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THBCalifornia Gold Rush Illustrated Letter Sheet
About Seller
6270 Este Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45232
United States
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About Auction
LiveNov 17, 2017 - Nov 18, 2017
Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com
View Full Catalog (372)
- Lot Description
Illustrated lettersheet, 9 x 11.25 in. The Miner's Ten Commandments. San Francisco, CA: Sun Print, 1853. Written by James H. Hutchings. With address for orders, "Box H, Placerville, El Dorado Co., Ca." The lettersheet is bordered with wood-engraved vignettes illustrating habits (both good and bad) of miners including: claim jumping, gambling, family life, household chores, gaming, working, and partnerships. A large scene depicting an elephant pointing to the commandments posted on a shed is featured at the top. The preface below notes that the mythical writer "saw the elephant," from the "key of his trunk to the end of his tail, his whole body passed before me; and I followed him until his huge feet stood still." This is a reference to the popular 19th century idiom "Seeing the Elephant," meaning gaining life experience by making an arduous journey, such as traveling one of the trails to settle in the West, joining the Gold Rush, or going to war.
James M. Hutchings wrote the "The Miner's Ten Commandments" in 1853, which were first published in the Placerville Herald newspaper. The "commandments" were also printed and sold to the miners to be used as stationery, and became one of the most popular pictorial lettersheets of the Gold Rush-era.
Each commandment has its cartoon, beginning with "Thou shalt have no other claim than one." The second commandment is a long one, laying out the penalties for laying out a false claim or claim "jumping." Three is "Thou shalt not go prospecting before thy claim gives out."
The fourth commandment "Thou shalt not remember what thy friend do at home on the Sabbath day, lest the remembrance may not compare favorably with what thou doest here." It goes on to command that on the seventh day, one should do his laundry, mend anything needing such attention, chop wood, bake bread, etc., to get ready to work for six days. "...[S]houldst thou ever return with thy worn-out body to thy mother's fireside; and then strive to justify thyself, because the trader and the blacksmith, the carpenter and the merchant, the tailors, Jews and buccaneers defy God and civilization, by keeping not the Sabbath day, nor wish for a day of rest..."
Fifth "Thou shalt not think more of all the gold, and how thou canst make it fastest, than how thou will enjoy it, after thou hast ridden, rough shod, over thy good old parent's precepts and examples..."
Six: "Thou shalt not kill thy body by working in the rain, even though thou shalt make enough to buy physic and attendance with." This one also is rather long, including not killing one's neighbor nor drinking away one's purse.
Seven: "Thou shalt not grow discouraged, nor think of going home before thou has made thy "pile," because thou hast not [struck it rich']... lest going home thou shalt leave four dollar a day, and go to work, ashamed, at fifty cents, and serve thee right, for thou knowst by staying here, thou might strike a lead and fifty dollars a day, and keep thy manly self-respect..."
Eight: "Thou shalt not steal a pick, or a shovel, or a pan from thy fellow miners...nor borrow those he cannot spare..." nor anything else that would cost thy fellow miner money or cause him to lose money.
Nine: "Thou shalt not tell any false tales about 'good diggings in the mountains' to thy neighbor," so that "when he returneth through the snow, with naught save his rifle, he present thee with the contents thereof..."
The last regards the shortage of women in the mining camps: "Thou shalt not commit unsuitable matrimony, nor covet 'single blessedness'; nor forget absent maidens; nor neglect thy "true love': but thou shalt consider how faithfully and patiently she awaiteth thy return;..." And if thy have a wife and family, hold them close until thou can say "I have had enough."
Signed (in type) Forty-Nine.
Fold with some toning. Generally very good, but the type is tiny.Condition
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Eliminate the Hassle of Third-Party Shippers: Let Cowan's Ship Directly To You!
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