[San Francisco] Californian Newspaper Vol. 1 No. 1--Vol. 1 No. 10 May 28, 1864-July 30, 1864: Surely There is a Vein for the Silver and a Place for Gold Where They Fine It

San Francisco, California: C.H. Webb, 1864. [San Francisco] Californian Newspaper Vol. 1 No. 1--Vol. 1 No. 10 May 28, 1864-July 30, 1864, C.H. Webb, Editor, San Francisco, California. 16 x 11.5 inches, 16pp. each.

First 10 issues of an early San Francisco based news and literary paper. Vol. 1 no. 1 is toned, especially on page one. Archival repairs to first two pages of same volume with slight loss of content. Remaining issues are in very good condition, generally with bright and supple leaves with only scattered foxing. Light chipping on most issues to fore edge. Overall, Very Good Condition.

A relatively short-lived San Francisco based news and literary paper published from 1864-1868. This set includes the first ten issues. Poet, author and journalist C[harles] H[enry] Webb was the first editor. Webb was quoted in 1863 that he and Bret Harte "laid our heads together over a Mint Julep... [and] determined to start a paper" of their own. The first issue was dated May 28, 1864. Fitz Hugh Ludlow was one of the first known contributors, but many of the early pieces were published anonymously. Bret Harte came on as an editor in 1865 and a young Mark Twain was hired, also in 1865, at a salary of $50 per month. Twain note, "The Californian circulates among the highest class of the community and is the best weekly literary paper in the United States--and I suppose I ought to know."

Each issue generally featured original articles of fiction and non-fiction, poetry, extracts from regional newspapers, news from the American Civil War, editorial content and wonderful period ads for By Area businesses.

Of particular interest is a four-part series titled "Our Trip to Washoe" by, "The Californian's Lady Correspondent" who goes by the pen name "Pigeon Wing." The series is long, constituting a full page for each of the four insertions, and was of such importance at the time that the second and third installments made the front page. The series starts July 9, 1864, issue #7, "Our Trip to Washoe".Ms. Pigeon Wing is clearly a very educated person, and never reveals the reason for "their" trip to Washoe. They stayed at the prestigious International Hotel. The report gives details on their travels, where they stopped and ate and makes mention that they had the infamous Hank Monk as their carriage driver. "...the very King of Reinsmen, the Napoleon of the Whip, the driver of Horace Greeley--Hank Monk himself!"

Another very interesting article appears on July 16, a lengthy article thought to be by Fitz Hugh Ludlow who traveled with Albert Bierstadt in 1863 in Yosemite Valley. The Californian article was titled "A Glimpse of California Thorough New York Spectacles" and was apparently excerpted from the "Atlantic" article titled, "Seven Weeks in the Great Yosemite."

The spine of the sleeve these papers arrived to us in states, "Bret Hart's Copies of the Californian" for a set from a later date.

A scarce and relatively unknown San Francisco periodical. We find holdings at Harvard and the Bancroft.