by F.M. Pratt
First edition of a sought-after early gold rush guide in its scarce original wrappers
New York: William H. Graham [& F.M. Pratt], [1849]. First edition. 48 pp. Bound in scarce publisher's peach printed wrappers, stitched. Very Good, spine chipped and repaired, creasing and chips along edges of wraps. Faint vertical crease throughout. A few small stains and; small marginal dampstain to the final 12 or so pages. Repair to corner tear on p. 11. Marginal repair to p. 31. Housed in a custom half morocco chemise slipcase. Scarce in the original wrappers. Almost always found disbound or rebound as many pamphlets of this time were bound with other pamphlets and the wrappers were removed.
One of the first, and scarcest of the gold rush guides, called by Norris "an extremely rare, early guide to the California gold mines." Howes was of the opinion that the compiler was Pratt, the publisher listed on the title page (but not these wraps), who gathered together information from various sources, including Colonel R.B. Mason's report, a letter of Thomas Larkin dated June 1, 1848, extracts from newspapers on directions to California, and sketches of people, climate, and natural resources. The booklet is designated "A Cheap Edition for the People. Price Twelve-and-a-half cents. Ten Copies for One Dollar" although it is the only edition. The publisher evidently sought to take quick advantage of the many people who were about to strike out for the far side of the continent, like so many shovel salesmen who sagely avoided catching the gold bug themselves. Not in Graff or the Streeter Sale. Cowan p.96; Howes C39b; Howell 102a; Kurutz 107; Norris 3099; Sabin 9970.