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1889 Reno, Nevada D.W. Earl & Co. Freight Bill — Mining Era Logistics for T.H. Johnstone
Type: Freight Bill / Receipt.Freight Billfrom aForwarding and Commission House,(The bill calculates the cost of transporting a significant amount of weight, likely supplies or machinery destined for a mining camp or a remote merchant.)
Business Name:D. W. Earl & Co..
Location: Reno, Nevada.
Date: October 31, 1889.
Transcription:
State Toll: $0.25.
R.R. Charges (Railroad):
70 pkgs weighing 4335 lbs at a rate of 1.25 per ton, totaling $55.49.
24 pkgs weighing 725 lbs at a rate of 1.14, totaling $8.26.
Forwarding Fee: $5.00.
Total Amount: $69.00.
Historical Context:
D.W. Earl & Co.: D.W. Earl was a legendary figure in Western logistics. His firm was the primary forwarder for the Comstock Lode and other Nevada mining districts. They acted as the "middleman," receiving goods from the Central Pacific Railroad in Reno and arranging for wagon teams to haul them across the mountains to Virginia City or Bodie.
In 1889, Reno was the critical transfer point where the iron rails met the dirt roads. This receipt shows the "tonnage" of the era—over 5,000 lbs of goods moving through a single agent in one day.
It is worth noting the recipient's name, T.H. Johnstone. Given your previous "Johnston" cover from Hyde Park, this may represent a different branch of the family or a merchant involved in the Western expansion.JA70ABOUT ELECTRO ANTIQUES
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