Absolutely everything was available in San Francisco from the hundreds of ships that began arriving within months of the discovery of gold. Among the smart fortune seekers were the ship owners. To be sure, shipping was high risk, but potentially extremely lucrative.
If the ship didn’t go down along the perilous routes to California, owners stood to make up to $800,000 from merchandise.
Equally good at business were the merchants with storehouses where they auctioned goods to the residents of San Francisco. Starkey, Janion & Co was but one of the companies and in an April 12, 1849 ad in the Alta California, the company offered the following from the bark Asenath. What isn’t on this list, but is on many others, are exotic fruits and vegetables and liquors from around the world. The range is amazing and as often as one wonders "what is that," one might ask "they had those then?
NEW GOODSNow landing from bark Asenath direct from Liverpool, expressly selected for the California markets, and for sales on reasonable terms, by the undersigned:
Dry goods. 31 to 37 inches white sheetings, 7-8 and 9-8 two blue prints, cotton bed ticking, union plain and colored drills, Denims, as’d plain and fig’d summer cloths, 72 and 74 inch green billiard cloths, 9-8 col’d fancy prints, 7-8 chintz furniture do., 9-8 col’d muslins, 9-8 plain turkey reds, 7-8 d’laine dresses, woolen cloths, plain and regatta shirts, slops, woolen caps, blankets, bayetas, mottled and fancy drills, lastings, cape do., princettas, imperial crapes, panos de costa, romales, grandrells, imitation Venetian blinds, blue pilots, green baizes, mixed cassinetts, carpeting, fancy union tweeds, a’d fustians, gloves, hosiery, cotton and union fringes, as’d laces, candlewick, silk velvet, silk handkerchiefs, check and book muslin’s, suspenders, as’d parasols and umbrellas, lute string and satin ribbons, sewing cotton, longcloths, fancy vestings, serges, Hollands, diaper, huckaback cloutings, linens, osnaburgs.
Hardware, tinware, &c. As’d rod, hoop and sheet iron, iron gates, do. Pumps, ploughs, iron wire, tin plates, shovels, pickaxes, mattocks, vices, blued shingling, wedge and broad axes, saws, carpenter’s adz, hammers, firmer and socket chisels, sash tools, files, spokeshaves, gimlets, planes, screw drivers, coach wrenches, bracebitts, compasses, box rules, iron squares, screws, nails as’d locks and bolts, hooks and hinges, "I" do., glue, iron wire and staples, sad irons, fenders, fire irons, marble chimney pieces, stoves, lamps, lanthorns, fowling pieces, powder flasks, shot belts, percussion caps, glaziers diamonds, silver pencil cases, neck beads, thimbles, brad and shoe awls, hat and coat hooks, hunting spurs, brass candlesticks, spring dividers, brass wire ware, Spanish marks, tea and table spoons, C.S. shoe tacks, pins, sail needles, fish hooks, brass taps, curtain rings, brass chair nails, scissors, pen and pocket knives, razors, table knives and forks, camp kettles, fish kettles, tea do., sauce pan digesters, bakepans and ovens, stew and sauce pans, funnels’ scoops, graters, soup tureens, as’d shoemakers tools, and a great variety of other articles.
Earthenware. Consisting of as’d soup and dinner plates, bowls, jugs, cups and saucers, ewers and basins, dishes, teapots, &c.
Naval stores, groceries, wines, etc. Paints, paint oil, tar, refined sugar, currants, mustard, cheese, as’d pickles, pepper and vinegar, sauces, preserved meats.
Sherry and port wine, champagne, claret, Geneva, brandy, rum, ale, porter. Pipes, medio floreta paper, slates, bricks, coal, tobacco.
STARKEY, JANION & CO.
April 12, 1849 14tf