HERALD EXTRA. TO THE PUBLIC!| THE UNDERSIGNED, INTENDING TO REMOVE FROM THIS PLACE, WISHES TO DISPOSE OF HIS LARGE AND WELL SELECTED STOCK OF WATCHES, CLOCKS, JEWELRY, SILVER AND SILVER-PLATED WARE, AND FANCY GOODS, AT COST PRICE.... THERE IS NO HUMBUG, BUT A REAL SELLING OUT AT COST PRICE, AS I INTEND TO REMOVE TO LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS. CALL AT FRED. HOFFLING'S BY ALL MEANS IF YOU WANT TO SECURE BARGAINS... FRED. HOEFLING, 112 HAMPSHIRE ST., OPPOSITE THE TREMONT HOUSE, QUINCY, ILL.
[Quincy, Ill. 1866-1870]. Broadside, 6" x 9". Printed in bold black ink using varied sizes and styles of type. Partly untrimmed, quite clean, minimal foxing. Very Good to Near Fine.
Fred Hoefling was a jeweler in Quincy, Illinois. Research puts the date of this broadside as 1866-1870. 1864 and 1866 tax assessments list him as a Quincy retailer. Hoefling did not go to Leavenworth, despite the intention expressed in this broadside. The Quincy Journal of June 18, 1870 reports he "quite recently moved his traps from Quincy to California." He had raised about $20,000 from the sale of his business and personal possessions, and planned to start a business in "the new El Dorado." He gave $4,000 to his wife to purchase goods in New York City, and instructed her to sew $14,000 into his belt for his trip to California and to meet him there.
Hoefling set up house in California. While he waited for his wife, short of pocket money, he opened the belt. It was filled with blank pieces of cut paper. He returned to Quincy in early June to question his wife, only to find her and the large sum of money missing. ["How a Watch Tinker Was Beat out of $14,000 by His Frau, From the Quincy (Ill.) Journal, June 18th". SACRAMENTO DAILY UNION, June 28, 1870.] [copy included]. Item #31145
Price: $275.00