Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - September - 2009 Issue
100 American Historical Documents from the William Reese Co.
Letters from the Vioget-Sutter collection.
Item 50 is an 1836 appeal from naval shipyard workers in Philadelphia to President Andrew Jackson, appealing for a 10-hour workday. That doesn't exactly seem like a great demand, but evidently in 1836, workers were called on to put in longer than 10-hour days. There had been numerous strikes in the 1830s by workers for 10-hour days, and that limit had already been granted commercial shipyard workers in Philadelphia. The naval workers had not had much success appealing to Congress and the Secretary of the Navy, but President Jackson was more amenable to their request. In response to the workers' request to "reduce the beastly quantity of labour required of them," Jackson quickly ordered a reduction in hours. $4,500.
Item 81 is a collection of 28 letters and documents dated 1828-1862 received by California pioneer Jean Jacques Vioget. Vioget arrived in San Francisco in 1837 when the "city" contained just two homes. He later built a hotel and saloon and offered his services as a surveyor. Among those to take advantage of these services was Johann Sutter, owner of an enormous tract of land in the Sacramento valley. Sutter had received the land grant from the Spanish government on condition he help protect it from Indians. Sutter and Vioget likely built up their friendship because both were Swiss immigrants. There are six letters dated 1842-43 from Sutter to Vioget, in which Sutter speaks of the difficulty he has with squatters and fur traders trapping on his land. He also speaks of his mill, and if Sutter thought he had a hard time with squatters then, he had no idea of what was coming. In 1848, one of his workers discovered gold at Sutter's Mill, and the California Gold Rush was on. Countless fortune-seekers sought their fortunes on Sutter's land, stealing his crops and cattle. Sutter himself never made much from it and died destitute in 1880. $142,500.
The William Reese Company may be reached at 203-789-8081 or amorder@reeseco.com. Their website is www.reeseco.com.
