Nine Letters To Joseph Slocum, A New York Merchant Who Tried To Sell Farm Equipment To Russia In The Mid-Nineteenth Century

JOSEPH SLOCUM (1800-1853). Slocum was a merchant from Syracuse, New York who attempted to sell farm equipment to Russia in the nineteenth century. He was unable to turn a profit from his endeavors, and his family fell into financial hardship. His daughter, Margaret Olivia Scolum Sage, became an influential philanthropist and teacher. She endowed a building and a now-defunct agricultural school at Syracuse University, both named after him. Archive. 9 pieces. 1830s-40s. An archive related to Joseph Slocum and his business with Russian agriculture. There are nine letters and documents, predominately letters written to Slocum from various Americans and Russians. Highlights are listed below, and the best piece is the first one, the lengthy manuscript detailing Russian agriculture and natural resources: • Handwritten document. 4pgs. September 12, 1846. St. Petersburg, Russia. The four page handwritten manuscript is entitled “Some Rough Hints About the Productive Power of Russian Agriculture”. It states in part: “European Russia it may be divided, grosso muto, in three great regions or belts, running from East to West. 1st - The first region extends between the White Sea and the provinces of Tver, Smolensk, Nijni-Novogorod & Kazan - it contains more wood, low, marshy ground, intermixed the sand, Baron then arable land. – Rye, oats, barley, potatoes, hemp and flax are the main products of that region. 2nd - the second section of the Empire, being comparatively densely populated, forms a central part of the European Russia – it is particularly addicted to manufacturing pursuits. It's Southern limits is about the course of the Oka River & the Central Valley of the Volga. The agricultural products are nearly the same as aforesaid. 3rd - the third region, extending to the south and southeast as far as the Black Sea, the provinces of Ashnaklan and the Ural Mountains, reaches the Carpathian mountains, Galicia, & Moldavia in the West. It is mostly covered with a rich strata of black earth with a subsoil of clay, lime & sandstone. Minoru is generally not used in this part of the country, vulgarly called the step, or prairie count the staple products of the fertile district are rye, winter and summer wheat ( especially summer wheat - the summer frosts in the autumn preventing the seeds of the winter week to start up well), millet, oats, barley, peas, buckwheat, field poppy, hemp, flax & linseed... Cotton & Vine are raised merely in the most remote districts of the South, such as Georgia, Astrakhan, the territory of the Cossacks of the Don, Crimea & Bessarabia. Three other very important staples of Steph region are livestock, & saltworks & fisheries. The stock consists mainly of horned cattle, and horses grazing in large herds on the pastorate of the steps of the Black Sea… As well as on both sides a lower Volga. Sheep, both Merinos, Saxon & form and main object of the agricultural industry of the step and owners. – The Russian or common sheep is generally the property of the peasantry. The wool and tallow are usually sent overland in the winter to the manufacturing districts of the central belt of Russia (Moscow...) Or exported via Odessa, Taganrog, Riga & Petersburg to England and France. The saltworks are especially remarkable on the left sure the Volga, on the verge of the province of Astrakhan, as well as near the Ural River, not far from the city of Orenburg. The Lake Elton alone, of a circumference of nearly 180 miles, is a solid mass of salt inexhaustible in its mineral riches. The stone saltworks of Gletznaia...As well as the saltworks a Crimea, produce an immense quantity of that precious mineral. Besides that all the basin of the Caspian is full of an infinity of small salt lakes. The main fisheries are at the mouth of the Volga, on the Caspian – they produce an enormous quantity of fish of all kind. Besides that of the fisheries of the Ural River on the Don... The main fluvial artery of Russia is the Volga – it is a Mississippi of our country. Its length is upwards 3000 miles. Unfortunately, it is frozen up during nearly 6 months of the year. There are but very few steamboats in it. This year a large steam tow boat has been put into action on the Volga attended with great success…”. The manuscript continues extolling Russia’s natural resources. It is uncertain who wrote it and the condition is good with folds and fold separations. A partial typewritten transcript is included. LS. 1pg. August 1843. Russia. A letter signed “L. Perovsky” by Russian nobleman Lev Perovski (1792-1856) as Russian Minister of the Interior. Perovski thanked Slocum: “The Directo fo the Agronomical…School having informed me, that you presented to the museum of this Institution several agronomical instrument, I feel myself much gratified to acknowledge…”. Agronomy is crop and soil science. The letter is in very good condition with folds and short fold separations. ALS. 4pg. 5 ½” x 8 ½”. November 7, 1846. St. Peterburg [Russia]. An autograph letter signed by an American working for the United States Legation at St. Petersburg. He wrote in part to Slocum: “…The only reproach I ever heard from the Minister, as I told you at that time, and which certainly stands on a misunderstanding, concerns the establishment of a cast iron fabrication. The Minister is in full belief you had spoken to him about a…in the Union that as soon as a new colony any where is established…This seemed to His Excellency excellent means to introduce in Russia and to…in this way the…possibility to the peasants to have their implements cheap & well one…”. The letter is in fine condition. ANS. 1pg. 1834. New York. A brief note acknowledging money received from Slocum, signed “Ja J Roosevelt” by Jacobus “James” Roosevelt III (1760-1847), the New York state businessman and politician who was great-grandfather of FDR. In fine condition. ALS. 1pg. June 6, 1834. New York. An autograph letter signed “Jab J Roosevelt” by Jacobus Roosevelt. Roosevelt wrote to Slocum requesting the return of an item. In very good condition. ALS. 3pgs. October 22, 1846. St. Petersburg, Russia. A lengthy letter to Slocum signed “Chas Cramer” to Slocum. Charles Cramer (1799-1879) was an important trader to Russian, and his letter concerns finance: “…he gave you an order for the purchase of Implements for Agricultural purposes & that he assigned you a credit against…of the Government. He fully confirmed the contents of the letter you communicated to me & promised to reply to your letter…Mr. Clay stated, when I asked him on your behalf, that he could do nothing in the case, to further your interest. Major Whistler whom I called on several time, but missed, has not yet returned my calls. I rather think he will not be able to serve you better than I can with the Government of this Empire…We merchants often meet with heavy losses – Do consider your ‘Adventure to Russia’ misfortune & think no more about it, for you will not gain anything…”. The penciled letter is in very good condition with a tear in the address leaf. Letter. 1pg. 5 ¼” x 8 ¼”. 1846. St. Petersburg. A contemporary copy of an 1846 letter by Rhesa Griffin, a Syracuse area merchant: “Received St. Petersburg 31 July 1846 of the Russian Imperial Department…five hundred thirty six silver rubles and sixteen seven coppers in full satisfaction of all and every claim or Demand on the above Department or if any other Department of the Russian Government and in full satisfaction of all and every agreement or understanding made by me with Joseph Slocum as an agent of the Russian Government…”. The document is wrinkled and in very good condition.