THE WESTERN MAILS

l'iE\HORK 1ND CillFORNlA S'lLUJ HlP LINEVIA NICARAGUA.

THE llliORTES'l' A,1'i'D llBEAFEST BOllTE :FOB

SAN FRANC ~CO.

THROUGH IN ADVANCE Of"THE MAIL.~ UIl' ,l:1"1'dJ: 1'#1 I'd 7'~rt'~ j'nrtllAJi., lit' InlullM. (ro".linz

4

STAR OF THE WEST1'.\1"1'. TP.I"U:!'Allilll <!. TO~8 llUIt7mL~.

W1ll f+-a"" f",m l'ltor N'., 0.. -Nunh lU"..r ...l nra1rlnr P)I .lTf"!"...

~~fi fi~,r.t.". J:~~~:~~'I:':(JL ~111~ }~~:~tt'~Ai~~VRl\1.

BROTHER JONATHAN,T~~~ m't....~rn~~~'Wr~.iJ~~~'iJT Ron , 1.&.ba~ but

n... _mm .,. ha lr m.. '" " ,.u-.,.FW' W en" to ••, t.L. LQ\Y r bT1:l!, A1'l'1J ~ tD

CHARLES MORGAN, Agent.\0. 5 DfTT'I'"Ung Grreu, .. -. '1\

.\ )llllll!l1- ill t m I up Ilt uu (10f.c0:-e.

......-..·------··La-t:aA.·.rrw...JD!llilL.£,~--·--

S.S. Sierra Nevada Via Nicaragua

The Vanderbilt steamer of the Accessory Transit Co., the SisrraNeva.d.a, departed San Francisco for Nicaragua on Oct 16, 1853 andarrived at San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua on Oct. 29th. Connection wasmade with the 8.8. Star qf the West on the Atlantic side, the lattersailing for ew York on Oct. 31st. The Sierra Nevada sailed for SanFrancisco, on the return trip, on Nov. 5 1853 and arrived at that porton ov.16th.

The Star Q{ llul West arrived a.t ew York at mjdnight oINov. 9thand he U.S. Mail, which he carried, was placed in the New York PoetOffice n th 10th.

The following neWl; item appeared in the New York Herald onNov. 10th: "ARRIVAL OF THE STAR OF THE WEST. This steamshipfrom San Juan, on the evening qf the 31st uLL with passengers eet.,reached here 120 'clock las! night. She brings San Francisoo dates bythe 8.S. SIERRA NEVADA on the PMiflc ide to the 16th ofOctober.-

The Star of Ule West departed for Nicaragua from New York onOct. 20, 1853 as per notice in the New York Herald of Oct. 6th, viz:"Accessory Transit Go. of Nicaragua departure du.te, Oct. 20, 1853,_.3. STAR OFTHEWE8T,forSanJuandelNorte,ronnectingwitkS.S.SIERRA NEllj\flA for San Francisoo, over the Nicaragu.a TransitRm!lr:

The cover llhown below wa:; carried over-thls route on the datesoutlin d above.

THE WESTERN MAIIS

/. /t't: /t. JI'G ,~ It.~ ~~r

OHIO & rISSISSIPPI RIVERS

THE WESTERN MAIIS

THE WE TER 1tW1S

It n Juen (Grey Town) 0- - ndaJ/7llOT7/Iing­slDppedatth ',arl hotel-we fa duplheriver{SanJuanjmcmday-tlwtnightwe tup to the/irs! raltid.s {Mchucal and tJum 1IJ walked about f mil a.nd fJOt aboard of anothersWa.71U!T lLllu 1I lU In !Tw CfLstl.lHa Rapirl.'1 11IirJ. rlimi WCJ walked aoout 100 rods alid got a,board qfatlother st~amm'- w took dinner ther bllfor we Started - thml we u.;~m.t up about J5mile$ a.tldSlapped (Jga'i.n faWw El,1broRapidsj and UW11.1Ualked about 3mims -mud up 10our knees andgot aboard ojilw La/(. amer -we tay d aboardqfher 3 nights andfrom the time we landedIon boardj l' on tJ floor-thBwa runtlwgtlnderu.s -llo/h;ingro mt but bread as bigas your/istforB dimes - u started fn Ute I boat andgot to San Carlos at nightwher8tJte.ten1is {Fort San CarlosI but they let uspaS - had a bad storm on I.h lake - th passengers tsick good. fflQlt-)I 0 therr

IIbt1ln Ball. fagcalled UniUd a H -ilhasgolalh

•ns . fi S to inCIusfUl/.7)

THE WESTERN MAIlS

/J '3

-r "4LJ ~.~ -- d ... .L :<.

~ ----77"'-_ 4~

'l'IIE WESTER MAILS

e ~e .::-ate 0

o 'e York.

V A NICARA OA from NO Y ARRIERS. Carried outside of hU. S. m i s nd plac d in the post office at NE\'" YORK/SIIIPJAN 9 [185'l].

THE WESTERN MAIlS

THE WESTERN MAILS

TIIB WESTERN MAII..S

...: .

ISTHMUS of TEIlUANTEPEC

IHNATI N i tee on t:-JE:l Coatzaeoalcos Uhrervigation,,, ou ~I' n ymile6Upriverfrol7l:ts nloutho he Gulf

0':: Me:"=o.Cc·" r shotm is d-telineG "Minatitlan r·~arch 3,18~6. s.),..lr eir~ct 'va "Ie te Ii y of t 1E: Brig Icarian", it ItoH' I: 1'r ecf toElOS':'ON t h l' it c;;nter~c t!1e mails onApril 12.th , s per postmark<1. ci r te.e:: Sli ? 5 cant£: -:3 conts postage ~nd 2 cents ship fee.nil r 1 s IL Nob tel' 1'Ir i I:cs to his s ist r Anna tha t tho 1e~::i CiJn Gov­''; :H:len t has Inild a con rae ',/ i th a ll\&n name Soi th, a cons truet

pl<1nl, l"O d across the Is tl t. US - a!1d that the UGt"k ~ ill rohablyCOJ:1l"ilence:! il 1:;\'10 or cree mont11s,and further that the small stQam r:or the r. v'gation of thi6 river (G015acoslcos) [Coatzaco leo;o]arc near ly comple ted." See IfEBSTER corre3pondEnc.; in tili s CO~lc:1C­tion - Caot in Me" can Win an" U.S.Consul C!t T2hhuantQiJec.

THE WESTERN MAIlS

---4

ent contracted witb t.h T hu n pee Co.,ew Orleans via steamship, o. in ti 1 n

us of Tehuantepec to he P ctfie. Cosil Leaving lew Or eans for C 11forn1 on

the fact that the travel time was about 15 d ys,much quicker than the Panama or t.he Overl nd

"awed when it expired the first part of Octob r

Oc oberbrin inRoutes,

n l859.The cover shown w s carT d on be l t east-bound trip,leaving Tehuantepcc onSeptelnber 29th nd rrivin at ew 0 leans "Oct.10,1859" where i was r t d"StEAMSHIP IOtt nd forward d a its dest.in tion.

eh rles Webster and gent for the Louisiana T huan p c Co.at Tehu nt pee, his sister under date of "Tehuantl!pec S pt29, 1859" : "Th mail w111 1 ave in a few moment s for Hini it1an and elol Ort ean B;

and as he can r Ct wi h the Tehuantepec Company expires on th firs ofOctober, I gre 1y E I' it will be the last direct opportunity 1 will h ve forsome tim "... am lit" he poor in pocket. •.. from the failure of h Loui i nTehuantcp c Comp ny to pay its debts - They owe me some $4000." He hopes hwill g t paid lias th company besi.des owning t:he valuable priVilege of thexclusive Lransit on eh s Isthmus for seventy years, has some half millions ofacreS of land - II of which is liable for its debts contrac ed in Nextco •.•. II

THE WE TER MAlLS

TEHU. "EPEe

'I'll alJUvt' points oUl h n Lhcoy rs In thls ·xhiblt.

THE WESTERN MA..US

•

STaR.\'01- I. ··I)IU':.·.~ O.'l.WtRD.- ~O. I.

r\\.\}{t. \TlIW.\', lIJRUlli.h.

TilE ST.lR

~~-;'~~~;,:',;~.~.•,~:-:..... ope..... '-r • • id_:"1:_ ....<a'l~ __

\'I" (fMl6Iod I ........... of doeP""" ~ '" II,. .........- u."(7fU<d _

_ COCIlI ".-.I!..... <"_mo_· I.-"" ....t,nd"a; ,rlth ~l", "lito ~"h J r- . .;,ho.... ..,c ClOmpI.'....,j IIOr ..... ' ..... ' the~h_nl~kJJIDIl"" 11 """,,.'1''' ""T~"'Pfo'd~I~ 1.... 1I~_1 b hmJ h,n~Ib.I." ISnallb~ I' '''·'n'''' r , "'. ,"'1 ... "', _od '''''''id- '

llu. >dat" J~,,,~ k~ " ~I r-r; .- nf _k.n_ u~ n' """'-:>1 ,I,.,. llIo.... ,,,..,....Joy ....,, b'''''Kh'.... I •• '" u,1 ,,,.,, r. ,""

I,., d l> ,I ... "" "1 ., " "'"" .. '"fTJ...ot:1h..IT ,,' I -:", \1 'I J.., " 'Ii Y",k .".1 '·h'~n...n" I 1',,"'."" 1oI1·,.]'~,rn 1>'0.' I ""Iy ...y ,I,., '."H'.•atlo'en!" lhe 'Hh~ . "I""". 1:0,,,1<1 10."')''''1111',,<1 ""y"II. I" '.,y 11.. , ,,, 'yJ~ II' 1 .."j";' 'hI' """Od, """ nllhe1",101''', ,10, ,. At., ,·c.."l. ""''''1""",,101. '" ",,",'n,,'."""••1........1. n'II,J .. ""Ii,,,. ,

ill c.",rI" '",' IV" wnlll<lo,,;', 110"1 nuly 'IOn ,1,,"",,"mu """ "I" I,' " ",!, r ,I". ,I", \"'" n""" h' i' ,1,1"'."i,', ",,' ,,,,Iy 1'" I'" "u~'" , 10"1 Ii" ,,,,.,. I",,,d, " '""il.. ,IoI<, I",rk <cr,' ,II"" .•,/." '" '" II" 1I'."",."."lrlll""

jr",,, I/ori!'''''' to' IhJ~ 1'1,,," , "",I ""'",,,1,\,,,, .,'-'Ii.dml '''''''h"o' ,,,,•• 1. u" th,o.,J_ i 'ho I",",,", w,'10 ,,~. I'n'Ull~ ,I '1 ,,,,,,II. I, 1 I. '''Of 1;,III1!,,): f.or ,Ii,')"Ill", l\n "''' 1 ""lit I""~"tly tlo " I" ,,' "1lla>UITlI,'f ,)~'"k.,,,t,, .. ,,,,. Ii"""

;G> II, renlJ;o~OUt colb"1111 01 Ir>-dly, .,I<! .,Hen·".ell' .....:d'ni;~ ... ""twill la...- ....1l11t"'~ d~ I..n,,\0001""""" nl ,he l<lhlllU, ,,,,,,h I-."y '''~'rT1'IIl'lJ,~, "',11 be ;:0;',«1 1'1' (I'" re:,dt-.. "I>"",~, "lUI"", ftI'

~"~ '" be ALI . "' ....}'d'Dl ,be "''''''''''''"011''''' f I~,".11""0"0 AI'04CllJ('lI~ ,nd,. l:"""ml j!»r. "'m.1ll ., n" •gu~', whieh ilomedill,rly li,II"..... ""Il II"dnul~."<llyh"~e ,I.. d""rcl ~tfe<:" ond d,n, ",·"1",, h "",y d","1"'';,..1, 'his 10011"",,. ,rill "" ~r.lled (",. ',f du,y In ,""cOmn"''''' "f lilt' ,,"n'I~., :'inlllle h.",,1 r 1,;,. """'I''Ii"''' 'he. ""n~t-I""k", '10 """m"" " eon,),..,.l ... ,,10"tI,or. 011,1 wh"red" ''"'' fi,,,) ""~ I'r wlwlo ,I,,· t,n.<!., "fIh" \'/",t.", '"0" "f .","'h ""~ ~..",h ,,\"'~""o rnnI~, '0 ."'.ly CO"CC"lmtr~) .\Ilt! w~ n"Il".' IU 'oF,hut I,,' "" nth",e",,, 11,,, ""m,lV"~" lOr ,I,. III~II'" wu!lE"'''I"' "nd 1.,lh the Eo""'"l ""',,,, llhe ,\11\' ,i~..I~' on =ntl;' r,cil,"".d,,

--..,."::- 'j;~~~..... hartitt.· ........__I1Id. ~ .

",--

THE WESTERN MAIL')

INDEPENDENT LINE VIA PANAMAThis st arnship lin was rgnnized by Commodore Vanderbilt asan opposi ion line bctwc n California and N w York via Panamain pt mb r of 1853. The cover on this page originated at anFrandsco on September 1,1954 and was carried by hesteamshipU CLE SAM to Panama wh re connectlons wcr made with theS.S. ORTH STAR for th run to ewYork. How veT it was turnedover to the British Post Office at Panama, raced] shilling. andforwarded direct by the British mail steamer to London where itarrived on Oct. 18th. Thence to Scotland for delivery on the 19th.The U.S. stamps were never canceled becausel nevercntered the

.s. ma.ils.

THE WESTERN MAILS

l

EAST BOUND WEST BO

'.

Stockt.o arc

THE WESTERN MAILS

STOCKTON CALIFORMIAAND TllE 40 CENT OCEAN RATE.

COy rs sho n 'Were probably carried to Nev York viapnanama. The op two to I~linois and lova. The otheron 'W' boun 0 Stockton from LOWELL 1ASSACHUSETTS

h 10 er wo about 1850 as per the 1847/50 rate.

/'

/~

THE WESTERN MAILS

BROWN EXPRESS. Organized by l'lm. A. Brow'n in 1850 to carry therna i Is and express from Stockton to the southern mines. In 1853Erown ~" skilled <lnd his murderer cornrni tted suicide. Adams &Co. carried on erc ms Express until their own failure in 18SS.Cover sho\m Originaced at BOSTON DEC 2.3,1852. and ivas rated 10cents to Stockton where il:. was picked up and delivered to Mr.Dewing. The "$I" was the express charge.

THE ","ESTERN MAILS

PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP CO. Cover 0. letter originated at "AcapulcQ July28 1862",1" w ich th writer Bt tea liThe retu,n steamer touches I;: h spoln this laV ntng 0 his leuer will go without delay". He then gaveit to th alilent of the. P.M.S.S.Co. who forwarded it to SLPau.l Hinn Botavia New York. On a rival in New York the ten cent stamp of th 1861issue was c nc \ d "1'1. YORK SrEA}lSHIP" and rated "WE 10". At thot t mth rat rom Acapl,llc.o 0 New York or to San Francisco was 20 cents pel:l/2 oz. Wh r.8 rom N w York 0 San Franc seQ or vice Ver.sa it wasonly 10 cents pr paid. Thus the "00£ 10".

TIlE WESTERN MAILS

THE WESTERN MAILS

C FOR IA 0 ~C01861

op i

THE WESTERN MA LS

~.,a

ed aHar oen

s ca r ed y e.ev Or"le s.

THE WESTERN MAILS

BRITISH MAIL - CHILE TO NEW ORLEANS VIA :PANAMA, JAHAICA AND CUBA - 1848Folded letter above origin.ated at VALPARAISO,CHILE, as per postmark of the British p,~st

office, on Hay 30,1848. Two shillings was paid in cash as denoted by the. m nusl:ript ~in red. The letter was routed VIA NEW ORLEANS by a British steamer to Panama, where thehandstamped Transite was applied. Thence by the Royal Mail Steamer to New Orleans viaKingston,Jamaica and Havana Cuba.. On arrival at New Orleans On August 2nd it was ratedas per handstamp,34 cents collect with 24 in. manuscript credited to the British and 10cents to the U.S.The 2/- in red was a handling charge to the British and had nothingto do with the transite from Chile to New Orleans.The letter is of little interest except for the postscript: "Nay 30th ••. will e~close alittle piece of gold under the seal to pay the (collect) postage which is he 1/16 partof an ounce or about a dollar 48 cents .•. " The "piece of gold" was removed !is evidencedby the mutilated seal and th~ torn paper.

THE WESTERN MAILS

.o J J

r

•

TELEGRAPH. This ''''as a well known packet ship operatingin the Atlantic coastal trade betl>'een Charleston andNel'l York. The cover above ,.,as carried by the TELEGRAPH,Hector Coffin master, in February 1817. Rated 6 cents asa ship letter on arrival in Philadelphia.

A N 0'U1.1:>, j n. 1" r L

u. s. S. ESSEX. This fri ga te of the Navy ,...as buil t in Sept.of 1799 a.nd played an important part in the Barbary Pirate\<lars and the War of 1812. In 1810 the ESSEX was sent wi thdespatches to France,returning in July 1811. At the timethe French ports "lere under a blockade by the British andit is very probable that the cover above was carri ea bythe ESSEX. It \.,as plBcea in the mails B6 per postmark atANNAPOLIS/MD jUly I,as a SHIP letter rated 14~.cents.

TIlE WESTERN MAIlS

A.. M. Hinkley,FORWARDING AND COl'rIMISSfON~a~t

ASPINWALL AND PANAMA, N. G.

18TlIMIJ8 TRANSIT TH1KET8A. M. H1NKLEY.luof"r .."",lero" the Innmu•• fo

Ad~~. &,Co.'. O"Hf"rTl;~ E.!'J'eH, i. now P""'1..~d tofurn,.b I .....CtlJ"l' Tt1'In..t TIC.k".. froR> A.pin.....ll (0

Panlmfi, and ~C" ...,..... m.llill~. wilh tbe .(6IImeto anaMire'thrDUllb d ..klll "" ,b" /DaU ruul.o. '

WM. NELSON &. 00•• APlltt,P-.

JOHN W. CA.RRINGTON, Ap"l0At Adamt & 00'1, 511 Broad "'.Y.

I:I~ y""....A,. UARSTOW. Aunt.

"".19'11' Al A,I..m. &: au'., N,..Orl_

Cover below' originated at Havana, cubaon June 9,l854 and was carried bysteamer to Aspim,Tall, ,,,here it ,.,as_t_urnedover to A.MdUNRLEY & CO.and fon-lardedacross the I sthmus to Panama Ci ty . Thencevia steamship to San Francisco,where itarrived July 16th.A nice combination ofthe use of the companies handstamps forbath ends of the Isthmus route.Bottom cover was used from "CartagenaJuly 23 I 1855" via GEO. IV, FLETCHER and NEWYORK STEAMSHIP. It arrived in New York onAugust 11th and was rated 40 cents fora double rate letter.

# /...)/

r~

THE WESTERN MAILS

U.S.MAIL STEAMSHIP FAR KEE.This was a screw propeller steamshipof 699 tons, built at Brooklyn,N. Y. in 1863. It was sold to an alienparty in 1872. Cover shm>'fi originated at St. Jago,CubaApril 21,1866and arrived at New Yorlc April 30th,'~here it was rated 10 cents.

"pr Bermuda" a private ship. Folded let.ter originated at Caracas,Venezuela, as per postmark on August 7,1878. It arri veel in NewYork August 25th'~'There It ~'las rated "6 Cents" colleCt:.

THE WESTERN MAILS

Cover 860.a C.J.'Oare a h

I

Cover on the rightorigin ted atCartngena,Columbiaon June 7; 1854. Onarriv 1 in New Yorkit was given toBOYDS LaC L PE YPOST for de i veryas per h n stampaDO .. Du 2ets" onJune 26th.

TI WE TEn MAILS

./• ~t-

CO'e on he 1e:or i 9 na ed on _ 0 •

, 853 a Car agena.'as ha d ed b'

JOHl CAPEL J-t'. ~t.

Cartagena . 0 sen ton to T . R. CO 'f at:

AV • BAY CHAGRES. rarrived in ew York onDec.12th .

F

THE WESTERN MAII.S

FORWARDED by F. GOGORZ~ & CO. PANAMA. Cover originated at Cali,COlumbia on October 26.1859 and arrived at Ne11 Yor]{ December13th, ,",here it ,.as rated 10 cents. Cover belm, ,·,as fon.,ardedby E & H ABRAID\MS & CO. COLON,N.G. -Ne'" Grenada Panama. It orig­inated at Santa Marta , Columbia October 30,1864 and arrived atNeli York ovember 15th,,,,here it:. ,,,as rated 10 cents.

THE WESTERN MAILS

oth fo1ded letters show'n originated at Bogota,Columbia.Letterbove is from the firm of LOl"nzana & Mejia. Vincent.e or z Nejia

was a fonrarder and the onlj' ooe listed from Bogat . It:. originatedt Bogota October 11,1851 \dth arrival at New Y'orl{ Dec mber 16th.

Letter belol also origina oed at Bogota on Februu'y ] 0,1854. rt ",'ashandled by three fon.arders - PEDRO MACIA/CARTlI.JNE.A - RAMON LEONS CHEZ/...:.RTAGENA,N.G. - G·O.W.FLETCBER/ASP NW r.. N.G. Arriv-

ng t ew York on larch 15th it "'as rateo 20 cenes.

,c/

~5

t?/A:;;~ d.6':....,......."."..

r