Author Topic: Antiques Super Sleuths, I Need Your Help!  (Read 3833 times)

talesofthesevenseas

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Antiques Super Sleuths, I Need Your Help!
« on: March 28, 2011, 11:20:42 pm »
On 1/10/2008 a goldmine of genealogical information specific to my ancestor and others in the town of Guilford NY was sold on Ebay. I need to try to track down the seller to request that I be put in touch with the purchaser in the hope that I can purchase copies for myself and for the Guildford Historical Society. The listing is too old to show up by using the advanced features on Ebay for completed auctions. It only shows up on Worthpoint.

There must be a way to do this... HELP!

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/23-letters-from-san-franscisco-to-guilford-ny-1852

« Last Edit: March 28, 2011, 11:36:07 pm by talesofthesevenseas »
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hosman321

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Re: Antiques Super Sleuths, I Need Your Help!
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2011, 11:33:48 pm »
Man, I would think that the only way it could happen is by contacting ebay. But I wonder if they would even give out that info. Maybe if you tell them how incredibly personal and important it is to your family, they'll do it. Anybody have any ideas?

talesofthesevenseas

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Re: Antiques Super Sleuths, I Need Your Help!
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2011, 11:35:51 pm »
For something like this I would make that call, no problem!
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talesofthesevenseas

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Re: Antiques Super Sleuths, I Need Your Help!
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2011, 11:55:58 pm »
I tried looking at the source code, hoping to find a seller's name or the auction listing number. No luck.
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waywardangler

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Re: Antiques Super Sleuths, I Need Your Help!
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2011, 12:21:05 am »
Tales, I do no think you will have any luck on this one. That is 3 yrs old. I am not registered with Worthpoint but I do not think even they would post the buyer code only the price. I could be wrong.  If you know who the original seller is, they might retain the buyer info.

I would post on a corresponding eBay forum and see if the buyer or seller reads it or anyone has any info. I used to have a search feature bookmarked on an old computer but I do not remember the name and I think that only archived eBay for 6 months or a year and not 3 yrs. It may no longer be operational as I cannot find it.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2011, 12:49:35 am by waywardangler »

talesofthesevenseas

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Re: Antiques Super Sleuths, I Need Your Help!
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2011, 10:47:52 am »
 ;D ;D ;D GOOD NEWS!!!   ;D ;D ;D

It turns out that the buyer of that auction was none other than the Guilford Historical Society! My buddy Wilma didn't realize that my ancestor had been mentioned in them. She forwarded me the transcription of the letter that mentions him specifically and the other transcriptions will be forthcoming so that I can look through them for clues as to his business dealings in California. *whew!* I had envisioned these letters having fallen into the hands of a scrapbooker and turned into placemats!  :o

Here is the letter that concerns my ancestor John Bradbury. This was written just two days after his death aboard the Jenny Lind. The transcription was taken down using the spelling in the letter.

San Francisco    April 13, 1853

Dear father.  I have a fiew lasure moments just now.  My folks have gone to dinner.  It is now five oclock in the after noon.  I have to tende store some of the time.  You thought that I could not do business to home well enough for you.  But strangers don’t think so.  I could not get away from them.  I like them very much.  I have to work hard some of the time then again not so hard.  We have gone out of the flour business intirely, for it won’t pay.  We are in the liquor business as large as was in the flour.  I am well as usual, fat as a pig.  Nelson is a driving dray doing very well.  This is a larg Country.  I don’t think that it will ever be fenced in for the most of the folks get what they can & go home.  We have had a hard blow here.  I mean our Guilford folks last Monday in the afternoon.  Uncle Ben & John Bradbury, Cale Winsor was coming down the river & the boyler bursted & by the meanes killed C Winsor & J Bradbury.  What a site they was.  I went down to the boat & helped fetch them of.  Nel Dimac feels very bad.  It was hard, but you know that we have got to go when our time comes.  We don’t know anything about that, so we must look out for the present.  I can’t write much this time.  I will write again in a fiew days.  Edwin Haynes is up in the mines.  Chapisc is here.  I can’t tel how long I shall stay here in this Country.  But I shall stay as long as it pays.  When I can’t make eny thing, I shall start for some other country & I can’t tel whare that will be.  But I shall do for the best.   You know that I have bought $9 worth of clothes since I landed here.  So you can tell the boys I am not spending my money foolish.  It cost something for bord.  I have paid $300 for bord since I came here & not lived eny better then I did at home.  So you can see that it is something of a country I like vary well.  Mr. Newton is here.  I don’t know what he come here fore & I guess he don’t.  He has not done eny thing as yet.  I must close.  I guess you will think this letter was wrote in a hurry & it was, for I did not have time to write all I wanted to.  So I will write you again in a fiew days.
   So Good By
      Stephen A Sheldon
                  To  Benjamin Sheldon
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waywardangler

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Re: Antiques Super Sleuths, I Need Your Help!
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2011, 10:54:28 am »
What a stroke of luck, Tales! Better buy a lottery ticket!

sapphire

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Re: Antiques Super Sleuths, I Need Your Help!
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2011, 11:29:15 am »
That's wonderful news tales!! You have all the access to them you want and also know they're safe in good hands.

KC

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Re: Antiques Super Sleuths, I Need Your Help!
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2011, 12:11:56 pm »
priceless!!!!
I'm from the South - but please don't mistake my Southern Manners/Accent/Charm as a weakness!

talesofthesevenseas

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Re: Antiques Super Sleuths, I Need Your Help!
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2011, 03:22:29 pm »
An interesting update to this- It turns out that the GHS does not own the letters. They sold for over $1000. *gulp!* They contacted the seller and he was kind enough to make transcriptions and donate them to the GHS. I have asked them to try to contact the seller to see if I can be put in touch with the buyer in order to buy a scan from him/her.

I've read all 23 letters and they are absolutely incredible. Full of all kinds of little details. My head has been swimming with images of all of it for days. It is incredible to have this kind of a glimpse into my ancestor's world, written by someone who was there with him. As it turns out there was a whole bunch of guys from Guilford NY that made their way out in pairs or small groups to San Francisco. They jumped from business to business, doing whatever would make them money. At the time my ancestor came they were involved in the liquor dealing business. (definitely a good one for gold rush era SF!)  

I took a lot of comfort in learning that he was not out here more or less alone when he died and that he had his friends around him and that they came to the Jenny Lind and carried him off the boat. I had envisioned it all being done by the city morgue guy and I'm glad to know that his final needs were tended to by his friends.

The letter also confirms what I strongly suspected, that John was hit hard when the boiler exploded. Strange how affected I have been by all of this even when it was so long ago. It is very hard to see the handsome young grandfather of mine in his photo and know that he spent his last four hours in agony. It just breaks my heart and yet it brings me closer to him too, knowing all that I know.
« Last Edit: March 31, 2011, 04:27:02 pm by talesofthesevenseas »
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KC

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Re: Antiques Super Sleuths, I Need Your Help!
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2011, 10:11:21 am »
Priceless information on your family!!!!!!  We are continuing the search on our family and enjoy tidbits like this!
I'm from the South - but please don't mistake my Southern Manners/Accent/Charm as a weakness!

talesofthesevenseas

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Re: Antiques Super Sleuths, I Need Your Help!
« Reply #11 on: April 04, 2011, 11:04:38 am »
Yes, I was up in San Francisco this weekend and although I didn't have time to waunder around as I was driving it was really neat to think OK right over there is the dock where his ship came in and his friends were employed right about here so they were probably boarding somewhere within a few blocks of this area, knowing he walked up Commerciall Steet from the dock... VERY COOL and it adds a whole new dimension to visiting San Francisco, when before we had no idea that any of our ancestors had come here for the gold rush.
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