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Articles of agreement for gold mining in California entered into in the state of Missouri, 1850
MANUSCRIPT SMCII Box 13 Folder 10
Collection Overview
Title:
Articles of agreement for gold mining in California entered into in the state of Missouri, 1850Abstract:
Two proposals documenting articles of agreement between financeers and prospective gold miners. The financeers agree to finance
the would-be miners in return for a share of the profits from their mining activities once they reach the California gold
fields. Neither document appears to be signed by the parties stipulated; these may be fair copies.
The more comprehensive of the documents is dated April 4th, 1850 and was drafted in the town of Bethany, Harrison County,
Missouri. Samuel M. Nelson and John D. Enloe propose to bankroll John Smith, A.T. Smith, Harvey Deskins and Arthur Fuller
(and/or William Hunter). They "will furnish to ... a good and sufficiant outfit to go from Bethany in Harrison County in the
state of Missouri to the Gold Regions in Calafornia; to have the same prepaired and redey ... on or before the lrst day of
May AD1850."
The miners agree "to be reddy and prepaired to start on or about the time above written and go the trip to the Gold Regions
if helth will permit of and use all delegance in thare power to accumulate gold and so to continue to do for the term of two
years from the date hereof unless by a majority of the named company it shall be agreed to return within the time mentioned."
They also agree "to stay together and return together into the town of Bethany ... " No mention is made of the rate of return
payment from the miners to the financeers but the document concludes with a stipulation in concurrence with an earlier agreement
between some of the principals which may have contained these terms.
The second document, dated April 8, 1850, is shorter and less formal. Benedick Weldon, John W. Trosser (?) and Humphrey R.
Weldon agree to 'fit out' William and Joseph Osborn and William and Edward Cox, all of Daviess County, Missouri. The Osborn/Cox
party agrees to go to California and dig gold and give "one third of all that we dig after we pay our expenses out of what
we dig; we agree to doo the best we can with the team and pay over the procedes ... "
Date:
1850 (issued)Subject:
n-us-ca -- n-us-moGold mines and mining -- California -- Finance
Gold miners -- California -- Finance, Personal
Articles of partnership -- Missouri
Note:
Articles of agreement for gold mining in California entered into in the state of Missouri, 1850
Unrestricted. Please credit California State Library.
Physical Description:
print
2 items
Language:
English
Identifier:
MANUSCRIPT SMCII Box 13 Folder 10
Origin:
CaliforniaCopyright Note:
Unrestricted. Please credit California State Library.