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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, 2008was arrested, convicted of mail fraud,
- The February 6-7th, Winter, Stock &and deported to Jamaica.
Bond Auction at R. M. Smythe & CompanyLot# 1092 (Presale Estimate - $500 to
(#277) saw heated bidding that was$1,000) Final Bid - $1400
typified by the sale of a featured stockChesapeake & Ohio Canal (MD) 1838. #12.
certificate from Buffalo Bills Wild West2500 shs. People stroll along the Canal
Company, which saw a final hammer priceand the Potomac River at left. Signed as
of $20,000. The beautifully illustratedcorporate president by George C.
certificate featured a portrait ofWashington (1789-1854), grand-nephew of
Buffalo Bill at top center. OtherGeorge Washington, congressman and
noteworthy sales that warmed the winterIndian treaty negotiator. Tape stain
auction included:center, otherwise VF.*
Lot # 1396 (Presale Estimate -This enterprise was chartered in 1828,
$15,000-25,000) Final Bid - $19,000in succession to the old Potowmack
Accessory Transit (of Nicaragua) (NY)Company. Half of the six million in
1856. #12. $5000. Bearer Bond.capital came from the States of Maryland
Auxilliary ocean going steamship. Signedand Virginia as well as the cities of
twice by Cornelius Vanderbilt asWashington, Georgetown and Alexandria.
president, and on the reverse. NotAlthough John Quincy Adams turned the
cancelled. John W. Amerman. NY. VF.*first spade, the undertaking was not a
Cornelius "The Commodore" Vanderbiltsuccess. A change of plan widening the
(1794-1877) was an American financiercanal made it impossible to finish the
and founder of his family's fortune. Atwork within the constraints of the
the age of 16 he bought a boat andcapital. By the crash of 1837, all of
ferried passengers and goods betweenthe $8 million had been spent and the
Staten Island and Manhatten. He latercanal was still 50 miles from
made a fortune in the steamshipCumberland. In the meantime, President
business, earning himself the nicknameJackson had to repeatedly call out the
"Commodore." In 1862 he sold his shipsmilitia to restore order among the
and turned to financing railroads, wherequarrelsome and striking workers.
he amassed a greater fortune estimatedFinally, in 1850, way over budget, the
at $100,000,000 making him one of thecanal reached Cumberland, whose coal
richest men of his time. Accessorymines at least offered a commercial
Transit was organized by Vanderbilt toproduct that could be carried to
move passengers and freight to the WestWashington. The company ran at a profit
Coast through Nicaragua. Vanderbiltfrom 1860-1880, with the exception of
hired C.K. Garrison as his agent through1877 when a great flood on the Potomac
San Francisco, and Charles Morgan as hiswrecked the works. The company got back
agent in New York.on its feet, but the Baltimore and Ohio
Shortly after this bond was issued cameRailroad steadily drained away its
the "war of the three commodores,"business. It lingered until 1924, when
between Charles Morgan, Corneliusanother great flood destroyed the works
Vanderbilt and George Law. Accessoryand made reconstruction financially
Transit competed openly with theimpossible. The Federal government
Law-Aspinwall mail subsidy line. Morganbought the land as a park in the 1930's.
and Garrison, on the other hand,Lot# 1116 (Presale Estimate - $600 to
manipulated the Transit's stock in such$900) Final Bid - $950
a way that they profited whileLewis & Clark Centennial & American
Vanderbilt lost heavily. Vanderbilt isPacific Expo & Oriental Fair (OR) 1904.
said to have stormed at them, "I will#1656. One share. Green. Large gold
not sue you because the law takes tooembossed corporate seal with an image of
long. I will ruin you."a settler and Indian pointing to a map
Vanderbilt did manage to unseat Morganof the Louisiana Purchase. "Where Rolls
and Hoyt from the board of directors,The Oregon" ships in harbor. Meriwether
but another headache immediatelyLewis and William Clark on either side.
developed in the form of William Walker,Nicest we have seen. Extremely Rare.
who invaded Nicaragua with the supportVF+.
of Morgan and his Associate! WilliamThis exhibition was held in Portland,
Walker made himself President ofOregon, in 1905, to commemorate the
Nicaragua. In order to get the moneyanniversary of the famed Lewis and Clark
needed to keep a 1200 man army together,expedition from St. Louis to the Pacific
he took sides in the in-fighting withinCoast, which charted a route to the West
Accessory Transit Company. Foolishlythrough the Rocky Mountains.
backing those who had double crossedLot# 1209 (Presale Estimate - $2,000 -
Commodore Vanderbilt, Walker confiscated$4,000) Final Bid - $2600
the company assets and handed them overEstate of Alexander Hamilton (NY) Nov.
to the insurgent faction. Vanderbilt29, 1804. $200. Printed form. Signed as
retaliated with a blockade, cuttingtrustees by Gouverneur Morris
Walker off from reinforcements while(1752-1816) patroon, Morrisana, diplomat
inciting the neighbouring states.and US senator. He was a member of the
Vanderbilt sent mercenaries to CostaContinental Congress and one of the
Rica, where they obtained a small forcethree drafters of the Articles of
of native troops to attack Walker. As aConfederation. Also signed by Rufus King
result Walker suffered defeat and had to(1755-1827), Revolutionary soldier,
flee in May 1857. Vanderbilt was thenContinental Congressman, US senator from
back in business with Nicaragua.NY, twice a US senator, unsuccessful
The first Accessory Transit CertificateFederalist candidate for President in
signed by Cornelius Vanderbilt that we1804 (thus at signing). Another signer
have sold in over a decade, a museumwas Oliver Wolcott, Jr. The other
quality certificate that may not besigners were Robert Benson and Thomas
obtainable again in a lifetime ofWilkes. Framed behind glass with an
collecting.engraving of Gouverneur Morris. Not
Lot # 1083 (Presale Estimate - $1000 toexamined out of frame, but appears to be
$1500) Final Bid - $1800EF.
Black Star Line (DE) 1919. #2153. 5 shs.Issued just four months after Hamilton's
Green. Eastern Hemisphere globe with thefamous duel with Vice President Aaron
title "Africa The Land of Opportunity"Burr. Hamilton was brilliant at getting
flanked by a field hand and an oceanthe affairs of the United States in
liner. Signed by Marcus Garvey asorder, but he allowed his own personal
president. VF.*finances to fall into complete disorder.
Marcus Garvey (1887-1940) was convincedThe four gentlemen who signed this
that African Americans could not prospercertificate formed a committee to
in countries where they were theliquidate Hamilton's assets in order to
minority race, Garvey urged a "Back totry to save something for Mrs. Hamilton
Africa" movement, and conceived of aand the children.
steamship trading company tradingPrices were generally much improved and
between New York, the West Indies andautographed items and rare pieces did
Africa. Over a half million inexceptionally well. None of the prices
subscriptions poured in, but thelisted here include the Buyers Premium.
enterprise never materialized. Garvey



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