Early Typed And Mimeo Graphic Letter, Dated December 28, 1897, To Mr. H. B. F. Macfarland Rare Item

Early typed and mimeo graphic letter, dated December 28, 1897, to Mr. H. B. F. Macfarland with his address from M. Romero signed in black ink, referencing the Boston Business Club or Boston’s Merchant’s Association. Includes faint line of words horizontal to the paragraph with 3 letter codes one on top of the other (see photos). A rare collectible, not just for the signature but for the early mimeograph that was developed by Edison and propagated by A. B. Dick company (1892). 10.25 by 8.0 inches. Folds present, creasing and light toning. Mimeographed on good quality deckled paper.
Estimate: $45-$75
Reference: 206-124
Henry Brown Floyd MacFarland (February 11, 1861 – October 14, 1921) was an American politician who served as a member and president of the D.C. Board of Commissioners.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 11, 1861, Henry MacFarland moved to Washington, D.C. in 1867 with his parents Mr. and Mrs. Joseph MacFarland. He studied at Rittenhouse Academy and later at Columbian College, now George Washington University. He studied law, but was too young to take the bar, so he instead became a newspaper reporter. He entered the Washington Bureau of the Boston Herald in 1879 and became chief of that office in 1892. In 1888 he was married to Mary Lyon Douglass.

Political career
In 1900, President William McKinley appointed him District Commissioner and one week later he was elected President, which was the chief executive office – the equivalent of Mayor – at the time. He was the youngest person ever appointed to the Commission. As President of the Commission, he organized the annual Fourth of July celebration, arranged for the remains of Major Pierre L'Enfant to move from an unmarked grave to Arlington National Cemetery and secured positions at the military academies for District residents. During that time, he also served on many commissions including the Rock Creek Board of Control, and committees to preserve Francis Scott Key's home and move the date of the inauguration.

He resigned from office on November 13, 1909, to pursue a career in the law to make more money. He served as president of the National Parks Association, and as a member of the Washington Board of Trade and the Chamber of Commerce. He also became very active in the citizens joint committee for national representation.

Death and legacy
MacFarland died in October 1921 after a six-month illness. DC employees were given the day off and flags were flown at half-mast for 10 days. MacFarland Middle School in Washington, D.C. was named in his honor.

Matías Romero Avendaño (24 February 1837 - 30 December 1898) was a Mexican politician and diplomat who served three times as Secretary of Finance and twice as ambassador of Mexico to the United States during the 19th century.

Romero began preparatory courses in Law while still living in Oaxaca. In 1855 he moved to Mexico City, and he received his law degree on 12 October 1857. He joined the liberals under command of General Ignacio Zaragosa and traveled to Guanajuato to join the Army. However, he was instead commissioned into the Ministry of Relations. He accompanied Juárez to Guadalajara but was briefly imprisoned by Commander Landa. After being freed, he followed Juárez to Veracruz via Panamá. He served as Melchor Ocampo's private secretary in Veracruz, and as an official in various secretariats.

In 1859, Romero published a work on Mexican foreign treaties. In December of that year, he was named Secretary of the Mexican Legation in Washington, D.C. By December of the following year, he was directed by President Juárez to approach Abraham Lincoln, who had recently won election as US President, but had not yet assumed the Presidency.

During the French Invasion of Mexico, Romero played a key role in lobbying the United States to oppose the French-backed Second Mexican Empire. When Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State Seward appeared ambivalent on the matter, Romero supported the presidential campaign of John C. Frémont in 1864. Romero also supported mediation between the United States and the Confederacy in order that the United States could focus more on opposing the Mexican Empire. When the Civil War ended, he proposed direct military intervention under the leadership of either General Grant of General Sherman.

After the restoration of the Mexican Republic, Romero served in the government of Porfirio Díaz and was a proponent of foreign investment in Mexico. On 15 January 1868, Romero was named Minister of the Treasury by President Benito Juárez. In May of that year, he was returned to Washington to complete the treaties which he had initiated in his previous assignment. Treaties signed pertain to claims of Mexican citizens against the U.S. and vice versa, citizenship, and consular matters. By 1 August his work on those treaties was concluded, and he returned to Mexico, as Secretary of Hacienda.

On 15 May 1872, Romero resigned from the Ministry (deteriorating health). By September 1875, he entered government service again, as substitute senator for Chiapas. By the following fall he was named Deputy to the Congress of the Union for the fifth district of Oaxaca. In May 1877 he was charged again, with the office of the Minister of Treasury, but resigned in 1879 from government service for health reasons.

By 1879 he again returned to Washington, to establish a company to oversee construction of a railway between Mexico City to Oaxaca. He was named manager of the company. On 15 May 1882, he was again called to service, to represent his country to the USA. He was named ambassador extraordinaire and minister plenipotentiary, and in that capacity, he signed a preliminary agreement on borders with Guatemala. In Washington he was with his wife, Mrs. Matias Romero. She was one of the most popular ladies in the diplomatic circle. She was born in Philadelphia and was educated partly in New York City. From May to October 1883, Romero traveled across Europe as Mexican representative. Romero died in New York City in 1898.

Notes: Toned, good condition. pencil notations and signatures.

$45 - $75

10.25" x 0.001" x 8"

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Richard Gabriel | (781) 883-6639 | gabriel@calixbooks.com

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