. Journal Ledger, dates 1895-1899, 30 pgs with entries. Includes 3 receipts signed by J. S. Goodwin with nice vignette of eagle with nest of eaglets, dated 1900, and billhead from Rix Compressed Air Machinery Co. in San Francisco, dated 1897. This company is not listed within our library. 8 x 12.5, cloth boards with leather corners. Corners on both slight worn, otherwise Fine. Est. $300-500 (not illustrated)

202. California. Nevada. Truckee. Truckee Original Matted Photograph, c.1880. Several men on horseback pose in the middle of the street. Several businesses visible in background: The Yellowstone, Truckee Mercantile & Groceries and Post Office. 5 x 8”. Hole in photo at left edge. Blue ink smudge right bottom center. No photographer noted. Fair. Est. $200-400

California. Nevada. Washington. Red Ledge Gold Mine is located on the eastern side of the Melones fault zone-serpentine belt in central Nevada County. Gold was discovered at the site in 1907. The mine has produced crystallized gold, rich sulfide gold ore which assayed at several thousands of dollars per ton, and interestingly chrome ore (chromite). Over the years, the mine has produced numerous, large, spectacular crystallized gold specimens. Many of these large, crystallized gold specimens (some as large as a man’s forearm) have been preserved in Natural History museums and in private mineral collections, worldwide. One Red Ledge mine gold specimen, worthy of mention, was displayed at the 1950 California State Fair. It is described as being a 18 tall feather of gold on quartz/gold matrix rock. The feather was composed of overlapping leaves of gold which were laced around the edges by sharp, mirror-bright gold crystals.

203. California. Nevada. Washington. Red Ledge Mine Gold Quartz. An attractive, bright cluster of gold dendrites and sharp euhedral gold crystals rising up from a crystalline quartz matrix. Primary clus

ter of gold crystals measures 20mm tall x 10mm wide. Excellent specimen. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 15.1 grams, 20mm x 42mm x 10mm. Est. $1200-2500

204. California. Nevada. Washington. Red Ledge Mine Gold Quartz. Specimen features an aesthetic group of lusterous, sharp dendritic gold crystals on an iron-stained quartz matrix. Primary dendritic group measures 23mm tall x 10mm wide. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 9.8 grams, 20mm x 42mm x 12mm.

Est. $1500-3000

205. California. Placer. Placer County Gold Specimen. A group of leaf gold (16mm tall x 12 mm wide) growing from a large piece of milky quartz matrix. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 36.8 grams, 40mm x 40mm x 20mm. Est. $900-1800

206. California. Placer. Auburn. (Gold Rush). The Placer Herald, September 1855-August 1857. Placer Herald bound volume, 1855 (vol 4)-8/1857, incomplete, about 100 issues. This is a classic California gold rush research volume from the heart of gold country. It is a bit different from many of the other papers and takes a decidedly political tone. The Democratic editor Tabb Mitchell regularly makes derisive remarks of and carries stories of African Americans. Mitchell takes pains to try to get good national news coverage and also has fairly good local coverage. In one notable article from the Oct. 6, 1855 paper, Mitchell noted gold east of the Sierra Nevada. “We learn that good diggings are being worked in Gold Canyon.” But the article also mentions that someone was trying to build a 30 mile ditch to the mines there, which was never attempted to my knowledge.

The paper carries lots of local ads which are the usual, except that there are a lot of photographer ads, saloon, stage line and express companies. The lacking thing is a local assayer. There are no assayer ads that were found in the entire volume, possibly a result of the political leanings of Mitchell. By the mid 1856 period, a lot of articles appear about vigilance committees. There is a lengthy writeup on the Mammoth Cave 5/24/56.

This is great research material for central mines, politics and social affairs. Hard-cover volume of The Placer Herald, beginning with Vol. 5, No. 4. Spine is disintegrated and boards are not attached. Paper is fragile but undamaged apart from flaking at margins. 17 x 22.” One of a kind. Est. $2000-4000 (not illustrated)

207. California. Placer. Auburn. Wells, Fargo & Co Money Orders, 1901-02. Lot of 11 pcs. Money Order Receipts, most dated 1902. One of the receipts is stamp Cisco. The others were for money orders sent from Auburn to Cisco. All fine. Est. $100-150

208. California. Placer. Newcastle. California Fruit Exchange Ledgers, 1914 and 1923-4, and F.W. Barkhaus & Sons, 1859. Lot of 3 pcs. One ledger labeled Compliments of California Fruit Exchange, Sacramento, California, has some pages with entries for 1914. Hard cover, 10.5 x 16.” Second ledger reads, Grower’s Orchard Ledger, Compliments of California Fruit Exchange, paper boards with leather spine. Entries for 1923-4, not all pages used. 11 x 17. Third ledger contains entries for 1859 for Master Fred W Barkhaus of Newcastle, California and a fruit wrapper for his “Fancy Mountain Bartletts.” Cardboard covers in green/gold design. Large tear in front cover. 8 x 14. Est. $300-500 (not illustrated)

209. California. Placer. Newcastle. Newcastle Real Photo Postcards. Four great photo post cards of Newcastle, circa 1908. Two are unused. Two views are of the train depot and surrounding area in a semi-birds eye view. No photographer noted. Two are postmarked from Newcastle, 1910. Another is a street scene with many buggies and wagons, unused. The last is a birdseye view from an entirely different perspective than the depot view mentioned earlier. Mostly good contrast and focus. The 1910 depot shot is a bit faded. Otherwise generally vf. Est. $130-250

210. California. Placer. Rubicon Springs. Indian Women Photo Postcards, 1907-1909. Lot of 2 pcs. One postcard shows Indian mother and child in bonnet, with “Poma Mother” as title of card. Written 1907 and postmarked Ukiah. Second card shows a woman with a scarf on her head, titled “A Study [ Piute].” Taken by Smith & Co.—Carson City, Nev. Dated 1909, postmarked Carson City, and mailed to R. Colwell in Rubicon Springs,, Lake Tahoe, California. Both meas. 3 x 5. Some creases in second card. Est. $100-200

211. California. Plumas. Quincy. Quincy Cover, 1882. Addressed to Quincy A. Shaw, Esq. Of Boston Mass., cover contains seven 3-cent stamps (G. Washington), postmarked Jan 30, 1882. Handwritten on one end is “Argentine Mines” Map & Letter July 1882.” Meas. 5 x 11.5”. No letter or map included. Edges are worn in places revealing fabric of the paper. Est. $75-150

212. California. Ranching. California Cattle & Land Co. Cert #12. $100 Bond issued 1903. Signed by E. D. Baker president and M. A. French secretary. Gorgeous vignette of single cowboy on horseback with a herd of cattle around. Green border and underprint with gilt seal. Uncancelled. Printer not noted. 15 x 17”. 6 of the original 20 coupons cashed in. Very to extremely fine. Est. $500-800

213. California. Sacramento. New Helvetia. (Gold Rush). New Helvetia Diary, 1939. “A record of events kept by John A. Sutter and his clerks at New Helvetia, California from September 9, 1845 to May 25, 1848.”

This more modern reprint was published in arrangement with the Society of California Pioneers in 1939. Includes introduction by the Society of Pioneers which gives some history on Sutter himself and the people who surrounded him: “I had a man in my employ named James Wilson Marshall, a good mechanic who had made me looms, ploughs, spinning-wheels and all such kindred material. In discussing a saw-mill with him, he said he thought he could build it. I was dubious about trusting him out of my sight with all his craziness, but the tools which one finds on a raw frontier are never stable enough to a builder’s liking. I had no one else, so I must needs gamble on the man.” Sutter’s worries were for naught because “Marshall did build the saw-mill at Coloma…and in so doing found gold on January 24, 1848 thus precipitating the ‘rush’ to California in 1849.” A fascinating read. Hardbound, 8” x 12 1/4”, extremely clean deckled edges, gorgeous! Extremely fine. Est. $300-600

214. California. Sacramento. Sacramento. (Gold Rush). Explorations for a Railroad Route, Vol VI, 1855. from Sacramento Valley to the Columbia River. Original marble boards. Spine shows wear, but for these volumes, this one is in fine condition. Inscribed boldly on first leaf “From Hon Schuyler Colfax”. Schuyler Colfax was elected to the House of Representatives in 1854, after helping to establish the Republican Party. He became Speaker of the House in 1863 and became Vice President in 1868, along side Ulysses S. Grant. Colfax was not re-nominated in 1872. The Railroad Survey series are highly sought after not only for the text, but the color illustration plates are fabulous. This particular volume discusses the area from Sacramento Valley to the Columbia River with marvelous plates from the Sacramento area through the Cascades of Oregon. 9 x 12”. Est. $300-500

215. California. Sacramento. Sacramento. Sacramento Valley Irrigation Co Specimen. #00000. Incorporated in Delaware. Printed in red at top outside, “38321.” $100 denomination. Unsigned, with specimen stamped in red across signature line. Unsigned, dated 1909. Orange border and underprint “Gold,” with allegorical female vignette, seated by masonry wall with jug pouring water beside her. 15 coupons attached. Printer: Franklin Lee BNCo. Meas. 10 x 15. Est. $100-200

216. California. Sacramento. Sacramento. Wells, Fargo & Co First of Exchange, 1857. No #92218. Issued to A. B. McNiel, Cashr for $86.50. Datelined Sacramento, Cal, 1857. Light gray paper with black print. On front is a blue revenue stamp with “California State Tax, Exchange First, Above $20 to $50 8cts.” Left corner of tax stamp is creased. Very fine. Rare. Est. $150-300

California. San Bernardino. Calico. The John and Lucy King Lane Collection.

We are exceptionally pleased to have received part of the John R. and Lucy King Lane Calico Collection. Lucy Lane (c1875-1967) was a life long resident of Calico. Her father, George Valentine King, was a long time miner in Southern California and at Calico. It was in Calico, as a young lady, that she met the clerk of the general store John Robert Lane and agreed to marry him when she turned 18, though he was 16 years her senior. Lane later bought the store.

George King had moved the family to Calico in 1884 just after the beginning of the discoveries there. The first locations were made in 1881, and the third location recorded in the district was the Red Cloud, later owned by the Lanes and represented in the specimen collection herein. The King mine there may have been named for him. Lane ultimately sold Calico in 1950 to Walter Knott of Knott's Berry Farm fame, who made Calico a destination ghost town, even though many of the buildings had been moved to Yermo. The Lanes had encountered tourism at Calico as early as 1931, according to her Memoirs.

The collection consists of a fantastic ore specimen collection collected from about 1890 to the late 1920's. More than half the collection is from Calico. Another quarter is from other southern California desert mines worked on by John Lane or submitted to the mill in Daggett where he was superintendent. Lucy noted in her Memoirs that many custom ores were milled from nearby mines. Lucy carefully labeled nearly every specimen. Those that were not, were in bags containing the label for a group of specimens. The collection may have been displayed at her home in Calico before 1940, but were generally packed away. They were in storage for at least 55 years, moved three times, until uncovered for this sale. This represents the most important ore collection from Calico that we know of. As such, different specimens are grouped as one lot so that the collection remains intact. The duplicates are offered separately.

Early Calico ore specimens were present in the first mineral display of the new California Division of Mines exhibition in Sacramento in 1885. Among the wide variety of specimens were about 15 ore and mineral specimens from various Calico mines. This may be the only other well recorded collection of Calico ores. As of this writing, we have been unable to determine if this original 1885 collection is still intact. They were inventoried with other specimens in the Fifth Annual Report of the State Mineralogist, 1885.

Documents and photographs from the Lane family also survive. Many of these relate to two mining companies of which John and Lucy Lane owned a large part, the Zenda Gold Mining Company and the Calico-Odessa Mining Co. Personal papers of Lucy's form an important part of this collection, and are mostly summarized in her memoirs, privately published as Calico Memories of Lucy Bell Lane by The Calico Historical Society, 1993. These important memoirs document the collection dates of the specimens, adding important historical background.

Much has been written of Calico in professional journals, though there are few other references to this important southern California desert mining camp. Early references of ongoing work and discoveries can be found in various annual volumes of Horatio Burchard's Report of the Director of the Mint (1883, 1885) and the Report of the State Mineralogist for California during the 1880's to late 1890's. These reports form the core of knowledge for this period. Subsequent work was published in Engineering and Mining Journal and the Mining and Scientific Press during the circa 1882-1915 period. Production dropped after that. By 1920, John Lane had acquired most of the mines in the district except the Silver King, which he acquired a few years later. Several reports by the California Division of Mines and Geology summarize the geology and ore deposits at Calico. Among these are works from 1920 (Report 17 of the State Mineralogistpp359-370), 1940 (CDMG Report 39) and 1953 (CDMG Vol. 49 #1 and 2, pp126-133).

No work to date has summarized Calico production data in detail (if it exists) or incorporated social historical data such as the Lane memoirs. Such a work would be most welcome.

Important Mines of the Calico District.

There have been more than thirty mines in production at Calico. Among the most important were the Silver King, Red Cloud, Occidental, Wall Street, Odessa, Blackfoot, Waterman. Most, if not all, of these mines are represented in the specimen collection.

Calico was discovered in 1881. Through 1940, it was estimated to have produced more than $20 million in silver and gold. The name Calico was derived from "the variety of colors in the ore," according to W. H. Storms in his report to the Engineering and Mining Journal published April 5, 1890.

Names of Known Calico Mining Companies

The following list of companies was compiled as completely as possible from the published sources listed below “Calico Mines.”

Alhambra Consol. M&MC, 1885

Barber M&M C, 1888

Blackfoot Mining Co., c1880's

Calico-Odessa MC, 1922

Guinda MC, c1920

Mineole Land and Water Co. c 1891

Old Oriental Mining Co., c 1880's

Oriental MC, 1883

Oro Grande MC, 1883-1888

Runover MC, 1888

Silver King MC Ltd., 1891-1896

Silver King Mining Co. c 1888

Silver Odessa Mining Co., 1880's

Waterloo MC, 1888-1896

Zenda MC, c1920 on

Calico Mines

The following list of mines at Calico was compiled from Burchard 1883, 1885; Report of the State Mineralogist of California 1885, 1888, 1892, 1896, 1920; CDMG 1940 and 1953 San Bernardino County Reports.

Alabama, 1953

Alhambra, 1885

Alvord, 1888

Argenta, 1885

Argentum, 1953

Bedford, 1888

Belle McGilroy, 1883

Bismark , 1883-1953

Blackfoot, 1892, 1940-1953

Bull's Eye, 1885

Bunker Hill, 1888

Burcham (Total Wreck), 1940-1953

Burning Moscow, 1885

Calico Queen, 1885

Carbonate, 1953

Cleveland, 1888-1896

Comet, 1888,

Consolidated (St. Louis), 1953

Crown point, 1888,

Cuba Silver Mine, 1885- 1888,

DeSoto, 1885

Dora Belle, 1885

Dragon, 1885

Dunderburg, 1885

Empire, 1940,

Falls, 1953,

Forrest, 1888,

Galena King, 1953,

Garfield Mine, 1883 - 1953

Geneva Mine, 1885,

Gobbler Mine, 1885,

Golconda Mine, 1885,

Harmonial, 1888,

Hawkeye, 1885

Humbug, 1883-1892, 1940-1953

Inca, 1888,

Invinvible, 1885-1896,

Iron Clad, 1888,

Jessie Tay, 1885

Josephine, 1883-1896,

Kearsarge, 1883

King , 1883-1920,

Lamar, 1953,

Langtry, 1892-1953,

Leviathan, 1953,

Lion, 1885

Little Bonanza, 1885

Little V, 1885

Little Waterman, 1885-1892,

Lone Star, 1885, 1953,

M'shane , 1888,

Mammoth, 1883-1888

Mastadon, 1885

Midnight mines, 1888

Monte Christo, 1885

Mountain Brow, 1883-1885

Mozart, 1883

Mountain, 1888,

Occidental Mine, 1885-1953

Odessa , 1885-1953

Oriental Mine, 1883-1896, 1953

Oro Grande, 1885

Pinto, 1885

Plutarch Mine, 1885,

Possibility, 1953,

Queen Mine, 1885,

Red Cloud, 1885-1888,

Red Jacket, 1883-1896

Richmond, 1885

Rock Point, 1883

Runover Mine, 1883-1896

Sam Houston, 1883-1885

Shenandoah, 1883

Silver Bow, 1953,

Silver Contact, 1953,

Silver King, 1885-1953

Silver Monument, 1888-1953,

Silver Odessa, 1883

Silver Reef, 1888,

Silveretta, 1885

Sioux, 1888,

Smelter, 1888,

Sue, 1883-1885

Three Total Wrecks, 1888, 1940,

Thunderer, 1885-1953,

Union, 1888, 1940-1953,

Veto Mine, 1885-1896,

Voca mine, 1888, 1953,

Waleby, 1888,

Walhall Mine, 1885,

Wall Street, 1888,

Walthal, 1888,

Waterloo Mine , 1885-1953

Waterman, 1885

Young Waterman, 1888,

217. California. San Bernardino. Calico. Bullfrog Banner Mines Co & Calico Mines Ledger, 1906. Bullfrog Banner Mines Co has only 3 pages. The remainder of the ledger is of Lane’s Calico accounts with W. S. Edwards of Rhyolite (an early stock broker) and others, including Gemmill et al, 1919 to 1922. This event was chronicled in Lucy’s book on pages 52-54. Here, the Lanes leased the Calico mines property to Gemmill’s group, but he was unable to raise the capital necessary for proper exploration and let the lease go. About 42 of 175pp used in the ledger. 10 x 14”. Est. $250-500

218. California. San Bernardino. Calico. Calico Mining & Milling Works Lettersheet, 1920. Lot of 2 pcs. Lane leased some of his mines to David Gemmill of the Calico Mining and Milling Works, who here chronicles the shipments made on his ore to the San Francisco Mint, which total $1669 for three months in 1920. A manuscript accounting on another sheet shows royalties and other payments made to various parties, including Lane for the period 1921-1922.

Est. $100-200

219. California. San Bernardino. Calico. Calico Odessa Mining Co Ledger. Ledger belonged to John and Lucy Lane, c1927-1937. Bank holdings, cash statements, journal entries. 75pp ledger mostly full. Original hard boards. Extremely fine. Est. $100-200

220. California. San Bernardino. Calico. Calico Original Photograph, c.1910. 5.75 x 9” clear focus with sharp detail labeled in pencil by Lucy on the front “Calico in Early Days.” Looking up the center of the main street at the mountains with the church in the distance. The photo was made for Lucy by Ira Hoke of Hollywood, Cal. The photo appears to date from 1890-1900. There are no autos present and only one wagon. The streets are deserted. The date of the print may be circa 1910. Est. $300-600

221. California. San Bernardino. Calico. Calico Original Photograph, c.1915. 8 x 10” clear focus with sharp detail labeled in pencil by Lucy on the front “Calico after the collapse.” The photo was made for Lucy by Ira Hoke of Hollywood, Cal. The photo appears to date from about 1910-15. The town is in a state of decay and the streets are deserted. The date of the print may be circa 1915. Est. $300-600

222. California. San Bernardino. Calico. Calico Photographs. Group of 9 8 x 10” photographs that were copies of photos made for Lucy Lane from her originals by O. Russell, Yermo, California, circa 1945-50. They are of: Silver Odessa, Calico Birdseye view circa 1890, building in Mule Canyon; Men of Calico, c 1890; similar view, all labeled on reverse; birdseye view of the cabins and buildings at Mule Canyon, c 1890-1900; a different view of Mule Canyon; Lucy and dog; mule team with supply shipment from the railroad head at Yermo or Daggett. Most are labeled on the back by Lucy. None of these were used for illustrations in Lucy’s book. Est. $150-250

223. California. San Bernardino. Calico. Calico Related Magazine Articles. Lot of 2 pcs. A) “Mother of a Ghost Town” story of Lucy Lane with her own notations on the pages as published in Desert Magazine, May, 1938; B) 4pp newspaper style piece called “Calico Print” published at about the same time just after Walter Knott bought the town. This great piece has articles on the history of Calico. Est. $100-200

224. California. San Bernardino. Calico. Lane Calico Ore Specimen Collection. This important collection was assembled by Lucy and John Lane while they worked in Calico mines, circa 1890-1920. Each specimen is labeled by her, or contains a label from a bag of specimens with one label, such as the Silver King. Lucy’s Memoirs specifically state what years they worked in the various mines. Some of these were collected before 1900. There are 52 specimens here, of varying sizes. Many are large, about 3” or larger. Several are in the 6” category. All are classic high grade examples, though there is no visible native gold in any specimen. Most are silver specimens and several from west Calico exhibit classic barite and galena typical of that region. Specimens from the following mines and the respective number of specimens in the collection from that mine are listed in alphabetical order: Barium Hill 2; Blackfoot 1; East Calico 1; Guinda 2; Iron Clad, 1; Last Chance 1; Odessa 6; Oriental 1; Pinto 3; Red Cloud 3 ; Silver King Group 4; Thunderer 2; Unknown Calico mines (no specific mine given) 8; Veta 1; Waterman 2; West Calico 8; Zenda 2. This is probably the best specimen collection from Calico extant, and was collected by an important mining family who controlled the mines for decades before selling to Walter Knott. There are several rare mineral species reported from Calico by advanced collectors. We did not have time for physical or spectrographic identification of these rare minerals at the University’s lab. All of these specimens are high grade sulfide ores. Many may have native silver or argentite, as well as silver-lead mixes. Some specimens are well oxidized, but most have fresh sulfide. We did not curate any of the specimens, and they appear as they have for more than 50 years of storage. This collection should be viewed. It is a rare opportunity to acquire high grade ores from mines that may have become mined out over the years. Est. $2500-5000

225. California. San Bernardino. Calico. Lucy Lane Personal Correspondence Archive, 1900-60. This is one of the most important of all the Calico lots in this sale. Here, Lucy saved important letters to her with questions about Calico and her family history. Attached to each are her answers. Additionally, there is an unpublished story “Lady of the Calicos” she wrote (6pp). Thre are poems about Calico, photos of Lucy, of the store they worked in in Rhyolite after it crumbled into ruins, etc. There are about 15 letters dating from about 1900-1960, adding great detail to a story that has never been published. Est. $300-500

226. California. San Bernardino. Calico. Lucy Lane Personal Correspondence, 1938. Separate letter similar to the above lot dated 1938 with questions regarding the Keane Wonder operation of her husband. In Death Valley and the Amargosa, John Lane’s name is incorrectly written as Joseph Lane, and this letter discusses some of the details. Two pages of questions, and two pages of answers. Est. $100-200

227. California. San Bernardino. Calico. Silver King Argentite and Ruby Silver. Four specimens of exceptional high-grade. Collected by John Lane probably well before 1920. 16.31 oz troy.

Est. $200-400

228. California. San Bernardino. Calico. Zenda Gold Mining Co Documents, c.1927-1954. From the Lane family. These important papers chronicle correspondence, cash flow, sales of stock and corporate matters that all concerned Lucy or John Lane. Included are several annual reports (about 5) (mostly touting the Calico property) and about thirty letters from the Company to Lane or shareholders. Also included are a ledger for cash transactions, 1927 and the original agreement between the Lanes and Zenda dated 1927. It is an excellent archive that would allow a researcher to write a significant story on the company’s activities at Calico which were not discussed in Lane’s memoirs. Est. $600-1000

229. California. San Bernardino. Calico. Zenda Gold Mining Co. Three different stock certificates. This lot contains three different stocks issued to Lucy or John Lane by the company. Lane had sold his interests in the Silver King and other mines to the Zenda company, payable in cash and stock. The Zenda company was incorporated in 1919, but it was not until the mid 1920’s that they cut a deal with Lane for exploration and development of ore on his property. The company stayed alive through the depression, through at least 1954, when correspondence in these files stops. Along the way, Lucy Lane was able to buy back some of the Calico mines at tax sales when Zenda did not have enough money. The three stocks are a brown 100 share certificate dated 1929, a green 500 share certificate dated the same, both with eagle vignettes; and a plain green certificate to Lucy dated 1942. This is one of only two sets of the three different stocks in the family collection. Est. $400-800

230. California. San Bernardino. Calico. Zenda Gold Mining Co. Two different stocks from the Zenda Gold Mining Co issued to John R. Lane dated 1929. Both have the eagle vignette and are uncancelled (see lot above). Extremely fine.

Est. $300-400

231. California. San Diego. Dulzura. Dulzura Postmarked Covers with Letters, 1917. Three very fine covers with letters intact, bold postmarks. All excellent, particularly the letter content. Dulzura was a small community near the US/Mexico border where young Kimber’s group was stationed temporarily, possibly for border patrol. These letters are written from Christmas, 1917 by a young Ben Kimber (III), probably Ben Kimber’s grandson to his mother in Santa Barbara after the family moved there from Colorado. The letters discuss that they are living in tents. “The mess is cooked by an ex lumberjack and is fair.” Est. $100-200

232. California. San Diego. Julian. Banner Gold Mine Ore. Cut Slab of native gold in quartz. Extremely rare. 2 x 3” about 0.25” thick with a small piece. The slab is unpolished with perhaps ten percent gold. Slab weight 1.93 oz troy. This specimen came from the Lane Collection which is described in California. San Bernardino. Calico. Est. $1000-2000

233. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. California & Hawaiian Sugar Refining Co Cover, 1909. Postmarked San Francisco, April, 1909, Ferry Station. Addressed to Buford Mercantile Co. in Virginia City, Montana. G. Washington 2 cent stamp. 4 x 6.” VF. Est. $40-80

234. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. (Gold Rush). Adams & Co Express & Banking Office Original of Exchange, 1854. #24108. Issued to Henry I. Isaacs for $500 in 1854. Signed by E. Hall. Vignette at top center of the Adams & Co building in San Francisco. Vignette at left of a miner with a pick. Black border and print. Original in underprint in light red or orange. Trimmed tight at left edge. Printer - Fox LeCount & Strong, SF. 4 x 8.5”. Endorsed on reverse by Henry I. Isaacs. Very fine. Est. $100-200

235. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. (Gold Rush). Adams & Co Express Office Second of Exchange, 185x. No. #483. Dateline not filled in. Issued to Hunter & Co. Signed, but signature obscured by ink blotch. Vignette at top middle of several miners working a placer claim. Vignette at left of three women. Two black pen marks. This exchange appears to have been voided prior to issuance. Printer - Toppan, Carpenter Casilear & Co, Phila. 4 x 10”. Fine to very fine. Est. $75-150

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236. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. (Gold Rush). Adams & Co Original of Exchange, 1854. #24796. Issued to Frederick & Burke for $175 in 1854. Signed by Haubalkenburgh. Vignette at top center of the Adams & Co building in San Francisco. Vignette at left of a miner with a pick. Black border and print. Original in underprint in red. Trimmed tight at left and top edges. Printer - Fox LeCount & Strong, SF. 4 x 8.5”. Endorsed on reverse by Henry I. Isaacs. Very fine. Est. $100-200

237. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. (Gold Rush). Adams & Co Original of Exchange, 1857. #36125. Issued Isaac W. Cook for $65. Signed by W. H. Harnden. Vignette at top center of Adams & Co building. Vignette at left of miner. Torn left edge. Trimmed tight at top edge. Set into frame with glass. Fine.

Est. $75-150

238. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. (Gold Rush). Adams & Co Original of Exchange, 1857. #36197. Issued to Thomas Grealy for $115 in 1857. Signed by W. H. Harnden. Vignette at top center of Adams & Co building. Vignette at left of miner. Trimmed tight at top and left edge. Set in frame with glass. Fine.

Est. $75-150

239. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. American-Hawaiian Steamship Co Advertising Card, Specimen. Postcard-size, with picture of a steamship on one side, with masted sailing ship and another steamer in background. Stamped Specimen in red, two holes punched in either lower corner, and purple stamp at top reading, “Return to Issue Room To be held for Reference.” Reverse reads: Regular Steamer Service / From / New York to San Francisco and Honolulu / Steamship “Oregonian” / 8,000 Tons / Will leave New York about July 12, from Company’s Covered Pier, 42nd Street, South Brooklyn, N.Y. For Rates of Freight, Reservations and other particulars, apply to the Company or its Agents, who alone are authorized to name rates. Freight rates subject to change without notice. Insurance effected at lowest rates. American-Hawaiian Steampship Company / Williams, Diamond & Co. Federal Agents for Pacific Coast, 202 Market Street, San Francisco / Dearborn & Lapham General Agents 8 Bridge St. (Maritime Bldg.), New York City. 3.5 x 6. Extremely fine. Est. $150-300

240. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. (Gold Rush). Assassination of James King of William Colored Scene. Image is from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, July 19, 1856. 7 x 11”. Captioned “Assassination of James King, of William, Corner of Montgomery and Washington Streets, San Francisco, California.”

James King opened the first bank in San Francisco and was very successful until the bank’s demise in 1855. He began the Committee of Vigilance in 1851 because of the extreme crime that was infesting San Francisco. He formed the committee not only to apprehend culprits but to protect the innocent until proven guilty. In 1855, he began the Evening Bulletin and served as its editor until his assassination. James King was shot on March 14th, 1855, by James P. Casey who had spent time at Sing Sing. King had written an article in his Bulletin that outlined Casey’s criminal background which infuriated Casey. At the end of that day, King was walking home. Casey met King in the streets in front of the Pacific Express building and shot him through the left side of his chest. King died a few days later. Casey was immediately apprehended. But the citizens of San Francisco were agitated to the point of a frenzy in anticipation of revenge. Eventually, Casey and an accomplice named Cora, were hanged. Fabulous. Est. $50-100

241. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. Bank of California Duplicate of Exchange, 1872. Issued to George P. Pope for $146.40. Vignette at upper right of woman with a sailing ship behind. 2 cent revenue stamp at left edge. Red print. Printer - ABN. Very fine.

Est. $100-200

242. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. (Gold Rush). Banking House of Burgoyne & Co Second of Exchange, 1852. No #10807. Issued to Lyle Cholwell for $86.98. Datelined San Francisco. No vignette. Printer - Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson, NY. Small tear at top center extending downward. Very fine. Est. $100-300

243. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. Cliff House Lettersheet Embossing Die, c.1900-05. Die measures 3” tall, 2” wide (die base is square). Actual face is round. At the center of the die face is a shield shape enclosing a scene of the Cliff House with ocean just below the building. We believe this die was used

to emboss lettersheets, but it may have had other applications. One such alternative is a die for making souvenir tie-clips or something similar. Weight: 3.7 lbs. Extremely fine.

Est. $300-600

244. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. Dr. Henley’s IXL Bitters Aqua Bottle, c.1870’s. Dr. Henley’s / Wild Grape Root / IXL / Bitters. Aqua color. 12.5” tall with 3.5” diameter. Mint Condition, no chips or dings. Est. $120-200

245. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. Geary Street Park & Ocean Railroad Co. Cert #19. $1000 Bond, 1915. Signed by president Charles F. Crocker, the son of the Central Pacific magnate, Crocker.

Charles F. Crocker was also the first vice president of the Southern Pacific System. White paper with brown underprint and border. Bond title and vignette in black. Vignette is of an open passenger rail car with three men in front of it, two standing and one sitting on a rock. Allegorical female figures adorn left and right sides of central portion of vignette. 10” x 14 3/4”, staples along top edge, one minor fold and some fading VF. Est. $400-800

246. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. (Gold Rush). Page, Bacon & Co Original of Exchange, 1855. No #25815. Issued to Gideon W. Chadbourne for $1978.75 in 1855. Datelined San Francisco. Vignette of a sidewheeler/sailing vessel. Vignette at left edge of the Page Bacon building. Crease at lower left corner. Red pen across face of exchange. Fine. Est. $100-300

247. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. (Gold Rush). Richard Sutton, Licensed Ship Broker, 1849. This a very early shipping receipt for cargo shipped to San Francisco. The cargo just happened to have been “4000 hard silver dollars.” This agreement, made out by Richard Sutton Broker, was for the transfer of the silver dollars from one Swedish vessel to another vessel, named the Lightner. The transfer was port was Buenos Aires, September, 1849. The Lightner had 70 days to make to trip. Two vignettes of sailing vessels at top corners. 10 x 16”. Large piece missing from middle bottom edge. Extremely rare and early Gold Rush Document. Fine.

Est. $500-1000

248. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. S. Molitor & Co Assay Receipt, 1861. Printed at top, in red, “Memorandum of Gold Bullion Deposited at the Assay Office of S. Molitor & Co, 418 Montgomery Street.” The receipt of 75 ounces of gold assaying at $1395.92. 5 x 11”. Printer - Towne & Bacon, Printers. 5 x 11”. Very fine. Est. $100-200

249. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. S. Molitor & Co Assay Receipt, 1863. Printed at top, in purple, “Memorandum of Gold Bullion Deposited at the Assay Office of S. Molitor & Co, 418 Montgomery Street.” Receipt for 25.50 ounces of gold valued at $505.18. Chip missing at upper right and lower right. Printer not noted. 5 x 11”. Fine. Est. $80-150

250. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. San Francisco Land Association. Cert. #3031. Issued to Sally A. Lennig in 1881 for 113 shares. Signed by Davis as president and C.M. Fulton, secretary. Vignette of seated female allegorical figure with port and train crossing bridge in background. Black border on crème paper. Uncancelled. Printer: ABN Co. Phila. Datelined Philadelphia.

This company appears to have been incorporated in Philadelphia, no unusual for early California financial ventures. It is difficult to determine if this company was investing in land in San Francisco, or in other areas already familiar to them, such as land in or around the Mariposa Estate. 6.25 x 9.75”. VF. Est. $150-300

251. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. Southern Pacific Co, Specimen. Incorporated in Kentucky, 1884. $100 denomination. Dated 19xx. #S81363 in red at top left corner. Specimen stamped in red and holes punched on signature lines. Vignette of two seated allegorical females clasping hands over a stars and stripes shield. Blue border and underprint (“Capital Stock”). Printer: ABNCo. 8 x 12. Beautiful condition, no folds. The corporation was created by special charter, authorizing

it to contract for and acquire by purchase or otherwise, stocks, bonds, or securities of any company, corporation, or association; to enter into contracts in respect to the construction, establishment, acquisition, ownership, equipment, leasing, maintenance, or operation of any railroads, telegraphs, or steamship lines…and to buy, hold, sell and deal in all kinds of private and public stocks, bonds, and securities. [Poor’s, 1917, p. 487]. Est. $200-400

252. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. Standard Oil Co of California Bond Specimen. #00000. Incorporated in Delaware. Printed in red at top outside, “S99993,” and “Last Specimen/ Return to Broad Street Files.” Unsigned, with “Specimen” stamped in red on signature lines, also holes punched. Debenture due date of August 1, 1966. $50,000 denomination. Blue border with oil field and derricks vignette at top center, flanked by 2 allegorical men. Meas. 10 x 15. Est. $100-200

253. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. The San Francisco Calamity. A promotional flyer for the book of the same name. The flyer offers excerpts: “A Thrilling and Accurate Story of the Fearful Disaster which Visited the Great City and the Pacific Coast…” Told by Eye-Witnesses and edited by Charles Morris, LL.D. Promoted by the National Book Concert, St. Louis, Mo. Includes cartoon style sketch on front with a more accurate sketch on reverse of San Francisco in flames. Two printed sides, meas. 9 x 12”. Black print on white paper. VF. Est. $100-300

254. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. United Railroads of San Francisco, Specimen. A street railway incorporated in California, 1902. Specimen stamped in red and holes punched on signature lines. Vignette of 2 streetcars with a horsedrawn carriage passing them and two women walking. Orange border and underprint (“First Preferred Stock”). Printer: ABNCo. 8 x 13 without attached stub. 30 coupons attached. Company controlled by United Rys. Investment Co. of San Francisco. 258.35 total miles of track as of Dec. 1904: 52.61 cable; 201.85 electric; and 3.89 horse. As of the same date, the company owned 423 electric cars; 6 horse and trailers; 423 cable cars, and 16 steam cars. The company also owned shares in the following: Market Street Ry. Co.; Sutter Street Ry. Co.; Sutro RR Co., and San Francisco and San Mateo Electric Ry. Co. [Poor’s, 1906, p. 906]. Discoloration and some foxing along top margin. VF. Est. $200-400

255. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. Wells, Fargo & Co Second of Exchange, 1864. #268115. Issued to O. R. Kingsbury for $192.00. Gray paper with white print. 2 cent blue revenue stamp at upper left. California (mostly missing as original misstamped) / Exchange / Above $50 / to $200 / 40 Cents / Second / State Tax. Very fine. Rare. Est. $100-200

256. California. San Luis Obispo. San Luis Obispo Real Photo Postcards. Two rare photo post cards. Circa 1910. One is a street scene of a parade known as “the Swiss Celebration.” Noted as Aston Photo 2. The other is a rare view of the Owlville railroad station near San Luis Obispo, dated 1910, noted as Aston Photo 622. Both have sharp focus and are undamaged. Est. $100-200

257. California. San Mateo. Ledger of Extractions From County Records, 1874-1905. Ledger contains extractions from several county books under different headings: Liber 1, 2 & 3, Power of Attorney; Liber 1 & 2, Sheriff’s Certificates; Separate Property of Wife and Sole Traders; 1 & 2 Deeds Trust. Items are handwritten and checked off in red. Probably these extractions were made for compiling an index. Leather and cloth covered ledger, with only a few dings to corners and spine. 9 x 14.” Fine condition. Est. $100-200

258. California. Santa Clara. Alma. Misenheimer & Hall Blob Top Soda Bottle, .c1863. Dark aqua or teal. Professionally repaired. The top was broken off, repair line is 2” below top. Embossed with Misenheimer & Hall / Alma Soda. Embossed on bottom is Pacific Glass Works. There are only three known of this soda, which is a recent discovery. All three were dug in Eureka, Nevada. One of the sodas is in mint condition. The next best is this one offered.

The following background is but an abstract of an article in Antique Bottle & Glass Collector (Oct, 2003, by Fred

Holabird). Alma was a town located along Los Gatos Creek near the junction with Soda Creek, located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Today, the townsite is under Lexington Reservoir just east of Hwy 17 (880). The Alma Hotel was built in the late 1850’s. Misenheimer homesteaded the springs site. The hotel catered to travelers on the stage line between San Jose and Santa Cruz. At the height of the quicksilver mining at New Almaden, the Alma Hotel was probably doing a brisk business. A rail line was finished in 1876, most likely diminishing the importance of an Alma stop over and the mining slowly dried up by the 1880’s. Lexington Reservoir was built in the 1950’s. The date of this bottle falls between 1862 and 1865 as based on the embossing. Extremely rare.

Est. $1000-2000

259. California. Santa Clara. Santa Clara. Santa Clara County Promotional Book, 1915. by Leigh Irvine, 64pp plus soft color cover. 6.5 x 9.5”. Cover shows wear and was beginning to detach at top, now with old tape repair on inside. Does not bleed through. Printed under the Direction of the Board of Supervisors. Printed by V. Hillis Co., San Jose. Highly pictorial promotional book covering all aspects of the county. Includes a folding map 22 x 8” “Bird’s Eye View of the Santa Clara Valley”. Wonderful book promoting an important region of California, home to Stanford University, and containing many large towns. Generally fine. Est. $100-200

260. California. Shasta. Shasta. Mt. Shasta Gold Mines Corp., Specimen. Incorporated in South Dakota, 19xx. Specimen stamped in red on signature lines and holes punched. Stub attached. Vignette of 6 miners working underground with pry bars and drill. Green border and underprint (“Shares $1 Each”). Printer: ABNCo. 7 x 11. Stamped in purple at top is “Return to Issue Room to be held for Reference.”

This is a new company, a reorganization of the Mt. Shasta Gold Mining Company, which paid a small dividend in 1899. Mine lies in the Mount Shasta district of California, between the Mountain Copper Company’s mine sand the Trinity mine. Ore carries both gold and copper. [Ref: Copper Handbook, 1902-04, p 328.] VF. Est. $100-200

261. California. Sheriffs. (Gold Rush). California Alcalde, 1950. by Stephen J. Field. Published by Biobooks. 174pps. Original red hard boards. Only minor wear overall. Very fine. Stephen Field traveled in to San Francisco in 1849. He immediately headed to Marysville where he was appointed Alcalde, Mexican law for an officer with limited jurisdiction. Field’s contributions to California’s development are far to numerous to outline here ( the book does that in detail). Some of his credits are: the fundamental basis for mining law, founding of the state’s judicial system, created the counties of Nevada and Klamath, etc. Attached to the last page is a fold out map of a reproduction of California, 1851. Each county is colored differently. The map shows Nevada as still part of Utah Territory. Map is crisp, no tears. Overall very fine to extremely fine. Est. $100-200

262. California. Sheriffs. Duties of Sheriffs and Constables, Particularly Under the Practice in California and the Pacific States and Territories, 1907. by W. S. Harlow. 3rd edition. 603pps, indexed. Original hard boards. Inscribed on outer board and first leaf by Dudley Kinsell. The book is a general outline and tutorial for what it takes to be a sheriff or constable. Wear to spine and corners. Fine.

Est. $100-200

263. California. Sierra. Downieville. (Gold Rush). Downieville Lettersheet, c.1955. Captioned View of Downieville, Forks of the Yuba River. By W. H. O’Grady. Printed by Justh Quirot & Co, San Francisco. 9 x 14”. Baird 292 [Baird, Joseph; California Pictorial Letter Sheets, 1849-1869; 1967]. Lithograph by Justh. Quirot & Co., San Francisco. Art by W. H. O’Grady. Undated, circa 1852. Sold by Langton’s Express. 9 3/16 x 13 7/8” Paper size 11 x 16 5/8”. Unused. Fold vertically at center, as original. Printed in white paper.

Downieville was the center of northern mine activity during the California Gold Rush. It was well away from the center of activity in Sierra County at La Porte several ridges away.

The confluence of the two rivers here was perhaps the richest placer deposit in the region. The lithograph shows long sluice boxes erected to control the water courses. At the time, the town was still quite small with one central dirt street perhaps a quarter of a mile long flanked by substantial structures on each side, nearly the same as it appears today. The town was named after Major William Downie, a California ‘49er who wrote of many of his adventures in Hunting For Gold published in 1893. Downie came to the forks of the Yuba River in October, 1849. The town grew up around the site where he built his first cabin. This is a very choice view of an important northern mining camp in the beginning of the gold rush. Baird recorded two institutional copies only. The Clifford sale noted the same. The Clifford copy, purchased from John Howell Books, and illustrated in the Sloan catalog (1994) is indistinguishable from this copy, and may be the same. Nonetheless, this is a very rare gold rush lithograph, with only three known examples. Very rare. Very fine.

Est. $2000-3000

264. California. Sierra. Downieville. P. A. Lamping & Co Certificate of Deposit, 186x. A sheet of two attached Certificate of Deposits. Datelined Downieville. Vignette of seated man overlooking the ocean where a sailing vessel is at sea. Printer - Britton, SF. 7 x 12” overall. Very fine.

Est. $100-200

265. California. Sierra. Downieville. P. A. Lamping & Co Original & Duplicate of Exchange Sheet, 186x. A sheet that has both the original and duplicate of exchange. Vignette of seated man with ocean view in background. Black print. Printer - Britton, SF. 8 x 12”. Datelined Downieville. Extremely fine.

Est. $100-200

266. California. Southern California. Southern California Desert region Ore Specimen Collection of John and Lucy Lane, collected circa 1897-1920. Nineteen different original labeled specimens as follows: Johannesburg Silver Mine, collected 1897 per memoirs, 0.78 oz troy, misc gray sulfides in quartz; B) Ballarat (Panamint Range) , 5.04 ozT, sulfides in qtz breccia; Bagdad Chase, collected circa 1905 per memoirs, 1.98 ozT, iron sulfides in rhyolite; Tecopa (Death Valley), 15.72 ozT, galena, silver sulfides, chalcopyrite, massive; Frazier Tunnel(Kern County), 11.44 ozT, brown gangue breccia with good boxwork (Frazier gold mine); galena from Anderson collection, San Bernardino, 0.58 ozT; Silver glance ore, Johannesburg, collected 1897 per memoirs, 2.40 ozT , high grade silver sulfides in qtz.; Ivanpah silver, 2 specimens, 2.33 ozT, probably submitted to the custom mill Lane worked, c1907, silver sulfides; Panamint, 3.54 ozT, green mineral and sulfides in quartz; Goldstone, Cal., 1.78 ozT, sulfides in quartz breccia, probably collected before 1910; Hubbard Mine, Banner District, San Diego County, 2 specimens, 4.28 ozT, sulfides in banded quartz; 2 specimens of silver-lead ore from northern Mexico collected by Bonham, 6.22 ozT, galena with silver; Pine Creek, Bishop, molybdenite in quartz, 1.35 oz troy, tin ore from Borrego and Colorado desert collected by Mr. Byers, 3.57 troy. May be pyrolusite (Mn); 5 different specimens collected by John Anderson. All San Bernardino county silver-gold deposits but no specific locations given. General locales could be found by tracing mining claim records in County records. For the story of these specimens see California. San Bernardino. Calico.

Est. $900-1500

267. California. Yolo. Yolo Water & Power Co, Specimen. Incorporated in California. Dated 1912. $1000 denomination. Specimen stamped in red over signature lines and holes punched. Vignette of 3 allegorical figures, center female holding a staff, two males seated on left and right holding an electric light and a train engine. Green-gray border and underprint. Printer: Franklin Lee BN Co. 10-15. 80 coupons attached. Est. $200-400

268. California. Yuba. Edwards Woodruff vs North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Co, Omega Gold Mining & Ditch Co, 1886. 18pps. Original wrap, minor wear to binding. 7 x 10”. The suit claims that the two companies, especially the Omega GM&Ditch Co was hydraulic mining the banks of the South Yuba River with two “little giants” at the rate of about 2000 cubic yards of material per day. The debris from the hydraulic mining was routed to Stockmans Creek, and presumably blocking the flow or being deposited on another claim(s). In a previous decision, Edward Woodruff was successful in obtaining an injunction against the two mining companies. It would seem the Omega Co disregarded the injunction and was continuing to hydraulic mine the banks. Several affidavits were submitted supporting the contempt of court and the operation of mining ground. The court found that the Omega Co was in contempt based on strong circumstantial evidence. Very fine. Est. $75-150

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269. California. Yuba. People of the State of California vs Gold Run Ditch & Mining Co, 1884. 67pps. Front cover has been tape repaired, back cover is missing. 7 x 10”.

The State of California is arguing that the hydraulic mining of the Gold Run Ditch & Mining Co is, and will, cause the impairment of navigation and debris build-up in the American and Sacramento River. “Nowhere in California is the power of water more noticeable than in that section of the North Fork of the American River between Giant’s Gap and Cape Horn, and it is here - perched on the south slope of the divide near the little village of Gold Run, Placer County, about one mile from the North Fork, by way of a short tributary of it, called Canon Creek (having a grade of 1000 feet to the mile) - is located the Gold Run Mine. It is owned by a mining corporation of nearly the same name, and its operations - though beginning in 1872 - did not reach much magnitude before 1876. It has an artificial water supply of not less than 2150 miners’ inches - about forty millions of gallons - which is largely increased by natural contributions of rain water. Its banks are very high, and the pressure under which water is used in its mining operations is about 275 feet. It uses the most approved processes, such as little giants or monitors, great iron pipes - and electric lights - for night work. It has not been a lucrative mine, as the assessments, have more than counterbalanced the dividends, nor is the earth worked by it rich in gold. It has, as the Court declares, only from 5 to 20 cts of gold per cubic yard in it.” This is opening argument from the State which goes on to portray that 20 million yards of “mining debris” would be transported to the American and Sacramento Rivers with 67 million yards already had been deposited from previous hydraulic mining starting in the 1860’s.

The precedent on which the State sues is that the hydraulic mining of the Gold Run Co was a “nuisance” to the navigation of the rivers, to the agricultural lands and the potential of levee failure along in the Sacramento River in the city of Sacramento. The State also argues that the State has the right to pursue this action, citing several precedents. An informative legal battle that eventually led to the banning of hydraulic mining along the tributaries of the of the American and Sacramento Rivers for the exact reasons as argued in this case. Very fine. Est. $120-250

270. California. Yuba. Roddan Family Investment & Account Ledger, 1898-1910. Hardbound in leather and suede, 476 pages filled in with names, dates and amounts. 9 x 14 size, 2” thick cover is tattered but still together. Est. $300-600 (not illustrated)

CANADA

271. Canada. British Columbia. Dawson Creek. Dawson Creek Souvenir Spoon. Engraved bowl with Dawson Creek, B. C. End of handle has color enamel with Dawson Creek, Alaska Highway, Mile 0. 4” long. Made in Canada, Sterling. Very fine. Est. $75-100

272. Canada. British Columbia. Phoenix. Phoenix Souvenir Plate. Plate is 3.5” diameter with gold leaf accent around rim. Scene is a sketch of a small town in a shallow valley. No mfg noted. Phoenix is a small unincorporated location just east of Grand Forks, BC, just north of the international border with Washington. The location is east of the Columbia River placing in Kootenay area. Probably a mining and lumber town. Rare. Est. $100-200

273. Canada. British Columbia. Victoria. Nest Egg Mining Co. Cert #192. Incorporated in Canada. Issued to Edith Le Neveu for 100 shares in 1896. Signed by G. A. Kirk president and M. S. Ellis secretary. Fabulous vignette 4 eggs, one is cracked open with coins falling out of the egg. Gold border. Uncancelled. Printer - Colonist Lith. 6 x 11”. Datelined Victoria, B.C. Brown stains affect certificate from top middle downward. Fine.

Est. $100-200

274. Canada. Ontario. East Ontario. Ore Chimney Mining Co, Ltd, 1916. Prospectus. Incorporated in Ontario, 1909. The company owned 500 acres in the Eastern Ontario district about 11 miles from Kaladar, the nearest train station. By 1918, the company had over 2000 feet of workings, and a 403 shaft. The company had completed a 20 stamp mill, equipped with tables and magnetic separator and was hoping to bring it on line in late 1917 (Mines Handbook, 1918, p.1552). 18 photographs show everything from an investors’ visit and to fishing in the local lakes and streams. The ore was mostly of lead with minor copper and silver. 66 pages, original brown cover with an image of an outcrop with the title of the company. Original brown string at binding. 6 x 9”. Extremely fine. Est. $200-400

275. Canada. Ontario. Hastings. Home Gold & Copper Co, c.1902. Prospectus and letters. Lot of 5 different pcs. Incorporated in Ontario, promoted from Buffalo.

The company held several different claim groups in Ontario as described in the prospectus. The listing of this company in the 1905 Copper Handbook, p.467, tells the story of this company far better than my attempt at described the contents of the prospectus. It is as follows “Lands are sundry claims in Eastern and Western Ontario. Company also claims to have mineral lands in Nova Scotia and New Mexico. Has peddled its stock assiduously, and complains that previous editions of the Copper Handbook have done the company great injustice, but cannot be prevailed upon to furnish a detailed report. One Rufus L. Herrick, a pious agent for the company, sold stock by opening his office with prayer in the morning, and washing out free gold from quartz in the afternoon.”

The listing in the 1908 Copper Handbook, p.792, listed as “Dead. Formerly infested Ontario.” The prospectus has an attractive cover with gilt lettering and an image of a boarding house also in gilt, wet on a black cover, 32 pages with a 2 page county map of Ontario showing the property of the company, 4 x 8”. Except for the map pages, entirely printed on blue paper. The lot includes 2 smaller prospectuses and 3 stock purchase subscriptions all printed on blue paper. The official prospectus is extremely fine and accompanying paper is very fine.

Est. $100-200

276. Canada. Ontario. Manitou. Imperial Gold Mines, Ltd, & Laurential Gold Mines Co, c.1904. Prospectus and Report. Lot of 2 different pcs. These 2 items are lotted together because they both have to do with the Laurentian gold mine located in the Manitou district near Manitou Lake. The pamphlet for the Imperial Gold Mines has a purple cover with gilt lettering titled “Imperial Gold Mines, Limited, Laurentian Gold Mine.” The entire pamphlet is made up exclusively of photographs of the property, a total of 10. 4.5 x 6”. The second item is a 5 page, 8x 13”, typed copy of a report on the Laurentian Gold mine owned by the Laurential Gold Mines, Ltd. There are no dates offered on either piece and the relation between the 2 different companies. Both extremely fine.

Est. $100-200

277. Canada. Ontario. Rainy River. Lucky Coon Gold Mining Co, c.1902. Prospectus. Incorporated in Wisconsin, promoted from Duluth and Superior. The company owned property in the Rainy River district near Mine Centre, where the name Lucky Coon came from is not clear. There was a 5 stamp mill and several out buildings on the property. The president of this company, Hillyer, was involved with several other companies in the Rainy River district (see lots above). The front cover has an image of a young African-American boy. A claim map is found on the second page and there are 5 photographs. 12 pages, original gray cover with black print, 6 x 8.5”. Cover is beginning to detach. Very fine. Est. $100-200

CHILE

278. Chile. Potrerillas. Andes Copper Mining Co. Specimen Bond. #00000. Incorporated in Delaware, 1916. $500 denomination. Unsigned. #S23513 and Specimen printed in red. Vignette of two miners underground with hydraulic drill. Orange border and underprint (“500”). Printer: ABNCo. Meas. 10 x 15. Dated 1925. Sheet of 36 coupons attached. A very large tract of ground at Portrerillas, held by the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. Reported to have shown the existence of a very large tonnage, over 50,000,000 tons…carrying 1.67% copper. [Ref: Mines Handbook, 1918, pgs.1835-6.] Est. $100-200