Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

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Collection

Alexis St. Martin collection, 1879

10 items

This collection is made up of correspondence and newspaper clippings by or related to Alexis St. Martin, a French-Canadian man who underwent medical experimentation and observation after surviving an open stomach wound.

This collection is made up of correspondence and newspaper clippings by or related to Alexis St. Martin, a French-Canadian man who underwent medical experimentation and observation after surviving an open stomach wound.

Eight letters and postcards, July-September 1879, pertain to James H. Etheridge's proposals to Alexis St. Martin, requesting that he visit Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois, for observation. Alexis St. Martin (3 items) and Henry F. Harris (4 items) wrote about St. Martin's possible involvement and financial compensation. Two newspaper clippings, written before 1880, concern St. Martin's wound, his later life, and Dr. William Beaumont's experiments on St. Martin's stomach. See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for information about each individual item.

Collection

Barnum, Bailey & Hutchinson scrapbook, [circa late 19th century]

1 volume

This oversized scrapbook consists of sections of Barnum, Bailey & Hutchinson circus advertising posters. The imagery includes circus tents, musical wagons (including the "Silver-Tubed Caliope" and "Sacred Chimes"), camels and horses, animal trainers, artillerymen seemingly of Middle Eastern descent (possibly part of the "Bedouin Arab" performers), acrobats, minstrel performers, African American musicians, and portraits of P. T. Barnum, J. A. Bailey, and J. L. Hutchinson.

This oversized scrapbook consists of sections of printed Barnum, Bailey & Hutchinson circus advertising posters. The imagery includes circus tents, musical wagons (including the "Silver-Tubed Caliope" and "Sacred Chimes"), camels and horses, animal trainers, artillerymen seemingly of Middle Eastern descent (possibly part of the "Bedouin Arab" performers), acrobats, minstrel performers, African American musicians, and portraits of P. T. Barnum, J. A. Bailey, and J. L. Hutchinson. The back cover bears the print "Toilers of the Sea - Trawling on t[he Dogger Bank]," showing fishermen at sea.

Collection

Bittenbender, Etna case statements, 1880

3 items

This collection is made up of three items (8 pages) relating to the investigation into the death of 17-year-old Etna Bittenbender, who was raped and murdered in Sciota, Hamilton Township, Pennsylvania on October 31, 1880. The contents include statements by Samuel Harvey, Samuel A. Singer, and four members of the Marsh family who employed Etna as a housekeeper. They attested to their personal backgrounds and lives, their locations at the time of the murder, and what they witnessed.
Collection

Cadwallader and Jane Colden manuscripts and leaf impressions, 1755, 1765 (majority within 1755)

1 letter, 1 manuscript with leaf impressions, and 1 newspaper clipping

This collection is comprised of a 4-page letter from surveyor and scientist Cadwallader Colden to botanist John Frederic Gronovius (October 1, 1755), in which he enclosed 17 pages of his daughter Jane's botanical descriptions and leaf impressions (1755).

This collection is comprised of a 4-page letter from surveyor and scientist Cadwallader Colden to botanist John Frederic Gronovius (October 1, 1755), in which he enclosed 17 pages of his daughter Jane's botanical descriptions and leaf impressions (1755). Cadwallader Colden mentioned that his previous correspondence may have been delayed on account of the capture of the packet by privateers, remarked on women and botanical study, praised his daughter's willingness to collaborate on botanical projects (and her possible discover of new genera), and expressed his esteem for Carl Linnaeus and the Linnaean system. Colden also mentioned the Royal Garden at Paris and referred to other scientists, including "Dr. Haller" [Albrecht von Haller] and "Mr. Calm" [Peter Kalm].

Colden enclosed a sampling of Jane's botanical work which contains descriptions of plants (e.g. cup, flower, chives, pistil, cover of seed, seeds, seat of the seeds, root, stalk, leaves) and leaf impressions.

The following list of represented plants employs her spelling:
  • No. 299: Diandria Monogynia
  • No. 302: [No name present]
  • No. 300: Tetriandria Digynia
  • No. 241: Pentandria Trigynia
  • No. 291: Didynamia Gymnospermia
  • No. 216: [No name present]
  • No. 215: [No name present]
  • No. 296: Clinopodium (Mountain-Mint)
  • No. 304: Monadelphia Polyandria
  • No. 153: Polyadelphia Enneandria
  • No. 297: Syngenesia Polygamia Superflua (Helenia)
Jane Colden's manuscript includes the following leaf and plant impressions:
  • No. 153: Polyadelphia Enneandria
  • No. 304: Monadelphia Plyandria
  • No. 297: Syngenesia Polygamia Superflua (Helenia)
  • [Not numbered]: Rubus
  • No. 296: Clinopodium (Mountain-Mint)
  • No. 291: Didynamia Gymnospermia
  • No. 299: Diandria Monogynia
  • No. 300: Tetriandria Digynia
  • No. 216: [No name present]
  • No. 215: [No name present]
  • No. 302: [No name present]

A single newspaper clipping from December 14, 1765, accompanies the Colden manuscripts. The clipping includes the text of a letter received by Lieutenant Governor Cadwallader Colden, which prompted his "declaration that he would have nothing to do with the Stamps [Stamp Act, 1765] till the arrival of Sir Henry Moore." The printed letter threatens death to Cadwallader Colden if he were to enforce the Stamp Act. The printed letter contains the text of two labels that were affixed to the effigies of enemies of American liberties hung in Boston on November 4 at the Tree of Liberty.

Collection

Charles C. Pratt papers, 1902, 1905, 1908-1909 (majority within 1902, 1908-1909)

1 linear foot

The Charles C. Pratt papers contain incoming letters to Pratt about two of his political campaigns: his unsuccessful bid for the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1902 and his election to the United States House of Representatives in 1908.

The Charles C. Pratt papers (859 items) contain incoming letters to Pratt about two of his political campaigns: his unsuccessful bid for the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1902 and his election to the United States House of Representatives in 1908.

Pratt's incoming Correspondence (837 letters) pertains to state-level politics in early 20th century Pennsylvania. Many letters written during the early stages of Pratt's 1902 campaign were optimistic, and some writers already considered the election effectively settled in Pratt's favor, particularly due to his affiliation with the Republican Party. Others exercised more caution. The collection also has telegrams from the night of the election (November 4, 1902) and letters from Pratt's friends expressing their disappointment in the outcome.

The second group of letters, apart from one 1905 item, documents Pratt's campaign for the United States House of Representatives in 1908. The Republican Congressional Committee sent letters prior to the election, but most items are congratulatory letters to Pratt written from November 4-6, 1908. Later items include requests for official appointments and recommendations of friends or family for particular positions. Some items have illustrated letterheads, including one with an illustration of whiskey bottles and a distillery (November 2, 1902) and one for the Beach Sanitarium, "Famous for the cure of cancer without the use of knife or plasters" (November 4, 1908).

The collection contains the following 8 Documents:
  • Completed but unsigned survey about the potential abolition of direct primaries
  • Petition for "legislation providing for a system of parcels delivery on the rural mail delivery routes, and for the establishment of postal savings banks" (4 copies)
  • Petition for creation of a National Highways Commission
  • Typed list of "Republican Voters, New Milford Twp."
  • Typed election results from two Pennsylvania elections (November 1902), with notes on the 1908 United States House of Representatives election
The Ephemera, Newspaper Clippings, and Speech Notes series is made up of the following 14 items:
  • Newspaper clipping about George W. Kipp's expenditures during a congressional campaign
  • "A Toast" ending with the lines "Here's champagne to your real friends/And real pain to your sham friends"
  • Wedding announcement for Frederick W. Poten and Mary Belle Cross (February 11, 1909)
  • Printed text of "An Act. Punishing the Printing, Posting and Distributing of Any Libelous Circular or Poster or Other Written or Printed Paper" (June 26, 1895)
  • Printed pamphlet entitled "Another Bank Cashier in Politics. Another Bank Gone to Smash! Startling Instance of Misplaced Public Confidence"
  • Printed circular from Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association
  • Printed speech of Charles Morningstar & Co., of New York, before the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means
  • Charles C. Pratt speech notes (3 items)
  • Notes and fragments (4 items)
Collection

Charles W. Matt formula and receipt book, [1920s?]

1 volume

This book, which belonged to Charles W. Matt, a jeweler in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, contains chemical formulas, recipes, and instructions related to methods of working with metals such as gold and silver.

This book (approximately 200 pages, not all of which are used) belonged to Charles W. Matt, a jeweler in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, around or after the 1920s. The book contains formulas, recipes, and instructions related to working with various metals, particularly gold and silver; most entries were written directly into the volume, with a few additional clippings pasted or laid in. The notes pertain to aspects of metalwork, such as making alloys, bronzing and finishing processes, dissolving and etching metals, casting metals, stripping and cleaning metals, and refining gold. Also included are recipes for making imitation ivory, paste, waxes, and cements. Supplemental information about chemical elements and casting insects is also present.

Collection

Clair Brubaker manuscript newspaper, The Victor Gazette, [circa 1917]

3 volumes

Clair Brubaker, possibly in or near Cripple Creek, Colorado, made these handwritten newspapers "devoted chiefly to society, fashions & personals" sometime around 1917. They consist of newspaper clippings, pen-and-ink drawings, and manuscript annotations and "editorials" (letters) written to Brubaker's sister.

Clair Brubaker, possibly in or near Cripple Creek, Colorado, made these handwritten newspapers "devoted chiefly to society, fashions & personals" sometime around 1917. They consist of newspaper clippings, pen-and-ink drawings, and manuscript annotations and "editorials" (letters) written to Brubaker's sister. Brubaker's editorials often include family news and commentary. Other content includes news on social balls and dances, the Cripple Creek Junior High School prom, minstrel performances, weather, social and local news, jokes, and school news. Some references to World War 1 are present.

Volume 1 is identified as the 2nd edition of "The Victor Gazette." Clair's letter to his sister includes the line, "What in the world did you do with your warts? I have two horrible ones and I would like to remove them." The Eastern Star Dance given by the Gold Nugget Chapter no. 30 features heavily in both handwritten notes and article clippings. Other news includes "Lyric Opera House Destroyed by Fire," with an accompanying drawing of two dancers, implying it was the heat of their feet while dancing that caused the blaze. One example of a joke is, "Mary (four) who had never seen a cat before found one purring by her grandmother's range. 'Grandma,' she cried, 'come here quick! It's boiling!'"

Volume 2, identified as the 3rd edition of the "Gazette," includes more about the class of 1917 and their social debuts. An article titled "Pretty Girls in Stunning Gowns was feature of Junior High School Prom [at Cripple Creek]" includes brief summaries of the gowns that some girls wore. An editorial column on page five was compiled by "editor-in-chief Shakespearibus" [presumably Clair]. Page nine includes a small clipping with the summary, "The Cripple Creek Woman's Club held its annual election of officers somewhere in the city sometime last week. If you want to know just where, and when and who was elected ask 'em, we're not giving away any of their secrets." Volume two also features an advertisements section.

Volume 3, the 5th edition of the "Gazette," is identified as "The Gossip Number" because of an apparent lack of news and is described by Clair as the dullest paper yet. This volume contains more newspaper clippings, such as "'Moonshiners' Outfit Found in the Hills Near Victor," "Presbyterians Vote to Forbid Women Preachers," and "Two Girl Students Tie for Honors at Victor High School." Jokes include, "'Are you in pain, my little man?' asked the kind old gentleman. 'No,' answered the boy; 'the pain's in me.'"

Collection

Coffin family and Mathew Doyle journal and album, 1828, 1852-1888 (majority within 1852)

1 volume

This volume contains D. Coffin's daily account of the first leg of a sea voyage from New York City to California, covering the progress of the clipper ship Grecian between New York and Cape Horn in early 1852. The journal also includes drawings of scenery made during the voyage, newspaper clippings, penmanship exercises, and children's sketches.

This volume contains a 20-page daily account of the first leg of D. Coffin's voyage from New York City to California, covering the progress of the clipper ship Grecian between New York and Cape Horn in early 1852. The journal also includes 18 coastal profiles drawn in pencil during the voyage. A newspaper clipping at the beginning of the volume concerns the clipper ship Grecian's arrival in San Francisco. It provides names of passengers, names of three people who died during the voyage, a list of goods shipped onboard, and names of consignees.

The journal begins on February 19, 1852. The following day, Coffin arrived in New York, where he purchased a ticket for the ship Grecian, which set sail on March 2. In his first entry, he detailed the ship's specifications, including its size and number of passengers. He kept a daily record of weather and events onboard and frequently mentioned his negative opinion of "immoral" passengers who enjoyed alcohol and gambling. Several of the entries concern medical problems, such as the death of passenger John Morrison from smallpox on March 12, the author's own bout with side and bowel pain, and several other cases of smallpox reported by the ship's doctor on March 21. Though many passengers suffered from illness, they were allowed to go onshore after the ship's arrival at Rio de Janeiro on April 12. Coffin wrote lengthy descriptions of the fort and the city, including its geographical surroundings and a visit by the emperor. On April 15, he reported on local markets and made brief observations about slaves. The Grecian departed Rio de Janeiro on April 19 and Coffin's continued to make daily entries until April 24.

Newspaper clippings, penmanship exercises, and children's sketches make up the rest of the volume. The first 42 pages have pasted-in newspaper clippings of proverbs, humorous anecdotes, informational articles, news articles, and poetry. The creator pasted the clippings over earlier, mostly inaccessible pen writing. Some of the clippings relate to farming, housekeeping, nature, and recent gold discoveries. Two of the articles are a report on a lecture given by Lucy Stone on women's rights, and a brief feature on an "Emancipation Movement in Virginia."

Penmanship exercises and notes (two dated 1862 & 1888), signatures, and children's sketches (three associated with Edna Jane Coffin) are scattered throughout the volume. A pencil sketch of a three-masted sailing ship was signed by Mathew Doyle.

Collection

David Wyrick collection, 1860

1 volume

This collection is made up of a letter, drawings, maps, and newspaper clippings related to David Wyrick's discovery of inscribed stones in a Native American burial mound near Newark, Ohio, in 1860.

This collection is made up of a letter, drawings, maps, and a newspaper clipping related to David Wyrick's discovery of inscribed stones in an Indian burial mound near Newark, Ohio, in 1860. The items were once bound together under the title "Hebrew Inscriptions alleged to have been dug up in Ohio, U.S.A." Wyrick wrote an 8-page letter to William Brockie, editor of The Sunderland Times, on September 8, 1860, about his archaeological exploits. He recounted his actions on June 29, 1860, the day of his discovery, describing the Newark burial mounds and the Hebrew-inscribed "Keystone" he discovered there. Wyrick addressed the possibility that he had been the victim of a hoax, but ultimately expressed his belief that the stone was a genuine ancient artifact, possibly a relic of one of the Lost Tribes of Israel. His letter also refers to the draining of a nearby artificial pond, the durability of the logs located on its floor, and the discovery of several skeletons in a burial mound.

Wyrick's letters contain references to enclosed drawings and maps (which are present in the collection). Four colored drawings include two- and three-dimensional views of each of the Keystone's four inscribed faces, a diagram of the burial mound where Wyrick unearthed the artifact, and a cross-section of a mound containing several skeletons. Three of the manuscript maps are overhead views of the Newark earthworks, including copies of maps by Caleb Atwater (1820) and Squier and Davis (1848), and Wyrick's own detailed map (1860). A final manuscript map is a view of an artificial lake near Utica, Ohio (undated). Some of the visual materials have lengthy captions written on the verso.

The final items in the Wyrick collection are two newspaper clippings published in The Sunderland Times on October 6, 1860, regarding the Wyrick excavation. One article reprints several lengthy quotations from Wyrick's letter to William Brockie, and the other contains translations of the stone's Hebrew inscriptions.

Collection

Du Bois medicinal recipe book, [ ca. 1895]

1 volume

This notebook (241 pages) contains medicinal recipes as well as instructions for making other health, beauty, and household products. It contains several newspaper clippings and paper inserts, including one letter by Pierre Du Bois.

The entries are arranged alphabetically, with tabs marking each letter. The volume bears a torn origin label of Piccadilly, "...chester" on inside front cover. Concoctions include beauty lotion, cordials, kola koka, blood purifier, and cures for St. Vitus's Dance, anemia, and dandruff. Also present are tinctures, salves, ointments, cures, and preventatives. A few agricultural items respect calf drench and a substance for ewes after lambing. Some newspaper clippings respect aquarium cement and curry powder. Additional paper inserts include various formulas, a letter from Pierre to his father, and basic Spanish phrases on a sheet with the Venezuelan Consulate (Baltimore) letterhead.

Collection

Edmund Davis diary, 1865

1 volume

This pocket diary contains daily entries that Edmund Davis wrote while attending Edge Hill School in Princeton, New Jersey, in the spring of 1865. David noted daily occurrences at the institution, such as religious services and baseball games, and also recorded major political events, including the capture of Richmond, Virginia, and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

This pocket diary contains 54 pages of daily entries that Edmund Davis wrote while attending Edge Hill School in Princeton, New Jersey, from March 6, 1865, to June 12, 1865. He noted daily events at the school, such as classes, sporting matches, illnesses, and religious services, and also reported local responses to recent news, including a "horn spree" celebrating the capture of Richmond, Virginia (April 3 and April 4) and the reaction to Lincoln's assassination. He correctly identified John Wilkes Booth as the assassin who leapt from the presidential box shouting "sic semper tyrannis," but incorrectly stated that Booth had been "torn to pieces by the mob" and that William Henry Seward had been stabbed to death (April 15). On April 19, Edge Hill was draped in black to mourn the president, and on April 28, the students were informed of Booth's capture.

Davis mentioned many aspects of school life, such as expulsions (March 20 and May 24), April Fool's tricks (April 1), and the prevalence of "the itch" in early May. On May 12, he mentioned his decision to wait an additional year before attending college. He and his classmates enjoyed sports, and Davis took note of rugby matches (April 25) and baseball games (May 13, May 23, June 3, June 5, and June 7); Davis participated in his first game on June 5. A picture of Edmund Davis is pasted onto the diary's first page. The volume also contains 3 newspaper clippings: a copy of "Auld Lang Syne," a remedy for bruises, and an article detailing the "Fates of the Apostles."

Collection

Edwin F. Belden friendship album, 1851-1866, 1886

1 volume

The Edwin F. Belden friendship album contains autographs (sometimes accompanied by poems or other inscriptions), newspaper clippings, and biographical notes by and related to New York politicians, Civil War soldiers, and other individuals. Photographs are also included.

The Edwin F. Belden friendship album (25cm x 18cm, 141 pages) contains autographs (sometimes accompanied by poems or other inscriptions), newspaper clippings, and biographical notes by and related to New York politicians, Civil War soldiers, and other individuals. Included are 112 salted paper and 3 albumen photographic portraits. The album has a hard cover with Belden's name and a decorative border stamped in gold on the front. Plates on the inside of the front and back covers feature a patriotic eagle and banner with the slogan "The Federal Union it must be preserved" and of a building used as "Republican Head Quarters" in 1860.

The first 37 pages contain signatures from members of the New York State Assembly, where Belden was a messenger in the early 1850s. Some politicians accompanied their signatures with brief personal message for Belden, often including well wishes and advice. Many signers recorded the name of the district they represented, and most dated their contributions April 16, and 17, 1851. This section of the album is followed by other autographs that Belden solicited in the mid-1850s, as well as an endorsement from his employers Lemuel Jenkins and C. Ten Broeck (November 22, 1852, p. 41).

The remaining contents, dated 1860-1866, are comprised of small photographic portraits, brief biographical notes, inscriptions, autographs, and newspaper clippings related to a variety of individuals, including many men who served in the Civil War. One page of individual full-length portraits represents members of the Albany Zouave Cadets with military equipment and musical instruments. Belden labeled most of the photographs and often included notes about the subjects' dates of death. Several entries include copied correspondence, inscriptions and autographs, and obituaries or other news articles. Contributors included former New York Governors Washington Hunt and John A. King; General William Tecumseh Sherman; and Samuel Streeter, a former delegate representing Albany at The Colored Men's Convention of 1840 (also pictured, October 30, 1860, p. 63). A letter from William F. Russell, a former member of the state legislature, is laid into the volume after the autographs (April 19, 1886).

Collection

E. E. Wilcox journal, 1893-1896, [1917]

1 volume

Edward E. Wilcox, a native of Franklin County, New York, wrote narrative recollections of hunting trips, painted watercolors, created sketches and drawings, and pasted photographs and newspaper clippings in this volume around the 1890s. Most of the material concerns hunting and fishing excursions in northern New York and southern Québec.

Edward E. Wilcox, a native of Franklin County, New York, wrote narrative recollections of hunting trips, painted watercolors, created sketches and drawings, and pasted photographs and newspaper clippings in this journal from approximately 1893-1896. Most of the material concerns hunting and fishing excursions in northern New York and southern Québec. The volume contains 200 pages, not all of which are used.

Wilcox wrote a 2-page introduction on June 2, 1893, intending to record details of his life for friends and family to discover after his death. In approximately 43 additional pages of prose, he wrote about his courtship with and wedding to Clara Stuart, his early years in New York City, numerous hunting and fishing trips in northern New York, and a summer vacation in New Hampshire and Québec. Two of the accounts describe a salmon run and an encounter with bears, and one pertains to a youthful prank. Some of the journal's watercolors, drawings, and sketches illustrate aspects of Wilcox's travel stories; most depict hunters, fishers, fish, rowboats, cabins, and woodland scenery. One pencil drawing utilizes shading to create the illusion of a nighttime view and appropriate shadows. Photographs include a picture of a man in a military uniform posing by a paper globe and paper cannonballs (possibly taken around 1917), studio portraits of an unidentified man and woman, a studio portrait of a man in his underwear, views of steamboats in a canal or lock, pictures of cacti in a desert, and a picture of hunters in a wooded area. Also present are interior shots of a shipping or similar commercial office and a man working in an enclosed office space, as well as street scenes. Two newspaper clippings concern E. E. Wilcox's use of shed human skin as a painting canvas and a painting he made as a young man.

Collection

Examination of Benjamin W. Greene scrapbook, 1866

1 volume

This scrapbook, titled "The Examination of Benjamin W. Greene," contains clippings of three short articles published in the Hartford Courant newspaper of testimony given at the trial of accused murderer Benjamin W. Greene in early 1866. Greene was charged with the murder of Eunice North Greene, his wife, on November 5, 1865, and the court sought to determine whether the homicide (and Benjamin's subsequent suicide attempt) was due to insanity.

This scrapbook, titled "The Examination of Benjamin W. Greene," contains clippings of three short articles published in the Hartford Courant newspaper of testimony given at the trial of accused murderer Benjamin W. Greene in early 1866. Greene was charged with the murder of Eunice North Greene, his wife, on November 5, 1865, and the court sought to determine whether the homicide (and Benjamin's subsequent suicide attempt) was due to insanity.

An investigation of the Greene household allowed witnesses to piece together the progression of events on November 5, 1865. As Eunice was reading, Benjamin approached her from behind and cut her neck with a razor. She was able to call for help after Benjamin fled and to name him as the perpetrator, but her wounds were too severe to overcome. After a brief search, two men found Benjamin inside of a locked room, lying next to the same razor used to kill Eunice. Despite having cut his own wrists and neck in a suicide attempt, he was able to be stabilized and survived.

The loss of Eunice and Benjamin's eldest daughter, Harriet North Day (1831-1864), was consistently cited as the reason for the sharp decline in Benjamin's mental and physical health. The family physician, Dr. Beresford, held Benjamin's "singular and peculiar delusions with regard to his domestic affairs" (p. 2) as evidence of his mental instability. Often centered around Eunice, or supposed financial burdens, the validity of those claims was challenged by what Dr. Beresford and other witnesses observed prior to the homicide (p. 7, 11, 12, 14).

Before the murder, Benjamin repeatedly denied help from his family and friends, blocking at least one attempt by physicians to inform Eunice (p. 4) of his mental state. His nephew, William D. Wyatt (1828-1884), tried several times to intervene and help his uncle—both at his own behest and at Eunice's—but ultimately failed. William did not deem it safe to be alone with Benjamin, and testified that during one visit, Eunice told him that her husband was "a crazy man" and "had been a deranged man for years" (p. 11).

The scrapbook does not include the final ruling of the court, but the following is a quotation from an article [not present] containing the verdict, published in the Hartford Courant on March 14, 1866:

"The finding that Mr. Greene was insane at the time he killed his wife, will undoubtedly render his will, which was made in July last, and which was referred to in the testimony offered during his examination, of no account. In this will he bequeathed all his property to Robert E. Day, his son-in-law, and Mr. Day's little daughter. His action, in this respect, would seem to show that he labored under the delusion claimed that his whole family, with the exception of Mrs. Day, was leagued against him. After her death he said he had lost his best friend, and from that time forward declined in health rapidly."

Collection

George Morgan, writings in Jedidiah Morse's The American Geography, 1789, 1789-[ca. 1791]

1 volume

This copy of Jedidiah Morse's The American Geography (1789) contains manuscript annotations by Indian agent George Morgan. Morgan's notes include corrections, additions, and commentary on subjects such as Native American culture, geography, and history.

This copy of Jedidiah Morse's The American Geography; or, a View of the Present Situation of the United States of America (1789; 280 pages) contains annotations by Indian agent George Morgan.

The printed matter consists of the first 280 pages of Morse's text, with blank pages separating each printed page. Morgan composed most of his notes on the plain pages but sometimes wrote directly over printed text; parts of some later pages have been cut out of the volume. Morgan provided commentary on Morse's errors and misconceptions, especially regarding geographical features, historical events, and Native Americans. He discussed European views of Native Americans, attempted to correct the biases that he discovered, and copied a creation story he had heard from a Wyandotte or Iroquois chief while observing mammoth bones (pp. 55-58). Other notes refer to the American Revolution, European settlement in North America, and the character of early European colonists. Morgan also occasionally mentioned the work of other historians or geographers. His latest notes are dated 1791. A newspaper clipping containing reprinted letter about the discovery of Uranus is pinned into the volume after the table of contents.

Collection

Gibson family vacation album, 1897

1 volume

The Gibson family vacation album contains photographs taken in South Carolina, Florida, Virginia, and New York circa 1897. The volume includes pictures of warships, buildings, and members of the Gibson family.

The Gibson family vacation album (14cm x 18cm) contains 23 photographs taken in South Carolina, Florida, Virginia, and New York circa 1897, as well as two halftone photomechanical prints and a carte de visite. The volume includes pictures of warships, buildings, and members of the Gibson family. The album's cloth-bound covers have two decorative designs, with the title "Photographs" appearing on the front. Each photograph is behind an 8cm x 8cm window.

The majority of the pictures show scenery and buildings in the South, such as George Washington's home at Mount Vernon, the Gonzalez-Alvarez House in Saint Augustine, Florida (accompanied by a newspaper clipping entitled "Oldest House in America"), the Saint Augustine slave market, Fort Sumter, and a Confederate monument in Magnolia Cemetery (Charleston, South Carolina). Other photographs from Florida show Saint Augustine streets and groups of people posing by palm leaves, bathing at Daytona Beach, and embarking on a picnic. The album contains three shots of sea-going vessels involved in the blockade of Cuba: the tugs, The Three Friends, the Dauntless, and the USS Vesuvius. The remaining items include a picture of women playing baseball in Salamanca, New York, and printed halftones of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Willard A. Gibson. A carte-de-visite of a painted portrait of three young women is included.

Collection

Grace D. Banker collection, 1918

4 items

The Grace D. Banker collection contains letters, photographs, and newspaper clippings written by or relating to Grace D. Banker, a telephone operator who served during World War I as part of the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Europe with the American Expeditionary Forces.

Banker sent two letters to Georgette Poulard, an American immigrant of French origin. On April 8, 1918, in French, Grace Banker informed her friend that she did not see any submarines on the voyage to France, described her appreciation for the French countryside, and gardens, and assured her that she did not carry a revolver as she was not in danger. On September 10, 1918, Banker wrote about the news of her father's death, the picturesque quality of her surroundings, and her current lodgings in a French home. Accompanying the letters are three empty envelopes addressed to Poulard, one containing a newspaper clipping about Banker's decoration and some plant material in a small envelope labelled "My Four and Five and six/leaf clovers/Georgette/Poulard."

The collection includes a silver gelatin portrait photograph of Grace Banker in uniform, mounted in a separated trifold photo mat. A contemporary newspaper clipping, "First Passaic Girl to join the Army," includes a newsprint reproduction of the portrait; it is pasted on the damaged mat.

Collection

H. A. Bolles receipt book, 1876

1 volume

Dr. H. A. Bolles of Cortland, New York, copied medicinal recipes into this volume in or around 1876.

Dr. H. A. Bolles of Cortland, New York, copied recipes for medical treatments in this volume in or around 1876 (the volume contains 300 pages, over half of which are used). Many of the entries are arranged alphabetically by ailment, and some illnesses have multiple suggested treatments and cures. A few recipes are attributed to other doctors and outside sources such as a volume of Materia Medica. The book contains syrups and other mixtures intended to treat chronic conditions, diseases, and afflictions such as acne and baldness. The first few pages include instructions for working with cocaine, converting older medical measurements, and producing an aphrodisiac. One of these notes cautions against mixing chrome acid and glycerin on account of the risk of explosion. A recipe in the back of the volume purports to "remove all bad odors." A few late pages contain lists of medical substances and the ailments they may be used to treat, as well as notes regarding the use of oxygen gas and nitrous oxide. A clipping from The OD Quarterly concerns a method for testing the acidity of urine and recommended dietary guidelines for those suffering from uric acid, gravel, gout, or rheumatism.

Collection

Harry L. Langnecker letters, 1918

36 items

This collection is made up of 36 letters that Harry L. Langnecker wrote to his wife while serving at the U.S. Naval Base Hospital No. 2 in France during World War I. He commented on his work at a spa, internal politics within his unit, and other aspects of his daily life.

This collection is made up of 36 letters that Harry L. Langnecker wrote to his wife while serving at the U.S. Naval Base Hospital No. 2 in France during World War I. He commented on his work at a spa, internal politics within his unit, and other aspects of his daily life.

Thirty-five of Langnecker's letters (dated March 28, 1918, to October 22, 1918), bear numbers between 7 and 55, apparently comprising part of a series. He wrote most frequently about his duties, which included overseeing a spa and performing surgical operations; he often provided anecdotes about his relationships and interactions with co-workers. Several letters pertain to Langnecker's relationship with his wife, and he discouraged her from attempting to join him in France (July 21, 1918). Langnecker mentioned visits to "Castle Brahau." Though he focused on life at the hospital, he shared his negative opinions of Belgian citizens (April 6, 1918) and nurses (August 31, 1918), and he discussed the potential consequences of women remaining in the workforce after the war (September 23, 1918). Two of Langnecker's letters have enclosures: a newspaper clipping with a photograph of William Sowden Sims and an advertisement. Langnecker drew a diagram of his bedroom in his letter of October 16, 1918.

Collection

Isaac Bullock annotations and excerpts in The Poetical Works of Alexander Pope , 1837

1 volume

This volume is an extensively hand-annotated copy of the Poetical Works of Alexander Pope that belonged to Isaac Bullock of Danvers, Massachusetts. Bullock was a mariner, bibliophile, and amateur classicist.

This volume is an extensively hand-annotated copy of the Poetical Works of Alexander Pope that belonged to Isaac Bullock of Danvers, Massachusetts. Bullock was a mariner, bibliophile, and amateur classicist.

He revealed his knowledge of Homer, Plato, Josephus, Cicero, Virgil, Edward Gibbon, Lord Byron, and William Cullen Bryant in his annotations. Numerous tipped-in handwritten slips provide commentary by Bullock, and other scholars and historians.

The introduction to the volume (Dr. Johnson's "Life of Alexander Pope") as well as Pope's poems "Essay on Man" and "The Dunciad," are heavily annotated. Bullock inserted his own original pen and ink drawings in the margins, including ancient rings and pins, daggers, hatchets and battleaxes, Neptune rising from the sea, and "Ruins of the Temple of the 'Athenian Dame'-Minerva Polis-as they remain today." He also inserted printed illustrations from other sources.

On the flyleaf, Bullock tipped in a three-page writing called "Reminiscence of my Youth," in which he wrote about his literary education and the influences of Socrates, Gibbon, Pope, Shakespeare, Defoe, Lord Byron, and Jeremy Belknap.

Collection

Isaac Bullock annotations and excerpts in The Poetical Works of Alexander Pope , 1837

1 volume

This volume is an extensively hand-annotated copy of the Poetical Works of Alexander Pope that belonged to Isaac Bullock of Danvers, Massachusetts. Bullock was a mariner, bibliophile, and amateur classicist.

This volume is an extensively hand-annotated copy of the Poetical Works of Alexander Pope that belonged to Isaac Bullock of Danvers, Massachusetts. Bullock was a mariner, bibliophile, and amateur classicist.

He revealed his knowledge of Homer, Plato, Josephus, Cicero, Virgil, Edward Gibbon, Lord Byron, and William Cullen Bryant in his annotations. Numerous tipped-in handwritten slips provide commentary by Bullock, and other scholars and historians.

The introduction to the volume (Dr. Johnson's "Life of Alexander Pope") as well as Pope's poems "Essay on Man" and "The Dunciad," are heavily annotated. Bullock inserted his own original pen and ink drawings in the margins, including ancient rings and pins, daggers, hatchets and battleaxes, Neptune rising from the sea, and "Ruins of the Temple of the 'Athenian Dame'-Minerva Polis-as they remain today." He also inserted printed illustrations from other sources.

On the flyleaf, Bullock tipped in a three-page writing called "Reminiscence of my Youth," in which he wrote about his literary education and the influences of Socrates, Gibbon, Pope, Shakespeare, Defoe, Lord Byron, and Jeremy Belknap.

Collection

Joe Sanford diary, 1949

1 volume

Joe Sanford of Stockton, California, summarized his weekend activities for the year 1949 in this typed diary. He traveled to various places in northern California, took camping trips with friends, participated in outdoor activities, and attended dances and plays. Some entries reflect racial tensions in Stockton.

Joe Sanford of Stockton, California, summarized his weekend activities for the year 1949 in this typed diary (134 pages). The diary's frontispiece is a poem by Nick Kenny entitled "Youth."

Though he occasionally mentioned his schoolwork and grades, Sanford wrote most frequently about his social life and leisure activities, almost all of which involved his friend Glenn. They and other friends went camping, attended theatrical performances (often at the College of the Pacific) and dances, and participated in outdoor activities throughout the year. Sanford traveled around northern California, writing about trips with friends and family to Mount Diablo (April 1949), Yosemite National Park (June 1949), Santa Cruz (July 1949), and the "Old Hearst Ranch" (August 1949). He played saxophone in the school marching band and briefly participated in the Sea Scouts during the summer. Some entries refer directly or indirectly to Mexican and African-American residents of Stockton, including Sanford's attempts to communicate with persons who "spoke Mexican" and the presence of African Americans at a December school dance. Some clipped images of locations that Sanford visited and unidentified individuals participating in fishing and similar outdoor activities are pasted into the volume. Sanford's diary also contains pencil sketches of a man painting on a ladder, a birthday cake, and other subjects. A program from a school talent show is also pasted in.

Collection

John and Charles Francis collection, 1869-ca. 1905

1 linear foot

This collection consists of condolence letters, newspaper scrapbooks, a letter book, a published memorial volume, and a photograph album related to John M. Francis of Troy, New York, and to his son Charles. The letters, which are addressed to Charles Francis, express sympathy following his father's death in June 1897; the memorial volume contains biographical sketches and published tributes to John M. Francis; and the newspaper scrapbooks chronicle John M. Francis's travels around Europe and the world between 1869 and 1876.

This collection (1 linear foot) consists of condolence letters, newspaper scrapbooks, a letter book, and a published memorial volume related to John M. Francis of Troy, New York, and to his son Charles.

The Condolence Letters series contains 211 items addressed to Charles S. Francis between June 5, 1897, and January 18, 1898. One letter from Hallie M. Brown concerns her regret about missing an opportunity to visit, and the remaining correspondence is made up of letters expressing the authors' condolences after the death of John M. Francis on June 18, 1897. Writers included Charles Francis's friends and family members and John Francis's personal and professional acquaintances. Many writers reminisced about their relationships with John M. Francis and shared stories about their experiences at the Troy Daily Times.

The Letter Book, Scrapbooks, and Published Memorial series (6 volumes) pertains to John M. Francis's travels around the United States, Europe, and Asia in the 1870s and to Charles S. Francis's career and business affairs. Four scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings of letters that John M. Francis sent to the Troy Daily Times while traveling abroad. Each contains lengthy descriptions of local people, customs, politics, architecture, geography, and history, and some also have accounts of transoceanic and transcontinental travel.

Journeys:
  • Western Europe, June 12, 1869-October 15, 1869, including England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and France (21 letters; 38 pages)
  • Western and Southern Europe, July 18, 1871-December 28, 1871 (published August 2, 1871-January 3, 1872), including England, Wales, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria-Hungary (now the Czech Republic and Austria), Italy, and Greece (20 letters; 28 pages)
  • Around the world, July 5, 1875-June 6, 1876, including the western United States, Japan, China, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), India, Egypt, Greece, Italy, and France (2 volumes containing duplicate clippings, 115 pages and 71 pages)

The letter book (282 pages), which belonged to Charles S. Francis, has retained copies of his outgoing correspondence from October 25, 1897-July 29, 1901. The letters pertain to personal and business affairs, such as Francis's editorial work for the Troy Daily Times and land he owned in Mississippi. Several newspaper clippings relate to Francis's appointment as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Greece, Romania, and "Servia."

The published memorial (125 pages), entitled In Memoriam: John M. Francis, March 6, 1823-June 18, 1897, contains an engraved portrait, a brief biographical sketch, reminiscences, essays, poetry, and reprinted newspaper obituaries commemorating the life and death of John M. Francis.

The Photograph Album (ca. 1905?) contains 14 images of a new automobile, family members, and pets (possibly in New York state); and 144 vacation photographs showing landscapes, buildings, and persons in Europe. The photos are not labeled or identified, but appear to show Switzerland or Austrian lake districts, as well as urban environments. The photographer captured many of these images with a panoramic camera.

Collection

John Cronin letters, 1930

24 items

This collection contains 21 letters that John J. Cronin, Jr. ("Jack") wrote to his father and brother in Hartford, Connecticut, while he traveled to North Carolina and Georgia during the spring of 1930 in an attempt to join an organized baseball team. The collection also has three letters that Cronin received from his brother, Harold.

This collection contains 21 letters that John J. Cronin, Jr. ("Jack") wrote to his father and brother in Hartford, Connecticut, while he traveled to North Carolina and Georgia during the spring of 1930 in an attempt to join an organized baseball team. On February 26, he reported that he and his traveling companion, John J. Carlin, Jr., had safely arrived in Washington, D. C., and his next few letters recount their experiences hitchhiking through Virginia to Durham, North Carolina, where they sought a place with a local team in the Piedmont League. His letters describe his experiences over the next several weeks, as he and Carlin made their way to Henderson, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia. In Atlanta, they discovered and briefly attended a baseball school run by Norman "Kid" Elberfeld, though they wished to stay only if the school guaranteed them a roster spot (March 9, 1930). Cronin declined his brother's offer to pay for the training. He and Carlin lingered again in Durham, where Albany Lawmakers manager "Wild" Bill McCorry allowed them to train with his team (March 22, 1930). Cronin described his training with the club, which he enjoyed, and began to appreciate the difficulty of gaining a place in an organized league. By April 8, he was on his way back to Hartford. Harold Cronin wrote 3 letters to Jack, his brother, providing news of Hartford and mentioning his support for Jack's baseball career. Some letters enclose newspaper clippings discussing the beginning of Cronin's southern trip (February 28, 1930), showing a cartoon bird heading for spring training (March 12, 1930), and reporting that John J. Cronin, Jr., and John J. Carlin, Jr. had been granted tryouts with the Atlanta Crackers (March 12, 1930).

Collection

John E. Boos collection, 1860-1988, 2005

Approximately 1,200 manuscripts (3.25 linear feet)

The John E. Boos collection consists of over 1,200 personal manuscript recollections or brief notes by persons who met or saw Abraham Lincoln and by persons who experienced the Civil War. John Boos, of Albany, New York, solicited and compiled most of these reminiscences in the early 20th century. In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a comprehensive writer index, which identifies each contributor to the collection: John E. Boos Collection Writer Index.

The John E. Boos collection consists of over 1,200 personal manuscript recollections or brief notes by persons who met or saw Abraham Lincoln and by persons who experienced the Civil War. John Boos solicited and compiled most of these reminiscences in the early 20th century. The collection is arranged in four series: Bound Volumes (compiled by and bound for John Boos), Unbound Volumes (binders apparently compiled by John Boos, but never bound), Loose Items, and one Book.

Boos collected autographs and reminiscences on uniquely sized 6.5'' by 9'' paper, and he instructed those he was soliciting to leave a wide 1.5'' left margin for binding. All but one volume in Series I are bound collections of this Boos-standard paper and most contributors in Series II and III contributed a note or autograph on the same size paper.

John Boos's interviewees related an almost uniform admiration or reverence to the President and his memory. Within the first binder of Series II, for example, William Strover (who was not a Civil War veteran, and who never met Lincoln) remarked: "I consider him the greatest man that has come upon the earth since Jesus Christ, and surely the greatest American that lived." Such high praise is featured throughout the entire collection. One example expressing disdain for Abraham Lincoln is a November 24, 1930, letter by Confederate and Presbyterian minister Milton B. Lambdin, who was skeptical about Boos' intent in contacting him. He suspected that Boos made the connection on account of a multi-issue article Lambdin produced for the Confederate Veteran (1929) titled "A Boy of the Old Dominion..."

Series I: Bound Volumes, 1931-1970

Eight of the nine volumes contained in this series are letters and reminiscences compiled by Boos. The volumes revolve around individual persons or themes, including the Lincoln-Douglas debates; Lincoln's assassination; Lincoln's guards; General George H. Thomas, a leading figure in the Western theater of the Civil War who retired to Troy, New York; Johnson Brigham, a fellow Lincoln enthusiast who met the President on several occasions; and the story of Confederate General George Pickett as told by his wife, La Salle Corbell Pickett; and a selection of "Mr. Lincoln's Soldiers."

Boos interspersed the manuscript and typed accounts with ephemeral items and his own narratives of relevant events. He frequently provided an overall account of the volume's theme (usually with lengthy quotations from his correspondents) before presenting the reminiscences and a brief biography of each contributor. In his introductions to these personal accounts, Boos sometimes included a narrative of how he had met and interviewed the individual or linked the person's memories of Lincoln to similar ones. Most of the volumes include a title page, dedication, illustrations, and an index.

The accounts in these bound volumes differ in length, tone, and detail, but they provide insight into how a variety of individuals remembered the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln more than a half-century after the fact. Many of his contributors were Union Army veterans, but he also tracked down individuals who witnessed the Lincoln-Douglas debates as children, Mrs. M. O. Smith who saw Lincoln at Gettysburg,a Confederate soldier, several of Lincoln's personal guards, an actress who had performed in Our American Cousin the night Lincoln was shot (Jeannie Gourley), a man who was in the same Ford's Theater box as Lincoln and who was stabbed by John Wilkes Booth (Henry Rathbone), and the man who recorded the testimony of witnesses to the assassination (James Tanner). The accounts address subjects ranging from the President's dress and style of speaking to the contributors' reflections on his legacy and greatness.

One bound volume, inscribed to John E. Boos by its creator Bernhardt Wall, contains etchings of locations in New York State visited by Lincoln. Three letters from Wall to Boos are enclosed in this 1938 volume.

Series II: Unbound Volumes (extracted from binders), 1905-1941

Series II includes the contents of 13 binders, arranged roughly into thematic categories, apparently by Boos himself (likely with the intention of binding them as he did with the letters in Series I). The order of pages within the binders has been maintained in its present housing.

Boos placed each incoming letter, reminiscence, or autograph into a top-loading page protector with related materials. In some volumes, for example, Boos matched each manuscript with his own typed or handwritten notes, which variously included the veteran's name, where they saw Lincoln, regimental information, where Boos met the veteran, and Boos's impressions of the individual. Boos wrote many of these notes on the back of scrap paper, such as advertising mail received by Boos or sample primary election ballots (some of the scrap paper contains illustrated letterheads).

Binders 1-3: Lincoln's Soldiers (3 binders, 1905-1927). Lincoln's Soldiers largely consists of letters sent to Boos, many with their envelopes still attached. Most contributors utilized Boos-provided paper, though some utilized their own stationery. Despite its title, "Lincoln's Soldiers" is comprised of letters by civilians and soldiers alike. Many contributors had met President Lincoln, and Boos collected as much information as possible about those encounters. Others were unable to meet Lincoln, but shared vivid memories of their times in Andersonville Prison, or interactions with other famous leaders, such as General Sherman (W. H. Jennings) and General Grant (J. E. Parmelee). Some documented their efforts to preserve Lincoln's memory or their involvement in Veteran's organizations.

Binders 4-7: I Saw Lincoln (4 binders, 1911-1928). The bulk of the contributors to I Saw Lincoln met or saw Lincoln during his presidency; a smaller portion interacted with him prior to the presidency; and others saw him while lying in state or en route to Illinois in 1865. The I Saw Lincoln group includes Boos's incoming correspondence and autographs he personally collected while traveling. Glowing praise of Lincoln continues throughout these binders, including an anecdote by Daniel Webster (of Salem, Oregon), in which he described how he was "near being mobbed" in Arkansas in 1871 for calling Lincoln "the brightest star in the galaxy of American statesmen and patriots."

Binder 8: Antietam (1 binder, 1912-1937). The soldiers represented in Antietam were present at the battle; some provided descriptions of the confrontation, though the writers do not all focus on the event. Antietam is notable for having the longest continuous example (in the unbound portion of the collection) of prose by Boos, in which he described the battle and his meetings with the veterans.

Binders 9-11: Lincoln's Soldiers and Where They Saw Him (3 binders, 1911-1933). contains accounts from soldiers who saw Lincoln and soldiers who did not. This group includes a significant number of contributions by soldiers who guarded the President's remains.

Binder 12: Autographs of Abe Lincoln's Soldiers (1 binder, 1910-1917). This binder contains signatures of soldiers, with very brief notes on each veteran. Boos apparently revisited the binder at a later dated and added death dates.

[Unnumbered Binder]: [Additional Lincoln's Soldiers] (1 binder, 1911-1937). This binder includes accounts similar to those found in binders 9-11.

Series III: Loose Items, 1904-1949

This series is comprised of nearly 200 loose letters, disbound book pages, and notes. Many of these items were either part of one of the Clements Library's pre-2015 accessions, or were included with the Dow collection in unarranged binders. The bulk of the series is letters to Boos containing memories of Lincoln. The accounts provided by these eye witnesses include memories of the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln's assassination, hospital visits by the President, his 1860 Cooper Union speech, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and general memories of the Civil War period. The contributors include veterans, Ford's Theater attendees on the night Lincoln was shot, the daughter of Mary Todd Lincoln's personal nurse (Ealine Fay), and a woman who sang in the choir for the ceremony at which Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address (M. O. Smith). This series contains letters by Jennie Gourlay Struthers and James Tanner, who are also represented in the Then a Nation Stood Still volume in Series I.

The series includes writings and other materials that shed light on John E. Boos's collecting practices and editing processes and a 1924 letter from Congregational minister William E. Barton to Walt Whitman expert Emory Holloway, with comments on the growing cult of memory surrounding Lincoln.

A folder of manuscripts and photocopies pertain to Grace Bedell, who is credited with convincing Lincoln to grow his whiskers. These items include photocopies of letters Bedell exchanged with Boos, original letters between Boos and Bedell's heirs, and letters between Boos and Congressman George Dondero, who at one point owned Bedell's original letter to Lincoln.

The Loose Items series also contains correspondence of Donald P. Dow, photocopies of Boos materials offered for sale, and photocopies of letters not present in the Clements Library's collection.

Series IV: Book. A publication containing 103 John Boos letters has been added to the collection: Rare Personal Accounts of Abraham Lincoln, ed. By William R. Feeheley and Bill Snack (Cadillac, Mich.: Rail Splitter Pub., 2005).

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a comprehensive writer index, which identifies each contributor to the collection: John E. Boos Collection Writer Index.

Collection

John Slater collection, 1808-1823, 1841-1843

23 items

The John Slater collection contains letters and receipts to Slater, a textile manufacturer in Smithfield, Rhode Island, and Slatersville, Rhode Island. Most of the correspondence pertains to Slater's business interests and finances and to the textile industry in the early 19th century.

This collection (23 items) is comprised of 15 letters and receipts to John Slater, a textile manufacturer in Smithfield, Rhode Island, and Slatersville, Rhode Island; 5 incoming letters to Messrs. S. & J. Slater of Slatersville, Rhode Island; 1 financial document; and 2 newspaper clippings.

John Slater received 11 letters, 2 receipts, and 1 invoice/receipt while living in Smithfield, Rhode Island, from June 17, 1808-October 30, 1823. His correspondents, including his business partners Almy & Brown (June 17, 1808) and his brother Samuel (August 2, 1808, and August 4, 1823), discussed business affairs and finances, particularly in relation to the textile industry. In his first letter, Samuel Slater also mentioned Napoleon's intention to seize U.S. vessels as naval prizes. E. W. Fletcher's letter of October 30, 1823, includes a list of weekly expenses from the Slaters' mill in Jewett City, Connecticut. This group of items also includes a personal letter from Thomas and Grace Gamble, Slater's sister and brother-in-law in England (June 17, 1821), a receipt for Slater's subscription to the Rhode-Island American (October 10, 1817), and an invoice and receipt for tuition and firewood for Slater's daughters Eliza and Minerva at the Pawtucket Academy (November 20, 1823).

John Slater received a letter from [F.] A. Taylor in Slatersville about the possibility of constructing a parsonage (February 15, 1841). The final 5 letters (February 20, 1841-April 18, 1843) are addressed to Messrs. S. and J. Slater at Slatersville, Rhode Island. The first contains Samuel Slater & Sons' response to Taylor's request (February 20, 1841), and the remaining letters, all by William L. Slater, pertain to cotton purchases and prices. The collection also includes a financial account related to the Slatersville General Post-Office (July 1, 1840-September 1, 1840), an undated newspaper clipping about the possible re-opening of the Slater mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and an undated article containing Samuel Slater's biography.

Collection

John Wheeler journal and essays, 1859

1 volume

This volume contains a journal and two essays composed by New Hampshire native John Wheeler in 1859. He kept the journal between December 1858 and September 1859, detailing his experiences after moving to Albemarle County, Virginia, to teach school. He later wrote an essay in which he reflected on the cultural differences between New England and Virginia. In a second essay, he discussed "the three learned professions": law, medicine, and divinity.

This volume (205 pages) contains a journal and two essays composed by New Hampshire native John Wheeler in 1859. He kept a journal of his travel to, and experiences teaching in, Albemarle County, Virginia, between December 1858 and October 1859 (pp. 1-137); wrote an essay based on his experiences, focusing on cultural differences between New England and Virginia (pp. 139-174); and composed an essay on the professions of law, medicine, and divinity (pp. 187-216).

The first, and largest, portion of the volume is the journal Wheeler kept between December 1858 and October 1859, while he traveled to Albemarle County, Virginia, to teach school. The first two pages contain an introductory essay on the virtues of traveling, and pages 3 through 21 recount his journey from New Hampshire to Virginia, beginning on December 21, 1858. He mentioned multiple sightseeing destinations along the way, including Plymouth Rock (p. 5), and arrived in Charlottesville, Virginia, on December 31 (pp. 16-17). There, he made the acquaintance of the Durrett family, with whom he remained close throughout his stay in the South.

Wheeler began to keep regular journal entries on January 1, 1859 (p. 21), and thoroughly described his life as a schoolteacher, as well as his impressions of southern scenery and customs. Many entries mention the violent treatment of slaves, including men being lashed for stealing a pig (p. 77) and a legal case that ended with the sentence of execution (p. 84). Wheeler often attended religious services, commented on southern hospitality, and described the scenery, particularly the Blue Ridge Mountains. Wheeler did not keep his journal between January 23 (p. 67) and July 4 (p. 70), though he recorded the dates of planting and ripening of several crops (p. 68).

Wheeler left Albemarle County on September 26 (p. 121) and traveled to Luray, Virginia, where he witnessed the hanging of a female slave (pp. 123-126). From there, he traveled to Alexandria, where he provided a detailed account of a visit to Mount Vernon, home of George Washington (October 8, pp. 132-137). The journal concludes with a brief closing statement on page 137.

In the second section is an essay that Wheeler composed after he returned to his home in New Hampshire (pp. 139-174). He wrote about his impressions of the South and his experiences, often commenting on the differences between customs in Virginia and in New England.

The third part of the volume contains an essay about the history and characteristics of "the three learned professions": law, medicine, and divinity. It begins on page 197 and continues through page 216, though pages 176 to 184 are blank.

Three clippings from published works are laid into the journal: an image of King Umberto I of Italy, recently assassinated (pp. 174-175); and two pages of poetry (pp. 180-181).

Collection

Knap-Whitney family letters, 1848-1886, 1940

0.25 linear feet

This collection consists of incoming letters sent to Mary Averell Knap of Brownsville and Ogdensburg, New York, between 1850 and 1862, and letters sent to her granddaughter, Lydia Averell Hasbrouck, of Ogdensburg, New York, in 1885 and 1886 by her cousin, Thomas Whitney Brown. The correspondence concerns daily life, occasional references to the Civil War, literature, and Brown's attempts to gain admission to the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University).

The Knap-Whitney family letters consist of approximately 88 letters. The correspondence addressed to Mary Averell Knap includes 4 outgoing and approximately 75 incoming personal letters dated between 1848 and 1864. Her parents, friends, cousins, and other family members commented on their daily lives, with occasional references to the Civil War. Mary Knap's father, Thomas Knap, informed his daughter about his life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the fall of 1850, and occasionally discussed the sermons he heard. After 1850, Mary's correspondents primarily included her cousins and friends. In the mid-1850s, Maria M. Campbell (later Smith), a cousin, wrote about her education and social life at St. Mary's Hall, Burlington, New Jersey, and in October 1858 discussed her relocation to Fort Mason, Texas (resultant from her husband's affiliation with the United States Army's Second Cavalry). Susie P. Willene wrote of her life in "Frankford," and in one letter she shared her distaste for recent political developments in South Carolina, despite her southern heritage (June 22, 1855). Other friends reported social news, such as marriages and, in one instance, the author's secret engagement. Knap also received letters from several men, including one written in German.

Though Mary Knap continued to receive letters throughout the Civil War, her correspondents primarily focused on personal matters, such as her cousin Will's efforts to establish a forge at Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania. Others described a visit to an army encampment in Washington, D.C., and mentioned a soldier's aid society.

Mary A. Knap also wrote 4 letters to George Whitney in 1857, about her life in Brownsville and his unreciprocated romantic advances.

The correspondence sent from Thomas Brown Whitney of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to his cousin, Lydia Averell Hasbrouck of Ogdensburg, New York, includes 8 letters dated from 1885 and 1886 and 1 letter dated in 1940. He shared family news and stories, and commented on his daily life. An avid reader, he frequently discussed literature and literary figures, such as Lords Tennyson and Byron, and occasionally copied poetry into his letters. Whitney enjoyed fencing, and drew several figures fighting in his letter of December 26, 1885. After September 1885, the letters concentrate on his desire to attend College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), and he wrote of his studies, college entrance exams, and classes in Latin. On April 6, 1886, he voiced his concerns about "hazing and general fighting" at Princeton. His letter dated March 23, 1940, reflects on a bout of "grippe" and attitudes towards the Second World War, including German anti-war sentiment.

Collection

Louise Fitz journal, 1893

1 volume

This volume contains Louise Fitz's description of her trip from Boston, Massachusetts, to the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, and to Niagara Falls in May 1893. In Chicago, she and her traveling companions visited the major exhibit halls, state and international buildings, and the Midway Plaisance. Photographs and travel ephemera are laid into the volume.

This volume (121 pages) contains Louise Fitz's description of her trip from Boston, Massachusetts, to the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, and to Niagara Falls in May 1893. Between pages 5-97, Fitz wrote journal entries about her daily sightseeing activities on every other page; the opposite pages contain photographs and ephemera related to her travels. The final pages contain laid-in commercial photographs of Washington, D.C., and personal photographs of Trenton Falls in upstate New York.

Fitz's journal entries recount most of her trip, from the time she left Boston on May 17, 1893, to her visit to Niagara Falls on May 26, 1893. While in Chicago, she and her companions frequented the World's Columbian Exposition; she described multiple visits to the grounds and specific exhibits in the larger halls, noting the use of electric lighting and appliances. Fitz commented on her visits to state and international buildings, the Midway Plaisance, and a local museum. After departing Chicago, Fitz traveled by train to Niagara Falls. Fitz placed commercial photographs on the pages facing her journal entries. The images are primarily views of the exposition's major exhibit halls. Other items pasted or laid into the volume include a printed map of the fairgrounds and surroundings, newspaper clippings, a used ticket book and ticket stubs, a program from a musical concert, advertisements, and artificial flowers. A letter from a representative at the exposition's Massachusetts State Building provides the text of inscriptions on the Transportation Building and the "Golden Door" (August 31, 1893).

Collection

McDonnell’s Agency collection, 1890s

11 items

This collection consists of 11 typed and printed materials relating to the McDonnell Agency, a matrimonial matchmaking service run by Walter J. McDonnell of Chicago, Illinois, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It includes typed personal advertisements for the agency, printed advertisements for the agency, a blank application form, two private lists with selections of women who subscribed to the agency, and two envelopes.

This collection consists of 11 typed and printed materials relating to the McDonnell Agency, a matrimonial matchmaking service run by Walter J. McDonnell of Chicago, Illinois, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It includes typed personal advertisements, printed advertisements for the agency, a blank application form, two private lists with selections of women who subscribed to the agency, and two envelopes.

The typed personal advertisements include physical descriptions and financial situations for four women from Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan. The printed materials include a notice from O. C. Seemiller stating he sold his interest in the Columbian Agency to Walter McDonnell and a statement by McDonnell about his experience and skills, purporting to have introduced "thousands of happy and prosperous married couples." Other items include advertisements and price lists for the "Celebrated Columbian Photographs," "elegant pictures" rather than "the miserable stamp photos used by all other agencies and matrimonial papers." They also advertise free copies of the book, Reading Character from Photographs, sent to subscribing men. "Are you corresponding with a lady you have never seen? You want to know something about her character and disposition? Exchange photos and then study her photography . . . If the lady would make a true and loving wife, this book will say so."

A blank application form for McDonnell's Private Agency is present, requiring the applicant to list their physical description, their income, property or means, use of tobacco and liquor, occupation, nationality, religion, previous marital status, and what kind of correspondents were desired.

Women seeking matches are separated into two different classes depending on net worth. Private List No. 12 contains Class A advertisements of “Ladies Without Means or Property,” while Private List No. 13 contains Class B advertisements of “Ladies With Means or Property.” Each woman provided a short description of their appearance and/or personality traits, as well as abbreviations indicating their faith, nationality, occupation, weight, etc. The agency also includes an abbreviation for whether women would be capable of the duties of a farmer’s wife, or if the woman was a widow. List 13 also includes asterisks to identify women "willing to share the life of a poor man if he proves himself worthy, industrious and temperate." The list also notes that the agency has extensive profiles available "of thousands of ladies of all ages, living everywhere. By allowing us to select, you may get introductions to ladies living nearer your own residence."

Men seeking potential matches would receive a different number of photographs and introductions depending on how much they were willing to pay and what class of women they were requesting from.

There are two envelopes in the collection, one printed return envelope to Walter McDonnell, and the other addressed to Alfred Ames of Machias, Maine, possibly one of the agency's members.

Collection

McDonnell’s Agency collection, 1890s

11 items

This collection consists of 11 typed and printed materials relating to the McDonnell Agency, a matrimonial matchmaking service run by Walter J. McDonnell of Chicago, Illinois, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It includes typed personal advertisements for the agency, printed advertisements for the agency, a blank application form, two private lists with selections of women who subscribed to the agency, and two envelopes.

This collection consists of 11 typed and printed materials relating to the McDonnell Agency, a matrimonial matchmaking service run by Walter J. McDonnell of Chicago, Illinois, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It includes typed personal advertisements, printed advertisements for the agency, a blank application form, two private lists with selections of women who subscribed to the agency, and two envelopes.

The typed personal advertisements include physical descriptions and financial situations for four women from Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan. The printed materials include a notice from O. C. Seemiller stating he sold his interest in the Columbian Agency to Walter McDonnell and a statement by McDonnell about his experience and skills, purporting to have introduced "thousands of happy and prosperous married couples." Other items include advertisements and price lists for the "Celebrated Columbian Photographs," "elegant pictures" rather than "the miserable stamp photos used by all other agencies and matrimonial papers." They also advertise free copies of the book, Reading Character from Photographs, sent to subscribing men. "Are you corresponding with a lady you have never seen? You want to know something about her character and disposition? Exchange photos and then study her photography . . . If the lady would make a true and loving wife, this book will say so."

A blank application form for McDonnell's Private Agency is present, requiring the applicant to list their physical description, their income, property or means, use of tobacco and liquor, occupation, nationality, religion, previous marital status, and what kind of correspondents were desired.

Women seeking matches are separated into two different classes depending on net worth. Private List No. 12 contains Class A advertisements of “Ladies Without Means or Property,” while Private List No. 13 contains Class B advertisements of “Ladies With Means or Property.” Each woman provided a short description of their appearance and/or personality traits, as well as abbreviations indicating their faith, nationality, occupation, weight, etc. The agency also includes an abbreviation for whether women would be capable of the duties of a farmer’s wife, or if the woman was a widow. List 13 also includes asterisks to identify women "willing to share the life of a poor man if he proves himself worthy, industrious and temperate." The list also notes that the agency has extensive profiles available "of thousands of ladies of all ages, living everywhere. By allowing us to select, you may get introductions to ladies living nearer your own residence."

Men seeking potential matches would receive a different number of photographs and introductions depending on how much they were willing to pay and what class of women they were requesting from.

There are two envelopes in the collection, one printed return envelope to Walter McDonnell, and the other addressed to Alfred Ames of Machias, Maine, possibly one of the agency's members.

Collection

Montgomery (N.Y.) Farmers & Mechanicks Debating Society and Good-Will Debating Society record book, 1823-1825, 1840-1846

1 volume

Two debating societies based in Montgomery, New York, recorded their constitutions and meeting minutes in this volume in the early to mid-19th century. At weekly meetings, members debated questions related to politics, morality, and other subjects, though religious topics were banned.

Two debating societies based in Montgomery, New York, recorded their constitutions and meeting minutes in this volume (approximately 180 pp.) in the early to mid-19th century. At weekly meetings, members discussed political issues and moral questions.

The title page has an unattributed epigram taken from verses written by Robert Burns for the Freemasons. Following this, the Farmers & Mechanicks Debating Society of Montgomery recorded its first minutes (February 4, 1823), which pre-date its constitution (February 11, 1823). The 4-page constitution and 2-page list of members' signatures are followed by about 70 pages of minutes from the society's weekly meetings. Every week, the group discussed a member's question, posed and chosen the week before, with members arguing in the negative and affirmative. Questions covered a range of moral and political subjects such as quality of life, wealth, women's rights, punishment for crimes, and finances, though religious topics were banned. The minutes record the names of members presenting either side of the question and occasionally concern administrative affairs such as officer elections. The final dated entry appears on January 26, 1825, with one last entry from "Saturday evening Feb 28" of an unknown year.

The second section (approximately 90 pages) contains the minutes and constitution of the Farmers & Mechanicks Debating Society's successor, the Good-Will Debating Society, in the Town of Montgomery. Its constitution, which has later annotations and alterations, is largely similar to the earlier document. Weekly meeting minutes cover December 11, 1840-January 30, 1846, though some dates are missing or appear out of chronological sequence. The society's debate topics were similar to its predecessor's, though some related to contemporary political issues such as the annexation of Texas. A group of loosely tied newspaper clippings laid into the volume (dated 1846) pertain to the Mexican-American War and topics related to mechanics and manufacturing.

Collection

Morgan-McKoon correspondence, 1886-1893, 1903-1912

0.25 linear feet

The Morgan-McKoon correspondence primarily contains letters to May McKoon of Long Eddy, New York. Julia Morgan (later Royal), McKoon's sister, and Margaret A. McKoon, McKoon's daughter, wrote the majority of the letters from Portland, Oregon, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Julia discussed her experiences as an aspiring artist and her everyday life after her marriage, and Margaret McKoon wrote of her education, social activities, and other topics while living with her aunt and uncle.

The Morgan-McKoon correspondence (67 items) primarily contains letters to May McKoon of Long Eddy, New York, from her sister, Julia Morgan (later Royal); her brother-in-law, Osmon Royal; and her daughter, Margaret A. McKoon. Julia Morgan and Osmon Royal lived in Portland, Oregon, and Margaret McKoon lived with them in the early 1890s. The women discussed education, social activities, local travel, and their daily lives.

Julia Morgan wrote letters (often several pages in length) to May McKoon from December 1, 1886-February 5, 1912. Her early correspondence pertains to her experiences in Portland as she attempted to establish an artistic career, and she commented on exhibits, a studio, teaching classes, and aspects of her everyday life in Portland. After her marriage to Osmon Royal in 1888, her letters focused on her domestic life, including mentions of her son, also named Osmon. The elder Osmon Royal occasionally contributed to his wife's letters and individually wrote a few letters to his sister-in-law. In one, he commented on their recent move and he drew a floor plan of their new lodgings (March 22, 1891).

Margaret A. McKoon wrote regularly to her mother from February 28, 1889-January 5, 1893, while living with the Royal family in Portland, Oregon. She often discussed educational topics, such as her private instruction with Julia, her experiences at school, and her desire to attend Portland University. She also mentioned dresses and dressmaking, and described visits to Astoria, Oregon (September 12, 1891), and San Francisco, California (letter beginning January 15, 1892). Two of her letters mention a large Chinese funeral (October 26, 1890) and a presentation by an Eskimo woman (February 9, 1891). Other items are a letter from May McKoon to Margaret McKoon during a visit to Portland (September 21, 1905); a personal letter to May McKoon from a family member (August 25, 1909); and a letter from Harry Robbins to Don Viele of Buffalo, New York, about cross-country travel (June 5, 1907). The collection has a gap from 1893-1903.

Collection

Notes on Canals, [ca. 1826]

1 volume

This volume, compiled in the 1820s, contains an encyclopedia article, extracts and writings, diagrams, tables, and newspaper clippings pertaining to the design and construction of canals.

This volume (450 pages), compiled in the 1820s, contains extensive information on the design and construction of canals. The first few pages include a manuscript subject index. Pages 1-155 consist of a printed encyclopedia article about canals, bound directly into the volume. Other articles and fragments of articles are included, including the entire entry for "Canada."

The remaining pages consist of manuscript extracts, writings, and notes about canals, illustrated with colored diagrams and drawings. The volume includes sections about types of locks; tunnels; drawbridges; excavation; building materials, labor, and costs; water supply; the effects of rain and evaporation on canals; and hydraulics. Sections focus on canals in the United States, England, Wales, and France. The manuscript contains tables of data about the number and length of canals in each country. Specific structures, such as the Ohio & Chesapeake Canal, Union Canal, and Erie Canal are described and used as examples throughout the text. Illustrations include diagrams of locks, tunnels, and canals; a depiction of a method for burrowing out soil using a horse and several workers (p. 370); and a map of France highlighting its canals (p. 424). Notes, newspaper clippings, and additional drawings are laid into the volume.

Collection

Ocean House scrapbook and register, 1895

1 volume

The Ocean House scrapbook and register is a repurposed guestbook from the Ocean House hotel in Old Orchard, Maine. The volume has a manuscript inventory of the hotel's furnishings and pasted-in newspaper clippings about Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and local political meetings.

The Ocean House scrapbook and register (around 70 pages) is a repurposed guestbook from the Ocean House hotel in Old Orchard, Maine. The volume has a manuscript inventory of the hotel's furnishings; pasted-in newspaper clippings about Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and local political meetings; and advertisements for a variety of manufactured goods and services. Generally, the writer organized the inventory by floor, listing each room's furnishings and amenities underneath the room's name or number. Most guest rooms had beds, mattresses, chairs, and sinks, among other furniture, and many were painted and carpeted. Lists of items present in communal guest rooms (such as parlors, a music room, and a dining room) and service rooms (such as a laundry room, bake shop, pantry, kitchen, and stable) follow the inventories for individual guest rooms.

Newspaper clippings are pasted onto 16 pages, including the first few pages of the furniture inventory. Most of the clippings pertain to reminiscences about the life of Abraham Lincoln, the death of Frederick Douglass, and meetings of the Young Men's Republican Club of Vermont. Many items are attributed to newspapers in Vermont, and some date from early 1895. Though never used as such, each register page has pre-printed information about the Ocean House and labeled columns for information about guests' stays. Two identical pages of printed advertisements for numerous goods and services are bound into the volume between most register pages.

Collection

Robert Dayton Williams journal, 1870

1 volume

The Robert Dayton Williams journal recounts the author's voyage to Europe on the steamer Australia in September 1870. Williams described stormy weather, seasickness, daily activities, and navigation errors during the ship's passage from New York to Glasgow. The journal entries are accompanied by ink drawings.

The R. Dayton Williams journal (21 pages), entitled "Yankee Vandals Abroad, or Our Trip to Europe," is an account of the author's voyage from Albany, New York, to Glasgow, Scotland, from September 15, 1870-October 1, 1870.

The journal begins with a 2-page preface in which Williams pays tribute to the advances in nautical travel between the 1770s and 1870s and explains his reasons for visiting the British Isles. The account opens with the Williams' trip from Albany to New York, accompanied by family members, and their search for Anna's trunk on the day they were to set sail; a humorous poem recounts the latter episode. The preface and opening remarks are followed by daily entries dated September 17, 1870-October 1, 1870, during the Australia's time at sea. The opening lines of many entries, including the preface, are colored or otherwise illustrated. Illustrations (see list below) accompany most of the entries.

During the transatlantic journey, Williams commented on the food, the scenery, and his pastimes, which included games of quoits and backgammon with the captain and other passengers. Early in the voyage, the ship encountered stormy seas, which resulted in flooded passenger cabins, injuries to members of the ship's crew, and prolonged seasickness. Williams described cod fishermen along the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and compared the Anchor Line's ships with the faster vessels of the Cunard Line. Entries often report the distance the Australia had traveled and the remaining distance to Derry, Ireland, the ship's first destination. On September 29, Williams mentioned the captain's recent navigational error, which led to confusion about the ship's current position and course; the mishap resulted in a slight delay, though the course was later corrected. In his entry of September 30, Williams recalled the Hibernia, an Anchor Line steamer that had remained missing for four weeks after being blown to sea in a gale off the coasts of Ireland and Scotland. The same day, the Australia reached Derry and soon left for Glasgow, where Williams and his wife disembarked on October 1. A printed drawing of the Australia and a newspaper clipping about the Williams' journey are pasted into the first page of regular entries, and the entry of September 30 contains a table of observed latitude and longitude for September 19, [1870]-September 28, [1870].

List of pen and ink drawings (excluding embellished text)
  • Two men searching for Anna Williams's trunk at the Wescott's Express freight office (page 7)
  • A man and a woman on the deck of the Australia (page 7)
  • Log floating at sea (page 8)
  • Australia and other ships engulfed by stormy seas (page 9)
  • The Williams' stateroom on the Australia (page 10)
  • A man "Before and After Sea Sickness" (page 11)
  • Codfish (page 11)
  • Rings and target from game of quoits (page 12)
  • "Cod Fishing on the New Foundland Banks" [sic] (page 13)
  • Driftwood board (page 13)
  • "Mr Brown's Circus Blanket," a colorful coat (page 14)
  • "Forecastle Passengers" (page 17)
  • Sounding line (page 19)
  • Map of British Isles and coast of Holland, Belgium, and France, showing the Australia's erroneous and corrected courses (page 20)
Collection

True family account book and family history, 1761-1771, 1848-1863

1 volume

This account book kept largely by Jacob, Anne, and Anna True consists of records relating to their family business in Salisbury, Massachusetts. The True family ran a multi-purpose organization and operated it as a tavern, inn, bank, and store for foodstuffs and other goods. The volume also contains a narration and history of the extended True family, a study of the Webster family, and a 16-page recounting of the American Revolutionary War naval battle between the Bonhomme Richard and the HMS Serapis.

This account book kept largely by Jacob, Anne, and Anna True consists of records relating to their family business in Salisbury, Massachusetts. The True family ran a multi-purpose organization and operated it as a tavern, inn, bank, and store for foodstuffs and other goods. The volume also contains a narration and history of the extended True family, a study of with the Webster family, and a 16-page recounting of the American Revolutionary War naval battle between the Bonhomme Richard and the HMS Serapis.

The volume's double-entry bookkeeping includes the name of the client, with running lists of the costs and dates of purchases of goods and services, as well as records of account credits. Sales of alcoholic beverages include rum (occasionally identified as New England or West Indies), toddies, and brandy. Rum seems to be the most frequent item offered by the Trues; at times the drink is not listed by measurement, but instead as variants of "Rum and Drink at Time Taken from the Score." They sold foods, including veal, salt, sugar, molasses, turnips, pork, fish, and more. They sold cloth, linens, and clothing, such as handkerchiefs, swanskin, sheeting, silks, thread, oznabriggs, buttons, blankets, muslin, bearskin, ribbon, "ferrit," combs, sole leather, and more. The Trues also offered services, such as augur maintenance, chair repair, clothing and shoe mending, and more.

One atypical entry is an account for debtors William Temple and Capt. Edward Emerson in 1761, pertinent to expenses for the wreck of a brig, including costs associated with ballast, clearing lumber and pumping out the ship, moving the ship to Newbury, "a Treat to the people that went Down in ye Ship," temporarily storing Naval stores, taking care and sending on the ship three weeks later, and other itemizations.

Clients paid by cash, labor, or barter. Services rendered include ship work such as planking, boring holes, and caulking, raising, and framing; a "day's work," butchering. Goods offered in trade include timber, codfish, corn, silver shoe buckles, lamb, cider, charcoal, and more. Many transactions conclude with a "Settlement" statement and the signature of Jacob, Anne, or Anna True, with the purchaser's sign-off.

The volume includes a list of the crew on board the Bonhomme Richard, including Jacob and Anne's son Jacob, along with a recounting of the engagement of the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis. A few printed newspaper illustrations were pasted into the volume, including an engraving showing the battle and framed by snakes and a "Don't Tread on Me" banner. Another shows "The Emperor Napoleon in his Coffin."

The final pages of the volume contain genealogical information respecting the Webster family.

Collection

William and Robert Thompson collection, 1800-1827, 1845

51 items

This collection is made up of financial records and correspondence related to William and Robert Thompson of Thompsontown, Pennsylvania. Most of the financial records pertain to the Thompsons' subscriptions to periodicals and to their purchases of goods from Philadelphia merchants.

This collection (51 items) is made up of financial records and correspondence related to merchants William and Robert Thompson of Thompsontown, Pennsylvania. The bulk of the collection is made up of receipts, invoices, and similar documents addressed to the Thompson brothers, particularly Robert, from 1815-1826. Most of these records pertain to purchases of various kinds of goods from merchants in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; a smaller number of items relate to periodical subscriptions. Among the goods that the Thompsons bought were tobacco, oils, and shoes. The collection's early items largely consist of financial documents sent to William and Robert's father, also named William, as well as a newspaper clipping listing US exports between October 1800 and September 1801. A small group of correspondence includes personal letters to Robert Thompson; one correspondent wrote about the distribution of election tickets in Mexico, Pennsylvania (October 20, 1816).

Collection

William D. Workman collection, 1957

42 items

This collection contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, a typescript, and a photograph related to William D. Workman's appearance on a television program about the integration of schools in the South, originally aired on September 29, 1957. Workman received 23 responses over the following days. Writers most frequently expressed their support of segregated schools, and many also commented on race relations and other political issues concerning the South.

This collection contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, a typescript, and a photograph related to William D. Workman's appearance on a television program about the integration of schools in the South, originally aired on September 29, 1957. Workman received 23 responses over the following days. Writers most frequently expressed their support of segregated schools, and many also commented on race relations and other political issues concerning the South.

Most items in the Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings series are letters of thanks Workman received shortly after his television appearance. Viewers and listeners sent 23 acknowledgments in letters, postcards, and telegrams, most written on September 30, 1957. Though the overwhelming majority of correspondents provided positive feedback, one provided a strongly negative response. Most letters originated from viewers in southern states, who lauded Workman for his comments on the effects of integration policies on the South, and often expressed their own opinions and thoughts on racial issues and on relations between the North and South. Writers overwhelmingly supported segregation. Many referred to the right to self-governance, and a man named Ed. C. Dennis, Jr., jokingly referred to the possibility of South Carolina seceding from the Union. One woman also noted her father's service in the Confederate Army, and many writers commented on recent desegregation attempts in Little Rock, Arkansas. A few correspondents also shared their feelings, usually negative, about Jews and Catholics. Workman received newspaper clippings and pamphlets on similar topics, particularly on religious and political issues; one took exception to the upcoming film Island in the Sun, which featured interracial romances. The series also holds a bundled group of letters between Workman and producers at CBS, who thanked him for his participation in the program.

The Typescript and Photograph series contains a typescript of the "Report on Integration," which aired on CBS television on September 29, 1957, and on CBS radio on September 30, 1957, as well as a black-and-white photograph of the panel participants.

Collection

William P. Marshall, Medical Manipulation, 1830

1 volume

London apothecary William P. Marshall compiled notes on medical ailments, descriptions of chemicals and medicines, and formulae for medical treatments in this volume, entitled "Medical Manipulation."

In 1830, London apothecary William P. Marshall compiled notes on medical ailments, descriptions of chemicals and medicines, and formulae for medical treatments in an 89-page volume entitled "Medical Manipulation." Marshall wrote directly in the volume and on pages pasted into the volume.

The book's formal title is "Medical Manipulation: An Œconomical Farrago of Galenical Anomalies with Pathological Remarks by Wm. P. Marshall, M.R.C.S., Licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries &c. &c." The first title page contains a colored drawing of a shield with the inscription "Resurgere in Cœlo," below a skull sitting on a shelf. The second page includes a clipping with a printed illustration of a skull and crossbones. Roughly half of the pages have notes about general pathology, respiration, the voice, expectoration, "percussion," the heart, and diagnosis. The other pages primarily have pasted-in notes about, and formulae for, medicines and chemicals used for medical treatments. One of these notes is in poetic form ("Materia Medica," pp. 10, 12). The pasted-in pages cover older notes written directly into the volume.

Newspaper clippings about various medical subjects, including one on "lunatics" (p. 78) and many formulae, are affixed to many pages. One clipping has a reprinted poem "Found in the Skeleton Case at the Royal Academy" (p. 57), and at least two articles are in Spanish. The front endpaper has a price list from J. Warrick & Co. chemical importers in London, England.

Collection

William S. Burns papers, 1860-1864;1886

64 items

The William S. Burns papers consist of correspondence and a scrapbook that document Burns' time as a well-connected Union officer during the Civil War.

The collection includes a series of 57 letters and documents written by Burns to his brother, Charles, plus a scrapbook assembled for his son, Ned, in December, 1886. The scrapbook includes a mounted albumen photographic portrait of Burns, and consists of a series of articles written by Burns for a newspaper. These articles include excerpts of his war-time letters (some included in the collection), but are more fleshed out, including more anecdotes and information than the surviving correspondence. They appear to be very faithful accounts of his experiences, based on first-hand notes. Among the better accounts in the scrapbook are lengthy descriptions of the Battles of Pea Ridge and Pleasant Hill, a good narrative of the Meridian and Red River Campaigns. For Pleasant Hill and the Red River Campaign in general, Burns comments extensively on the course of the battle and where blame for the defeat should lie, suggesting that despite the best efforts of Smith, Banks lost the day.

Strongly committed to the Union cause, but not an abolitionist, Burns had the unusual benefit of high level connections that allowed him to negotiate fairly effectively for military appointments that suited his tastes and abilities. Burns appears to have been very highly regarded by his superior officers and his subordinates, and maintained very high standards that led him to be a harsh critic of the military inefficiency of several "political generals," particularly Samuel Curtis and Nathaniel Banks. His high standards did not preclude foraging (stealing) food from civilians, though he was repulsed - not to the point of taking disciplinary action - at the summary execution of guerrillas and at being ordered by A.J. Smith to burn the residence of Jacob Thompson, Secretary of the Interior during the Buchanan administration, in retaliation for offences committed by Lee's army in Virginia. Burns was not keen to set fire to Thompson's house, but after allowing the removal of personal and family items, he followed orders.

Burns seems either to have loved or hated his commanding officers, and was as fixated on them as he was critical. He comments extensively on the performance of Union generals under whom he served, reserving his highest praise for A.J. Smith and Sherman, a sort of bemused appreciation of Asboth, and scorn for any who crossed them.

Collection

William Trimble letters, 1893

4 items

This collection is made up of 4 letters that Will Trimble wrote to his mother Margaret in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while visiting the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, in October 1893.

This collection is made up of 4 letters that Will Trimble wrote to his mother Margaret in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while visiting the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, in October 1893. He described the weather conditions and listed the buildings that he and his wife Alice visited at the fairgrounds, including the Pennsylvania Building, the Liberal Arts Building, the Manufactures Building, and an art gallery. Will and Alice Trimble dined at "Old Vienna" on the fair's midway and visited the fairgrounds at night to see the fireworks and illuminations. Will's letters also refer to his plans to buy souvenirs and to his plans for returning to Philadelphia with his wife and children. Trimble wrote his first letter on Board of World's Fair Managers stationery, and his final letter encloses a newspaper article about the malfunction of an elevator at the Manufactures Building.