Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - July - 2005 Issue
Personal Letters, Books, Diaries and More from Michael Brown Rare Books
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By winter, Moulton is telling stories of death in the biting cold. While "it is not much colder than in Maine," he recounts others trying to re-cross the 5,000-foot glacier in winter and freezing to death or having to have frozen feet amputated. One clever group of men, stuck in a storm, dig themselves a hole and save their feet by holding them under their dog. Moulton protects his feet by wearing three pairs of heavy socks, covered by moose hide moccasins, covered by canvas shoes. By April, he is now recounting the deaths of people who were in his party. He tells of how the mail carrier fell into a creek while it was 20 below, and without wood for a fire, slowly froze to death, all the time describing his dying to a helpless partner. Ultimately, like most others who participated in the gold rush, Moulton never finds anything of significant value, and by the fall of 1899, he is making his way back home, picking up jobs along the way. This collection of letters is priced at $3,750.
Jacob Russel was a young man preparing for a career as druggist in Philadelphia in the years just before the Civil War. Item 48 is his 231-page diary from 1857-1859. He had tried serving as an apprentice to a couple of stonecutters, but found this work too hard. So, Russel recounts, in 1854 he "went to the Drug business with W.W.D. Livermore corner of 9th & Vine and a more perfect Gentleman it has never been my lot to meet, neither do I expect to." Sadly, Russel's luck was about to run out. "Unfortunately, he was drowned 19th day of July 1854. The store then passed into the hands of his brother Origen R. Livermore and a more contemptible puppy does not breathe." He suffered through working for the insufferable brother for two-and-a-half years before moving on to work for other druggists, and eventually his own business. Russel also tells of his personal life, and while he has a steady girlfriend named "Anna," he manages to play the field liberally, often ending his description of the evening by saying he "slept out." Russel is not afraid to be graphic in describing sexual diseases his behavior undoubtedly brought on, but we are, so we will say no more. He also describes an outing to church with Anna in 1858: "We went to St. Paul's, Old Cooper held forth on the proper training of children. The old skunk never had a child and it stands to reason that he should know nothing about what he preaches." $850.
None of these manuscripts compare with the collection offered as item 174. This is a collection of letters, compositions, deeds, receipts, notes, poems and more of George P. Delaplaine and his family of Wisconsin. George Delaplaine was one of the earlier settlers of this territory, having moved to Madison in the 1830s. However, this collection starts in 1824, when George was still 10-years-old and living in Philadelphia, and continues until 1907, eleven years after he died. As an early settler of Madison, he acquired much land, and became one of the territory's more prominent citizens. He served in various capacities under several territorial governors, and as personal secretary to the first three state governors.
