Lot 391

Previous image preload Next image preload

Description:

Huge Archive 270 Documents Mining Silver in Central Nevada after the Civil War

This fascinating archive of more than 270 documents details the challenges and profits in mining silver in Nevada in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War. Much of the material was generated at the mines of the New York and Austin Silver Mining Company near Austin, Nevada, to be sent to stockholders in San Francisco and New York.

In 1866, a group of New York businessmen formed the New York and Austin Silver Mining Company to mine silver in the Reese River District near Austin, Nevada. Located in central Nevada, 150 miles east of Carson City, Austin became the center of a silver boom from 1862 to the late 1870s. The population of the area grew to more than 10,000 but soon dwindled. Made the county seat of Lander County in 1863 and incorporated in 1864, the city of Austin was disincorporated in 1881, and silver production ended there by 1887.

[MINING.] Archive of the New York and Austin Silver Mining Company, 1863-1877. Approximately 277 documents, 820 pp. The archive consists of letters, telegrams, financial records, court documents and decisions, and twenty-six memoranda of silver bullion deposited at assay offices in Nevada. Among the interesting individual items are stock certificates, maps of the Florida and Lander Hill mines, and a diagram of the timbering necessary for the mine. Several documents also have numerous internal revenue stamps attached to them. All documents are sleeved individually and arranged in six three-ring binders. Some have edge damage, but nearly all are completely legible.

The correspondence of John C. Morrison Jr. largely concerns his business arrangements with New York investors. Much of the larger correspondence of Edwin A. Sherman are letters to Charles B. Hoffman (1827-1892), the president of the New York and Austin Silver Mining Company, and Edward R. Seecomb (1816-1892), the treasurer.

The archive includes:
- Correspondence of John C. Morrison Jr. of Florida Gold & Silver Mining Company, 1865-1867 (15 documents, 38 pp.)
- Correspondence of Edwin A. Sherman, 1866-1867 (62 documents, 415 pp.)
- Financial records of New York and Austin Silver Mining Company, 1866-1872 (64 documents, 94 pp.)
- Miscellaneous Correspondence, New York and Austin Silver Mining Company, 1865-1868 (51 documents, 79 pp.)
- Corporate records, New York and Austin Silver Mining Company, 1863-1877 (45 documents, 151 pp.)
- Memoranda of Bullion Deposited, 1866-1868 (40 documents, 43 pp.)

Excerpts
Edwin A. Sherman to Charles B. Hoffman, May 12, 1866
"The shaft is down eighty-five feet and the ledge is about thirteen inches wide at that depth. Mr. O'Rear the former superintendent of the mine had left it in a very bad condition, having taken out the finest ore he could get and filling up the drifts with the refuse rock, and the present superintendent has been engaged in getting things in order as far as he was able to do, and it will take a month's work to straighten matters out. The mine I believe to be a good one but it will require patience and a little time as well as a reasonable amount of money to be expended before the stockholders can realize profitable returns from it.... It is my intention to sink the shaft as deep as I can until I strike water and then drift towards where the trespassers are working, unless you order me to sue out an injunction upon them and stop their working. Mr. Terry informs me that it will be an easy matter to get rid of them as all the witnesses necessary are right here to prove the ownership of the Florida Company to the mine."

Edwin A. Sherman to Edward R. Seecomb, August 25, 1866
"I shall require my money in advance every month. For I do not want to employ men when I have no money in hand to pay them. You will therefore inform the committee that I shall require after this an average amount of $4,500 per month for working the mine, and for the sake of economy send it as I have recommended.... The average amount of bullion shipped per month from this place for the year past has been $150,000 or at the rate of about $450 per man engaged in mining."

Edwin A. Sherman to Edward R. Seecomb, December 31, 1866
"The expenses have necessarily increased in consequence of having to make preparations for the new building now being constructed for the new hoisting works, such as grading &c. The entire cost of the new building will be included in the expenses for the month of January and returned in my next monthly report. I have also been compelled to increase my mining force underground in taking out the ore, and will still increase this force as fast as there is room to put the men in."

Edwin A. Sherman to Edward R. Seecomb, July 18, 1867
"I telegraphed you yesterday that I had struck a rich ledge in the Sherman Shaft and also concerning the prospects in the 'Florida Mine' and for a remittance of $10,000 and that I would write the particulars."

Edwin A. Sherman to Edward R. Seecomb, November 7, 1867
"It will take eight days to get the money here from Virginia City. Wells, Fargo & Co will not bring more than $2000 for any body at any one time, and even the banks here are unable to do better. Wells Fargo & Co will not bring money in advance of the depositing of the bullion."

Edwin A. Sherman (1829-1914) was born in Massachusetts. He began a journalistic career in the 1840s in Illinois, Wisconsin, and New York, before returning to Boston to work for William Lloyd Garrison on his newspaper. In 1845, Sherman enlisted in the army and served as an interpreter. In 1849, he traveled to California, where he began mining and supplying miners and served as the county surveyor of Sacramento County (1855-1857). He began publishing a Union newspaper in 1860 in California, then moved it to Nevada. He was elected state controller of Nevada in 1863 and was in New York City when President Lincoln was assassinated. He returned to Nevada in 1866 as superintendent of the New York & Austin Silver Mining Company, a position he held until 1869. From 1874 to 1877, he served as deputy U.S. mineral surveyor in Nevada. In 1877, he moved to San Francisco, and in 1883 to Oakland, where he continued his career as a mining expert, author, and contributor to San Francisco newspapers and magazines.

John C. Morrison Jr. (1823-1881) was a wholesale wine and liquor dealer in San Francisco. Born in New York, he served as the president of the Florida Gold and Silver Mining Company for the Reese River District of Nevada in 1865 and 1866. The Florida Gold and Silver Mining Company was a predecessor of the New York and Austin Silver Mining Company. Morrison made a fortune in mining and stock transactions.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

May 4, 2022 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000