RAILWAYS

LETTER ONE: One page, 12mo. Good, with several creases from folding. Concerns the repayment of a bond of £2500. 'I shall be glad to receive the money for it through Messrs Barclay & Co who will present the Bond duly receipted on your informing them where the Bond will be paid off.' Signed 'J Gurney Barclay'. Docketed on reverse 'Jos: G Barclay | Bond 58/107 £2500 | to be paid off | June 30: 1857'. LETTER TWO: Two pages, quarto. Good, though creased and with small closed tear repaired with archival tape. A few small pin holes in one corner. 'Referring to your Letter of the 24th. inst.

Anglo-German engineer (1842-1927), who administered 'a portion of the conquered territory for the German Government' following the Franco-Prussian War, and who, following his naturalisation as a British citizen in 1876, 'invented practically the mono-rail, now known as the High Speed Mono-Rail System, and obtained two acts of Parliament for the construction of the Manchester and Liverpool Electric Express Railway in 1901 and 1902' ('Who was Who'). No items by this important figure are present in the British Library Department of Manuscripts.

pseud. for Alfred Forrester. Oblong 8vo, paper covers (front dec.), 8 pp. only recto printed with cartoons, covers soiled, mainly good condition.

American capitalist (1849-1920); railroad tycoon. Two pages, 12mo. On discoloured, stained paper. The letter has been spiked and there is a hole through one word and a closed tear from this to an edge. 'Dear Sirs. | I have called you today. Send 8 doz. Dagonet Brut 84 care of H. M. Bland Gibraltar. I hope to find it there on my arrival. I would like to take more of the same wine - please advise me by letter to Gibraltar how many more you have at my disposal as I have forgotten the exact number you told me.' Signed 'W. K. Vanderbilt'.

English civil engineer (1840-1907), who built the Forth Rail Bridge and worked on the Metropolitan and District Railways of the London Underground. Both items one page, octavo, on grey paper. Both in good condition, stamped and docketed. The note, signed 'B. Baker', reads 'I am sorry to say the Glasgow University Jubilee will prevent me and I have no doubt others from beingn at Marlborough House on the 14th.' The slip reads 'With Sir Benjamin Baker's Compliments.'

Attractive illustration, in red, green, yellow and black, on piece of white card roughly nine and three-quarter inches by six and a quarter, neatly mounted on piece of black card roughly ten and a quarter inches by seven and three-quarters. At head a parody of the London Underground black rectangle over red circle, roughly six and a half inches by three and a quarter, bearing the notice 'ALIGHT HERE' in white letters. Beneath this the words 'FOR EVERY SMOKER.', with a red arrow at foot pointing to a box of Swan Vesta matches. Very good, though lightly foxed.

Chairman of the Board of Indian Railways (fl. 1916). One page, 12mo. In very good condition, with one rough edge caused by removal from mount. 'It is my intention to be present at the dinner of Devonians in London on 3 May'. Signed 'F. R. Upcott'.

Civil engineer, 1803-1859 (DNB). Three pages, 8vo, affixed by verso of conjugal leaf to mount, advising him of contacts in Italy: "Ten years or thereabouts have slipped away since I was in Italy and it is scarcely credible that when I received your note I began to think over my old friends in that quarter of the world. I found they were all, or nearly all, removed or dead - Fenzi the Banker at Florence is I believe alive, but his bank stopped a few years ago and I don't know what are his circumtances or I would give you a note to him ...

Fellow of the Linnaean Society, Naturalist and first curator of the Letchworth Museum. 2 pages, 8vo, in good condition, but with slight damp damage to one margin not affecting text. Closely written. 'I thought you would like to know that our Naturalist's 'Society' & Museum here are progressing & I believe we are doing a good educational & scientific work, even in war time. | We now have a membership of 220'. Goes into detail about grades of membership. 'We should welcome you personally & should also like someone associated with the G[reat]. N[orthern]. R[ailway].

South-Eastern Railway secretary, social reformer, author ((1812-1904). Two pages, 8vo. He is presenting one of his books, presumably the "Life of George Stephenson" which was published in July of that year: "The book has been written under great disadvantage, - and has been scraped together as it were out of the scraps & odd bits of my lesser moments. But such as it is I hope it will afford you some pleasure to read." Smiles wrote "Self-Help" among other significant books.

The elder. Quaker grocer and philanthropist (1801-1859). The letters provide an amusing insight into nature of customer relations on the British railway system. The first, 4 pp, 12mo. "I left Middlesboro' on the 1st of 8mo at 6.40am. for Leeds only Booked to Preston Junction - when waiting in that office I saw two Men sent away without a Ticket for Darlington. The Station M[aster] who was issuing Tickets said "you can pay the Guard" this looked no unusual mode of acting when busy - is it approved of at Darlington? The Station M[aste]r.

Liberal politician (1823-98). 4 pp, 12mo. "The Railway people object strongly to the Post Office Clause in my Railway Bill, & are going to move an amendment to strike it out in Committee. I think it wd. be well if you wd. send somebody to represent the P. O, and to meet two or three Railway Managers here, in order, if possible, to come to some agreement. / If your man wd. write to Mr. Malcolm of the Bd. of T. tomorrow, he wd. arrange for the interview on an early day, perhaps Monday". Biographical cutting attached at foot of verso of second leaf.

Sometime Gen Manager of the S.E. Railway Co. (1820-1874). One page, 4to, saying that the Queen will meet the Prince [Albert} but wishes "particularly" that the Prince should not know until his arrival (much of this heavily underlined).