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Stock Certificate From Buffalo Bill's Wild West Company Goes for $20,000 at R. M. Smythe & Company Winter Stock & Bond Auction

Manhattan, New York - February 21, 2008 - TheLot# 1092 (Presale Estimate - $500 to $1,000)
February 6-7th, Winter, Stock & Bond AuctionFinal  Bid  -  $1400
at R. M. Smythe & Company (#277) saw heated
bidding that was typified by the sale of aChesapeake & Ohio Canal (MD) 1838. #12. 2500
featured stock certificate from Buffalo Billsshs. People stroll along the Canal and the
Wild West Company, which saw a final hammerPotomac River at left. Signed as corporate
price of $20,000. The beautifully illustratedpresident by George C. Washington
certificate featured a portrait of Buffalo(1789-1854), grand-nephew of George
Bill at top center. Other noteworthy salesWashington, congressman and Indian treaty
that  warmed  the  winter  auction  included:negotiator. Tape stain center, otherwise VF.*
Lot # 1396 (Presale Estimate -This enterprise was chartered in 1828, in
$15,000-25,000)  Final  Bid  -  $19,000succession to the old Potowmack Company. Half
of the six million in capital came from the
Accessory Transit (of Nicaragua) (NY) 1856.States of Maryland and Virginia as well as
#12. $5000. Bearer Bond. Auxilliary oceanthe cities of Washington, Georgetown and
going steamship. Signed twice by CorneliusAlexandria. Although John Quincy Adams turned
Vanderbilt as president, and on the reverse.the first spade, the undertaking was not a
Not  cancelled.  John  W.  Amerman.  NY. VF.*success. A change of plan widening the canal
made it impossible to finish the work within
Cornelius "The Commodore" Vanderbiltthe constraints of the capital. By the crash
(1794-1877) was an American financier andof 1837, all of the $8 million had been spent
founder of his family's fortune. At the ageand the canal was still 50 miles from
of 16 he bought a boat and ferried passengersCumberland. In the meantime, President
and goods between Staten Island andJackson had to repeatedly call out the
Manhatten. He later made a fortune in themilitia to restore order among the
steamship business, earning himself thequarrelsome  and  striking  workers.
nickname "Commodore." In 1862 he sold his
ships and turned to financing railroads,Finally, in 1850, way over budget, the canal
where he amassed a greater fortune estimatedreached Cumberland, whose coal mines at least
at $100,000,000 making him one of the richestoffered a commercial product that could be
men of his time. Accessory Transit wascarried to Washington. The company ran at a
organized by Vanderbilt to move passengersprofit from 1860-1880, with the exception of
and freight to the West Coast through1877 when a great flood on the Potomac
Nicaragua. Vanderbilt hired C.K. Garrison aswrecked the works. The company got back on
his agent through San Francisco, and Charlesits feet, but the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Morgan  as  his  agent  in  New  York.steadily drained away its business. It
lingered until 1924, when another great flood
Shortly after this bond was issued came thedestroyed the works and made reconstruction
"war of the three commodores," betweenfinancially impossible. The Federal
Charles Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt andgovernment bought the land as a park in the
George Law. Accessory Transit competed openly1930's.
with the Law-Aspinwall mail subsidy line.
Morgan and Garrison, on the other hand,Lot# 1116 (Presale Estimate - $600 to $900)
manipulated the Transit's stock in such a wayFinal  Bid  -  $950
that they profited while Vanderbilt lost
heavily. Vanderbilt is said to have stormedLewis & Clark Centennial & American Pacific
at them, "I will not sue you because the lawExpo & Oriental Fair (OR) 1904. #1656. One
takes  too  long.  I  will  ruin  you."share. Green. Large gold embossed corporate
seal with an image of a settler and Indian
Vanderbilt did manage to unseat Morgan andpointing to a map of the Louisiana Purchase.
Hoyt from the board of directors, but another"Where Rolls The Oregon" ships in harbor.
headache immediately developed in the form ofMeriwether Lewis and William Clark on either
William Walker, who invaded Nicaragua withside. Nicest we have seen. Extremely Rare.
the support of Morgan and his Associate!VF+.
William Walker made himself President of
Nicaragua. In order to get the money neededThis exhibition was held in Portland, Oregon,
to keep a 1200 man army together, he tookin 1905, to commemorate the anniversary of
sides in the in-fighting within Accessorythe famed Lewis and Clark expedition from St.
Transit Company. Foolishly backing those whoLouis to the Pacific Coast, which charted a
had double crossed Commodore Vanderbilt,route to the West through the Rocky
Walker confiscated the company assets andMountains.
handed them over to the insurgent faction.
Vanderbilt retaliated with a blockade,Lot# 1209 (Presale Estimate - $2,000 -
cutting Walker off from reinforcements while$4,000)  Final  Bid  -  $2600
inciting the neighbouring states. Vanderbilt
sent mercenaries to Costa Rica, where theyEstate of Alexander Hamilton (NY) Nov. 29,
obtained a small force of native troops to1804. $200. Printed form. Signed as trustees
attack Walker. As a result Walker sufferedby Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816) patroon,
defeat and had to flee in May 1857.Morrisana, diplomat and US senator. He was a
Vanderbilt was then back in business withmember of the Continental Congress and one of
Nicaragua.the three drafters of the Articles of
Confederation. Also signed by Rufus King
The first Accessory Transit Certificate(1755-1827), Revolutionary soldier,
signed by Cornelius Vanderbilt that we haveContinental Congressman, US senator from NY,
sold in over a decade, a museum qualitytwice a US senator, unsuccessful Federalist
certificate that may not be obtainable againcandidate for President in 1804 (thus at
in  a  lifetime  of  collecting.signing). Another signer was Oliver Wolcott,
Jr. The other signers were Robert Benson and
Lot # 1083 (Presale Estimate - $1000 toThomas Wilkes. Framed behind glass with an
$1500)  Final  Bid  -  $1800engraving of Gouverneur Morris. Not examined
out  of  frame,  but  appears  to  be  EF.
Black Star Line (DE) 1919. #2153. 5 shs.
Green. Eastern Hemisphere globe with theIssued just four months after Hamilton's
title "Africa The Land of Opportunity"famous duel with Vice President Aaron Burr.
flanked by a field hand and an ocean liner.Hamilton was brilliant at getting the affairs
Signed  by  Marcus  Garvey as president. VF.*of the United States in order, but he allowed
his own personal finances to fall into
Marcus Garvey (1887-1940) was convinced thatcomplete disorder. The four gentlemen who
African Americans could not prosper insigned this certificate formed a committee to
countries where they were the minority race,liquidate Hamilton's assets in order to try
Garvey urged a "Back to Africa" movement, andto save something for Mrs. Hamilton and the
conceived of a steamship trading companychildren.
trading between New York, the West Indies and
Africa. Over a half million in subscriptionsPrices were generally much improved and
poured in, but the enterprise neverautographed items and rare pieces did
materialized. Garvey was arrested, convictedexceptionally well. None of the prices
of  mail  fraud,  and  deported  to  Jamaica.listed here include the Buyers Premium.



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