Three Octavo letters (ca. 26x20,5 cm or slightly smaller); the two remaining letters are ca. 22x20,5 cm (8 ¾ x 8 in) and 14x20,5 cm (5 ½ x 8 in). In all 5,5 pp. of text. Three manuscript letters: brown ink on lined paper; one leaf watermarked; two leaves with blind-stamped papermaker’s monograms in the left upper corners. Two typewritten letters: blue text on yellow wove paper; signed in blue ink; printed letterheads of the “Pacific Coast Steamship Company.” All letters docketed in period ink on verso. Foldmarks, the letter from Loring with the ink on several words slightly smeared but still readable. Overall a very good collection.

Interesting collection of original business letters illustrating the trade in deer and hair seal skins between Alaskan pioneers and “Wadhams & Co.” in Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco in 1889-1890. Founded by William Wadhams (1831-1905) in 1865, “Wadhams & Co.” became the first wholesale grocery business north of San Francisco and one of the largest such companies on the West Coast (Wadhams Stevens, H. Wadhams Genealogy. New York, 1913, p. 404). In 1895, William Wadhams joined the partnership with Portland wholesalers Kerr Brothers under “Wadhams & Kerr Bros.” The company erected an attractive five-storey building for its headquarters in 1912 in Portland (northwest corner of 13th and Davis Streets) and remained in business until at least 1922.

The earliest letter is written by a manager of the “Alaska Salmon Packing & Fur Company” from Loring (Revillagigego Island). The other two manuscript letters are most likely authored by James Wright Young (1842-1904), an Alaskan pioneer who came to Fort Wrangel in 1884 and “in 1889 started a trading post at Howkan [Long Island, Alexander Archipelago], <…> which he operated successfully for several years” (Seattle Daily Times, 31 May 1900, see more). A brother of a noted Presbyterian missionary Samuel Hall Young (1847-1927), J.W. Young later supervised the school in Saxman and built the well-known “J.W. Young & Son” general merchandise store in the Newtown area of Ketchikan. The two typewritten letters were written by a representative of the “Pacific Coast Steamship Company” - a pioneer San Francisco shipping enterprise (1867-1916). Overall, an interesting collection of original letters, giving insight into the particulars of the Alaskan fur trade in 1889-1890.

The text of the letters:
1) “Loring, Alaska, May 4/89.
<…> Dear Sirs, We beg to acknowledge receipt of your favor of ___ inst. per Str. “Idaho,” & in reply thereto, we tender our thanks in connection with your action concerning hook iron. We also note what you say in regard to settlement of bills on merchandise shipped to this point, & having written our agents, Messrs. [Outting?] Pkg. Co. concerning same, requesting that all bills be paid on presentation, prior to our checking same, & in future no difficulty need be apprehended in this connection. We remain very truly yours, Alaska Salmon Pkg. & Fur Co., by S.S. Smith.”

2) “Howcan, Alaska, March 5th 1890. Wadhams & Co. Dear Sirs, I ship you herewith (8) Eight Bales of Deerskins to be applied on Account of J.W. Young & Co. Howcan, Alaska. Respectfully, J.W. Young.”

3) “Howcan, April 26th 1890. Wadhams & Co. Dear Sirs, I ship you herewith 20 Bales Deerskins & 8 Bales hair seal skins. I sent you two previous shipments but though there has been ample time I have got no statement the receipts go to Wadhams & Co. Portland but I wont [sic!] a statement all the same. Respectfully, J.W. Young. P.S. in the Deerskins you wil [sic!] find 3 Woolf [sic!] skins which please dispose of as wel [sic!] as you can. J.W.Y.”

4) “San Francisco, April 30th1890.
Mess. Wadhams & Co., No. 22 California St., San Francisco, Calif.
Dear Sirs, We acknowledge receipt of your favor under date of the 23rd inst. complaining that a lot of skins consisting of 11 bales, arrived here from Port Townsend, were placed in the warehouse without your orders, necessitating a storage charge and cartage of $5.60.
We would say that we find upon investigation of the matter thro’ our delivery clerk at Broadway wharf, that the skins arrived ex “Umatilla” March 18th from Port Townsend consigned to you. That notice was immediately sent to you upon the arrival of same. That four days later March 22nd you sent down and paid the frt. charges and an order was given for their delivery.
The skins however remained upon the dock, and no one called for them, the Wahrfinger Mr. Fitch, in charge of Broadway Wharf No. 1 instructed the California Transfer Co. to warehouse them. 
The P.C.S.S. Co. had nothing whatever to do with placing this shipment in the warehouse, as we gave no orders in relation to the matter. The wharf as you are aware is under the control of the State Board of Harbor Commissioners, their executive officer being the Wharfinger in charge. You will thus see that we were in no wise to blame for the skins being warehoused, or for the Wharfinger failing to send you notice. Yours truly, Goodall, Perkins & Co., Genl. Agents.”

5) “San Francisco, April 30th1890.
Mess. Wadhams & Co., No. 22 California St., San Francisco, Calif.
Dear Sir, We are in receipr of a letter writen upon one of your letter heads inder date of June the 12th. There is no name signed to the letter, but we presume it comes from your account of it being on one of your letter heads.
The letter states that on May 17th you received a lot of hair seal and deer skins, and that there was considerable trouble in arranging one lot from the A.T. & K. Co., Howkan Alaska. That the bales had been broken, and the skins scattered over the dock, and that you neglected to advise this office of it, as you expected that probably they might weigh the full amount, but that you find from the full returns of the lot that the weight is equivalent to one bale short.
In compliance with your request, we will immediately make search for same, and send traces to Port Townsend, and also to the steamer that brought them to San Francisco. It is not improbable that they were left over at Port Townsend, and may come down on the next steamer due here which is the Umatilla. Yours truly, Goodall, Perkins & Co., Genl. Agents.”