c1866 HANDWRITTEN MANUSCRIPT LETTER BY NOTED NEW YORK DOCTOR COMPLAINING OF BEING SWINDLED DURING THE ITALIAN AUSTRIAN CONFLICT

On offer is a super manuscript letter handwritten by William Starbuck Mayo (1812-1895) a noted New York City physician and author. This autograph letter signed, "W S Mayo", Hotel Vendome, Paris, n.d. [circa 1866], 4pp, 5" x 8". This is a fascinating letter to Botta [Professor Vicenzo Botta] with content on the war in Italy; huge financial losses and Mayo's distraught emotional condition. Excerpts: "Was there ever such luck as ours as such a cussed chance as this war."; "I have been swindled out of about sixty thousand dollars and shall be saddled with about fifteen thousand of debt - and now comes this Italian fiasco - I feel as if I should fly or go mad or something or other." "Mozier is just come on and have brought be specimens of the Petroleum rock which I have not yet seen..." "...I have got the blues of the worst kind - Confound the Italians..." Bio notes: According to an item in the Oct. 8, 1866 issue of the New York Times, William S. Mayo and Professor Vincenzo Botta received rights to extract petroleum in various parts of the Province of Parma. Apparently the military conflicts in Italy interfered with their petroleum interests. A few nicks, else VG.