ALS, seven pages on two sets of adjoining sheets, 5 x 8, March 17, 1877. Letter to William Lewis Maury, in part: “The party in power has, it is true, started out with the cry of ‘civil service reform’…All the people in Ohio and Indiana came on to Washington and laid about here for three or four weeks until their Bologna sausage and hard tack gave out, but finding no prospect of getting even a scrub woman’s berth, they all went back home, each carrying off a small piece of the capitol. They asked for bread and only received a stone. Now they’ll have to go to work and rebuild the capitol again. If Ohio men could not get anything, you can imagine how difficult it must be for a naval officer. We naval men, I am sorry to say, have about as much influence with politicians as a cat! They look upon an application actually as impertinent. They say to us by their manner, ‘You fellows have good berths, so stand back and don’t interfere with us.’ Hence the difficulty in doing anything for a friend.” In fine condition, with a rusty paperclip mark to the top left edge and some trivial creasing. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope, written in Porter’s own hand. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
$50.00
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
