Commerce

Commerce — marelibri

SIR I HOPE THAT MY LAST OF 20th FEB.'Y HAS BEEN SAFE DELIVERED TO YOU AND WISH THAT THE OPENING OF THE TRADE BETWEEN YOUR COUNTRY AND FRANCE WHICH HAS TAKEN PLACE ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO HAVING PROCURED SOME ADVANTAGE TO SOME OF YOUR COUNTRYMEN MAY ENGAGE YOU TO MAKE A TRIAL.beginning of text.

1801réf. 44263Dieppe France. July 1801. Rebuilding Trade After the Quasi War An interesting and rare artifact of the attempt to rebuild French-American trading relations in the wake of the so-called "Quasi-War" between the two nations. The Quasi-War was an undeclared conflict between the United States and France during John Adams' administration in the late 1790s manifested mostly in naval engagements between the two nations. The war wreaked havoc on American commerce with France which only began to be rebuilt with the Convention of 1800. The present printed circular was created by "Le Baron fils" the former American consular agent in Dieppe and was apparently sent to a variety of American merchants encouraging them to once again send shipments of American goods to that French port. Not much is known of Le Baron fils though he did correspond with Benjamin Franklin and he served as the American consular agent at Dieppe for several years. This copy of Le Baron fils' circular was sent to prominent New York merchant and politician Nicholas Low and is dated in manuscript July "24." It is addressed to Low in manuscript on the fourth page and his name is also written in the upper left corner of the circular. In the printed text Le Baron fils states: "you may see by the inclosed Price Current of our Colonial & American goods not present here that our prices are more advantageous than in Bordeaux as we are more in the center of the Republick nearer to Paris Rouen Amiens and all the Chiefest manufacturing towns of France." Low is encouraged to "consign me some goods the sale of which shall be attended to with the greatest care and the proceeds of which will be sent to you either in goods from this country or in Bills on Paris London or Hamburgh at your choice." The printed text concludes by giving the names of the American consuls at Paris and Hamburg as well as two English trading houses as references to Le Baron fils' character. Le Baron fils adds in manuscript: "Mr. J. Clason & Mr. C. Codwise of yr place can give you an account upon my house in case you want quick information." Old folds some edge wear small tears at edges of fold fourth page torn from wax seal. Very good overall. unknown

William Reese Company · États-Unis900,00 $US≈ 805,59 €

[French-American Trade]:ABAA

SIR I HOPE THAT MY LAST OF 20th FEB.'Y HAS BEEN SAFE DELIVERED TO YOU AND WISH THAT THE OPENING OF THE TRADE BETWEEN YOUR COUNTRY AND FRANCE WHICH HAS TAKEN PLACE ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO HAVING PROCURED SOME ADVANTAGE TO SOME OF YOUR COUNTRYMEN MAY ENGAGE YOU TO MAKE A TRIAL.beginning of text.

William Reese Company · États-Unis900,00 $US≈ 805,59 €

[FUR TRADE]. BRIDGER, Jim (1804-1881), SARPY, John Baptiste (1798-1857)Biblio.com

Manuscript Affadavit Signed by John B. Sarpy Testifying to the Dispersal of the Estate of Henry Fraeb Frapp and the Difficulty of Collecting Money from Famed Mountain Man Jim Bridger

1843réf. 24188St. Louis: John B. Sarpy 1843. Folio. 2 pp. 12 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches. Docketed on verso fold lines with some separation a few repaired. A manuscript affidavit written by fur magnate John Baptiste Sarpy of Pierre Chouteau & Co. that gives one a granular sense of the difficulities of running a frontier business dependent on mountain men like Jim Bridger and Frapp. A remarkable window onto the business dealings of famed mountain man Jim Bridger this signed manuscript affidavit of John B. Sarpy testifies to his actions on behalf of the estate of fellow fur trader Henry Fraeb also known as Frapp who was killed by Indians in the Rocky Mountains. Sarpy who was a partner in the major fur firm Pierre Chouteau &. Co. had worked closely with Frapp and knew him well. In his affidavit he writes about the Chouteau Company's concerns about Jim Bridger Frapp's partner at the time of his demise and the difficulty of getting Bridger to pay his debts. Written in St. Louis Sarpy's affidavit states: "On the 8th day of August last he was appointed . . . administrator of the estate of Henry Fraeb then lately deceased. Said Fraeb had been a trader in the mountains & was at the time of his death in partnership with a man of the name of James Bridger & said Bridger & Fraeb were indebted to the firm of Pierre Chouteau Jr. & Co. & it was feared by the members of said firm that unless some one became the administrator of the said Fraeb the said Bridger might interpose difficulties in the settlement of the accounts existing between them & Bridger & Fraeb & for the purpose of doing justice to themselves as well as to the said Fraeb the said Sarpy applied for letters of administration which were granted to him as above mentioned. The said Bridger has however since this time been here & has settled in full the accounts existing between the firm of Pierre Chouteau Jr. & Co. & the said Bridger & Fraeb. And the said Sarpy says that no property has come into his hands as the administrator of the said Fraeb although it may be that the said Fraeb has property in the mountain country or in the hands of James Bridger his former partner." Though he may have been one of the greatest and most beloved mountain men of all time Jim Bridger was not the best debtor in the world nor did Pierre Chouteau & Co. forget business. John B. Sarpy unknown