William McMaster holograph letter to Ben. W. Austin regarding honorary membership in Northwestern Literary Historical Society, Sioux City, Iowa.
Date Published: 1886
Binding: No binding
5 x 8 inches.
William McMaster ALS scarce to market.
Ben W. Austin Esq. Secretary Northwestern Literary Historical Society, Sioux City, Iowa. 1886
Dear Sir, Absence from home must be ? apology for not sooner answering your letter of the 6th advising that the members of the Northwestern Literary Historical Society in your city have unanimously elected me as an honorary member of the Society which I highly appreciate. and for which please convey to them my best ? I am Dear Sirs Very Truly Yours, Wm. McMaster
Old paper clip mark at top and letter was glued to a manuscript book, otherwise, very good condition.
William McMaster was a Canadian businessman, politician, banker, and philanthropist in the 19th century. McMaster University was named after William McMaster. He was a driving force behind the creation of the Canadian Bank of Commerce of which he served as the founding president from 1867 to his death in 1887.
Benjamin W. Austin who was at one time the secretary of the Northwestern Literary and Historical Society in Sioux City and later, the functioning as secretary of the Trinity Historical Society in Dallas, Texas, 1885-1894 often promoting the honorary or non resident membership in the society and requesting autographs, photographs, and pamphlets.
According to Professor André De Tienne, Ben Austin assembled his collection by deceptive methods, for instance “making them [people] believe that they were being honored with a membership in non-existent scholarly societies, such as the Northwestern Literary and Historical Society, or the Trinity Historical Society in Texas.”
Very Good. Item #5882
$200.00 USD
$271.45 CAD