Mar 28, 2019 - Sale 2503

Sale 2503 - Lot 196

Unsold
Estimate: $ 300 - $ 400
(BUSINESS.) Mason, Charles W. Letter exploring business opportunities in Oklahoma. Carbon-copy letter, 10 1/2 x 8 inches, on Mason's printed letterhead, with a typed response on verso; folds, minor wear. Smithland, KY, 20 October 1906

Additional Details

Charles W. Mason was an African-American educator and attorney who was apparently dissatisfied with life in Kentucky. Here he writes to someone in Oklahoma City, "an enquiring letter as to that country, its people white and colored, their morals, also the chances for making an honest living. I . . . have been teaching for twelve years. I am seeking a business location. I am a lawyer of good standing, a member of the Masonic fraternity. . . . I will make you a good citizen, school master, lawyer or business man." He presumably sent other such letters across the country--this one is a carbon copy. On verso is the retained copy of the typed response, describing the merits of Oklahoma City.