Beschreibung:

Lot of 8 items with letters spanning ca 1850-1869 to/from E. Jane Alexander of upstate New York, including 2 letters with news from the California gold fields. Esther Jane Alexander originally hailed from Litchfield, NY. She was one of two daughters of Joseph Alexander and his wife Eliza Warner Alexander who owned a small farm in the area. She was known to her friends and family as "Jane." She never married. Item 1. Alexander, E. Jane (1824-1883). ALS, 3pp, 8 x 10 in., Whitestown, NY. September 17, unknown year. Addressed to her "Dear & honoured Parents." Jane writes a warm letter to her parents about her situation at boarding school, inquiring about news of family, and remarking upon the opening of "a teachers class for the special benefit of those who are designing to teach." Stampless folded letter handstamped in red with "Whitestown NY" and "5". Item 2. Crawford, Lavinia. ALS, 3pp, 8 x 10 in., Arkwright, NY. March, 15, 1850. Addressed to Miss E. Jane Alexander at Litchfield, NY. Stampless folded letter. An overtly religious letter, Crawford calls her friend her "Dear Sister in Christ" and discusses at length issues related to religion and piety. Crawford is a teacher who describes her love for her students, as well as her upcoming trip to India. "You speak of my leaving friends and have this spring to go to the heathen, I shall probably leave here in May. Intend to stop at Whitestown, hope to see you at my sister Starrs I shall spend a month there unless called to go east sooner than I expect to be....Indeed, I do not expect to have much rest until I reach India, should I live to reach there./ I could find enough to do here to occupy all of my life, yea @ dozen lives. People often say, why do you go away when there is so much to be done at home? I answer that the people here know their duty but do it not, the heathen do not know the way to eternal life." Item 3. Crawford, Lavinia. ALS, 1p, 8 x 10 in., Unadilla Forks, NY. June, 12, 1850. Addressed to Miss E. J. Alexander at Litchfield, N.Y. Stampless folded letter. Lavinia writes her friend encouraging her to visit and to attend the yearly camp meeting. Item 4. Hand-carried lady's cover addressed to Miss Jane Alexander with small embossed colored flower on flap, and matching notepaper from Mrs. Raymond who "would be happy to see Miss Jane Alexander at her house on Thurs. July 5th at 5 o'clock P.M." Item 5. Alexander, Ira H. ALS, 3pp, 8 x 10 in., Smithfield, NY. October 5, 1851. Addressed to "Cousin Jane." Accompanied by ornately embossed lady's cover with red Petersboro, N.Y. datestamp, stamp removed. Ira writes sharing news of friends and family, with news from the California gold fields being of particular note. "We had first rate news from the California boys a few week ago, James Dickey wrote that he together with six others took out $950.00 worth of the raw material the day before he wrote, & their prospects were good. I sometimes wish I were with them...." Ira also writes to Jane about a potential teaching position that he has been able to secure for her. He states that the trustees of the academy "have agreed to give you the first chance [at the teaching position] if you wish for it, they will expect to hire you from $200 to $250.00 per year, and board can be obtained in the village for from $1.25 to $1.75 per week." Item 6. Nelson, Prudence (1803-1881). ALS, 4pp, 5 x 8 in., Busti, NY. January 31, 1863. Addressed to "Dear Cousin Jane." Accompanied by cover postmarked Busti, stamp removed, and addressed to Miss Jane Alexander at Cederville, NY. Prudence apologizes to Jane for her slow reply noting that "sickness prevented this neighborhood has been greatly afflicted with the disease called dipthera [sic] many of the young people and children have died with it. my health is poor I am still afflicted with a hard cough..." Prudence then relates the tragic story of the death of two of her daughters, Sophia and Weltha, who had travelled West to California. Prudence express