Sep 29, 2022 - Sale 2615

Sale 2615 - Lot 307

Price Realized: $ 780
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200
(WEST--WYOMING.) Reports and a manuscript re the Teschemacher & deBillier Cattle Company, with close ties to the Johnson County War. 3 items, up to 14 inches long; generally moderate wear. Wyoming, 1884-1890
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Additional Details

Herbert Englebert Teschemacher (1856-1907) and Frederick Ogden deBilliers (1857-1935) were Harvard classmates (class of 1878). Much like Theodore Roosevelt (Class of 1880), they went west together to seek their fortunes in cattle; Roosevelt became one of their stockholders. Teschemacher and deBilliers were both among the leaders of the raiders who did battle against rustlers and smaller ranchers in the famous 1892 Johnson County Range War, and were both arrested for their roles. While in confinement deBilliers became violently insane and was sent east to New York for recovery (see San Francisco Chronicle, 8 July 1892, Chicago Inter-Ocean, 6 January 1893). Offered here are:

Financial statement for the Teschemacher & deBillier Cattle Co. 6 printed pages. 8vo, original wrappers, dampstained and lacking part of front wrapper; heavily annotated with related manuscript calculations and errata. Cheyenne, WY, February 1884.

"Report of the Teschemacher & deBillier Cattle Company." [5] printed pages. Folio, 14 x 8 1/2 inches, unbound; horizontal fold, minor wear. Uva, WY, 9 January 1889.

Manuscript document headed "Mr. F.O. deBillier, one of our oldest and most popular members, is about to sever his connection with this Club. We, the undersigned, hereby express our desire to unite in giving him a farewell dinner," followed by 22 signatures of club members. One page, 13 x 8 inches; partial separation at fold. No place, 25 October 1890. The club is not named, but many or most of the signers appear to be prominent Wyoming businessmen, including deBilliers' business partner H.E. Teschemacher, and former Cheyenne mayor M.V. Boughton--best known as the founding president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, which represented the larger cattlemen. Prominent Wyoming businessman John Clay, whose name appears here, was also named as a supporter of the raiders. We suspect the event may have been held by the Cheyenne Club, Wyoming's leading social club.