VICE PRESIDENT GARRET A. HOBART - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 03/01/1883 - HFSID 153521

GARRETT A. HOBART
Republican State Chairman requests copy of a mining company's articles of association from the Secretary of State
Autograph Letter Signed: "Garrett A. Hobart", 1p, 8x10¼ lined sheet. Paterson, N.J., 1883 March 1. To Hon. Henry C. Kelsey, Secretary of State. In full: "Send me please certified copy of articles of association of Boston Dip Mining Company on file in your office with bill to Yours truly." Dip mining is mining on an inclination of a geological structure such as a bed, vein or fault. Docket on verso indicates copy was sent on March 3rd. KELSEY was a leader of the powerful so-called "State House Aristocracy" of New Jersey. He had been appointed N.J. Secretary of State by Governor Theodore F. Randolph in 1870. He served in that office for more than 25 years. He was described as small and thin in stature and he posed as deaf. This gave him the opportunity to find out a great many things in conversation which he was not supposed to hear and his store of political knowledge was consequently very extensive. Hobart, a former N.J. Assemblyman (1872-1876) and State Senator (1876-1882), was Chairman of the Republican State Committee (1880-1891) when he wrote this letter and was a member of the Republican National Committee from 1884-1896 when he was elected Vice President on the ticket headed by his friend, William McKinley. Hobart served from March 4, 1897 until his death in Paterson on November 21, 1899 at the age of 55. Ink transference in blank areas. Folds, vertical fold touches the "H" in Hobart. The "bar" in Hobart is lightly smudged.