Beckmann, Conrad. Interesting Autograph Letter Signed by San Francisco Grocer Conrad Beckmann, Talking About a Steamer With a Limit of 400 Illegally Carrying 1300 Passengers to "the New Diggings" (Likely Gold) and Grocer Business, etc. San Francisco, 17 February 1862.
- Used

Seller: Globus Rare Books & Archives, San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.Globus Rare Books & Archives
AbeBooks seller since February 8, 2023
Condition: Used
£ 662.78
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Octavo (ca. 24 x 19 cm or 9 ½ x 7 ½ in). Brown ink on bluish lined wove paper, with papermaker's blindstamp in upper left corner. 1 pp. Fold marks, paper slightly age-toned, minor tears on top edge, otherwise a very good letter. An interesting letter providing insight on the popularity of new "rushes" around California. The letter is written by one Conrad Beckmann, who is listed as a grocer in an 1862 San Francisco city directory. The letter is addressed to likely his business partners Hardy and Kennedy (possibly William S. Hardy and Samuel S. Kennedy, who owned a store dealing in general goods, mining equipment, and gold trading in Foresthill, Placer County, California between 1856 and 1863). Beckmann opens the letter with business, having enclosed a bill for meat products he recently shipped to them. He talks about a steamer that recently arrived in San Francisco that was carrying 1300 passengers, though it was not allowed to carry more than 400, and connects that to a "rush to the new diggings," likely gold. Beckmann closes the letter by stating his intentions to move away from San Francisco. Overall, an interesting early example of a letter from San Francisco with references to regional gold rushes. Excerpts from the letter (spelling original): "Enclosed I sent you Bill for the Bacon and Hams, shipped today per J. Coghill & Co at your account. Hope both will prove satisfactory as well in regard to prices as Quality, and that you will soon send an Ordre [sic] for more to the Butchers who made them. "The rush to the new diggings is very large the last steamer arrived 1300 in place of 400 as Newspaper reports said, the steamer not being allowed by Law to carry more than that number, which made that they only stated the number of 400. "The writer of this thinks to leave here about the 27 instant, having made arrangements to get goods and put up a [shanty?] of some kind and some place, which place don't know at present; if thinks [sic] go favorable there than [sic] I intend to write my Friend Sam Kennedy a few lines.".…
Seller Inventory # MD11
Bibliographic details
- Title
- Beckmann, Conrad. Interesting Autograph Letter Signed by San Francisco Grocer Conrad Beckmann, Talking About a Steamer With a Limit of 400 Illegally Carrying 1300 Passengers to "the New Diggings" (Likely Gold) and Grocer Business, etc. San Francisco, 17 February 1862.
- Author
- BECKMANN, Conrad
- Publication year
- 1862
- Condition
- None
- Binding
- None
Globus Rare Books & Archives
San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.
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| Item | 5 to 14 business days | 3 to 6 business days |
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Globus Books is an independent San Francisco-based bookshop and a member of the American Booksellers’ Association and the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America and has been in business since 1971. It was opened originally by Vladimir Azar as a shop for the Russian emigre public of the Bay Area. A small press operated there in the 1970s under the same name in the same building. Now, 50+ years in business, the shop still occupies the same premises with continued success. Globus Rare Books and Archives is the department within Globus Books that specializes in rare travel and exploration related items from around the world with an emphasis on the Americas, the Pacific and Russian explorers and travellers. Our goal is to seek out and offer rare and unique antiquarian items, including rare books, photographs, photo-albums, watercolors, drawings, manuscripts, archives, maps and prints. Our team has many decades of experience helping to build many institutional and private collections across the USA and the world and we have seen and handled many important antiquarian items and collections. We issue monthly catalogues with the newest acquisitions available for our subscribers. We participate in many US and International antiquarian book fairs. Follow us on social media to receive the latest news and offers. You can browse our collections in person during the shop’s opening hours by appointment : Tuesday to Sunday, 11 to 5.…
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