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Lengthy, 4 pgs letter, approx. 8" x 9-3/4", datelined "Garfield, Aug. 5th, 1880", from James M. Roberts, to his wife in Pagetown, Ohio. Includes original transmittal cover with Fine-Very Fine purple "BUENA VISTA/COLO." double-line, double-circle postmark, dated Aug. 10, 1880 & 3c green Banknote with faint purple wheel of fortune fancy cancel. An interesting letter from this man who has left his wife & child to seek a fortune in mining in Colorado, and is running a store with his partners in Garfield. Includes (spelling corrected): "If I was rich, there are many places that I could live very happily in Ohio, but Colo. during the Spring and Summer, and I believe, Fall and Winter, far surpass Ohio in health, climate, scenery, beauty and grandeur...We have bought 1/3 of the Durby Mine. It is a new mine and we think a great deal of it. Two poor boys owned it and had no money to buy provisions to work it, and we give them $100 for 1/3 of it, partly in trade. We would not take $1000 for our 1/3 interest today...We have got all the mining property now that we want. 1/3 in the Durby, 5/16 in the Queen City, and 1/3 in the Ida V. These mines have and will cost us about 200 dollars, and if they prove to be as good as we think they will, they will, either one of them, bring ten thousand Dollars. The men that owned these mines, as a general thing, are poor, and are compelled to sell a part of their mines in order to live. I will go to Buena Vista tomorrow. We have to go every two weeks. I don't mind the trip. It takes me two days to come back and one to go. We have a very good trade, about 200 dollars per week, all in cash. One of us works on the mines when we have nothing else to do. We can ride Jinne, our mule, to either one of them. The Durby is on Gold Hill, one mile from our store...". The cover has a small edge tear at left, the letter is Very Fine.
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