Description:

Lengthy ALS Re: Intro. to Wm. H. Harrison and Steamboat Ride, 1826

[William H. Harrison]. Autograph Letter Signed, "L. B. Mitchell", 3pp, on bifold stationery measuring 7.5" x 12", Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, October 20, 1826. With integral address leaf postmarked same. Expected mailing folds with separation and small areas of loss. Wear to edges. Toning and browning. In very good condition and boldly written.

Mitchell pens a long letter to his brother, Philander Mitchell of New York, catching him up on how and what he's been doing. He discusses the printing business and traveling by steamboat. He also mentions two future U.S. Presidents: William Henry Harrison (twice) and Martin Van Buren. In part: "I have been at work ever since I have been at this city (which is five weeks) at the office of the 'Allegeny Democrat' a real Van Buren paper, yet there is not one hand in the office excepting the Editor, but is Harrison in full and I with the rest."

Mitchell then discusses the cost of travel should his brother wish to visit: "The canal fare from your place to Buffalo, you know as well as I can tell you, from Buffalo I took passage on a Steam-Boat to Erie Pa; a distance of one hundred miles fore $2.00, from Erie to this place, one hundred and thirty miles fore $6.00 by Stage all the way through in two days. I was about one week or just 5 days coming from Rochester here."

Mitchell mentions William Henry Harrison again in his postcript: "I have this evening just returned from a visit to Gen. Harrison who is now in this city. I was introduced to him as a man of honor should be and becoming a man of my consequence a Printer!!!"

At the time of this letter, both William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) were U.S. Senators: Harrison from Ohio and Van Buren from New York. Interestingly, more than a decade later, both men would become U.S. Presidents! 

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

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

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

Shipping

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

January 10, 2024 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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

View full terms and conditions

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