Harper’s Weekly July 17 1858 – exhuming President Monroe, Gold Rush

Vol. II – No. 81]     Saturday, July 17, 1858    [Price Five Cents

 ‘A Journal of Civilization’ that gives a nice snapshot of the times. Packed with images. Of note in this issue is transfer of President Monroe's body back to Virginia, and latest Gold Rush in current day British Columbia Canada.

Front page image: “Rev. Henry Ward Beecher – [Photographed by Brady]”.

Table of Contents:

1. Henry Ward Beecher, with a Forward
2. Editorials
3. The Lounger
4. The Boat and the Train – with two illustrations
5. The late eruption of Vesuvius - with two illustrations
6. Literary
7. Domestic Intelligence
8. Foreign News
9. The Monroe Obsequies, with four splendid illustrations
10. A Broadway lyric
11. Green’s Client, by John Esten Cooke, of Virginia
12. Bulwer’s “What will he do with it?”- Continued
13. The new Eldorado in British America with a map and an illustration
14. Miscellany
15. Things wise and otherwise
16. Market and Financial Reports
17. Comicalities

Inside images:

• ‘Going on Board’ (½ page)
• 'Waiting for the train' (½ page)
• 'A crater in Eruption' (1/3 page)
• 'The Late Eruption of Vesuvius' (½ page)
• 'Exhuming the remains of President Monroe in the Second Street Cemetery' (½ page)
• 'Lying in state at the City Hall, New York' (½ page)
• 'The landing at Richmond' (½ page)
• The Ceremony at the grave, in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia (½ page)
• 'Map of the Pacific Coast showing the Gold Countries' (½ page)
• 'Vancouver’s Island' (small)

Back pages has four small cartoons:

• 'New York shade trees'
• 'Scene at fashionable bathing place'
• 'Imitation is perhaps the truest form of flattery'
• 'A happy notion'

Advertising: Harper’s Magazine, Hungary Water, Sands’ Sasparilla, Godfrey’s extract of elder flowers, etc..

Light toning top and right edges. Paper bit distressed at left where bound in volume. Some detachment front and back pages along spine. Crease on Vesuvius image. Couple tiny tears.

16 pages (#449-464).

16 ⅜” x 11 ⅜”

(Ships in large cardboard envelope)

James Monroe died in New York City in 1831 and was interred in New York City Marble Cemetery. In 1856 Virginia Governor Henry A. Wise sought to repatriate his remains to his native Virginia. The state appropriated funds, and Monroe's remains were transported to Richmond aboard the steamship Jamestown in July 1858. There were political reasons for the move

The Fraser Gold Rush

In 1858 at least 30 000 gold seekers flooded the banks of the Fraser River from Hope to just north of Lillooet in British Columbia's first significant gold rush. Although short in duration, the Fraser Rush had a significant impact on the area's Aboriginal peoples.

In 1858 at least 30 000 gold seekers flooded the banks of the Fraser River from Hope to just north of Lillooet in British Columbia's first significant gold rush. Although short in duration, the Fraser Rush had a significant impact on the area's Aboriginal peoples. It also caused the nonsovereign territory of Britain known as New Caledonia to be quickly established as the colony of British Columbia in order to deal with the massive influx of foreign miners.

Unlike the Cariboo Gold Rush (1860-63), which attracted many Canadians, the Fraser Rush was an extension of California mining society. Yale, formerly a Hudson's Bay Co post, was quickly transformed into a cultural centre typical of 1850s San Francisco.

By 1858, placer mining in California had depleted free gold and miners accustomed to the glory days of the California Rush were marginalized by capital intensive hydraulic mining. A large unemployed class leapt at the chance to join the rush to the "New Eldorado."