MGJ Postal History

Covers with the 5-cent blue Trans-Miss stamp are few and far between.  Stamp has straight edge on right, double circle cancel. Mailed to King at Arms, London, England.  In blue marking crayon, someone has added Queen Vic Sv at bottom. Queen Victoria was the reigning monarch at the time and perhaps this was sent to her. Additional markings on back. Stamp has crease plus nibbled perfs at top right.  

Big, full Boston 3cts postmark along with red PAID. But the real story here is the contents of the envelope...a letter from John F. Eliot, Boston pharmacist, affiliated with prominent Boston pharmacy Brewers, Stevens and Cushing (Samuel N. Brewers, James F. Stevens, H. W. Cushing) requesting the recipient, who may have been his son or father, to go to Bruno and Cargill at Maiden Lane to get the product mentioned on a slip of paper which was pinned to the note. The product, N.W. Seat's Electric Negative Fluid, was for the "suppression of fever in every form and stage." We could not find any online reference to this product. According to the note, Eliot wants the fluid for a sea captain who "says it is the very best thing in the world for the purposes named--he is sure of it--for 'somebody told him so.'"

Back of envelope contains an embossed seal of Brewers, Stevens and Cushing. Envelope is fragile, but content is outstanding.

Snow has requested a new order of merchandise and Masse has agreed to send it "as soon as you can send me the balance of your account." The full, red Fair Haven postmark is not listed in ASCC with the state identification as Mas. Note soiling at lower left. No tears or separations. Snow was a prominent citizen of Wychmere Harbor. See information below.

Wychmere Harbor

Wychmere Harbor used to have no opening to the sea. In the early times it was called Salt Water Pond. The fisherman of Harwich tried to dig by hand a passage for their boats where a trickle of water flowed between the sea and the pond. When this did not work, they plugged the little stream and built a 3/4 mile race track all-around the pond and raced their horses there.

In 1889 the state dredged a proper channel. It measured about 100 feed wide with jetties on each side and fishermen then had a safe anchorage. Fifty years later the big outer harbor was dredged.

Around 1891, Levi Edric Snow paid about $250 for land at the end of the dirt road on the west side of Salt Water Pond. He built an eight room seaside cottage and had so many relatives visiting the following summer that he built a 20 room addition and began charging rent.

In 1913 when Levi’s grandson Biddle was married, the hotel became a year round business. Biddie and his wife had three sons–The Clam Bar’s “Thompson Brothers.” The boys, all over six feet tall, grew up at the Inn and a place was built for them by the dock. They called it Hangover Inn or Spit ‘n Whittle. After World War II, the family began another business. Line Trawlers tied up at the dock and the fish was packed and shipped to Boston and New York. The new wholesale business had begun! Fish, clams and lobsters were unloaded on the dock. This brought many onlookers, whom all wanted to eat and purchase seafood. Thus from the top of a fish box or a barrel head, freshly opened clams were served. People started buying lobster retail, then wanted them cooked and opened. The family responded; away went the Spit ‘n Whittle and up went The Clam Bar. The fish you serve are probably direct descendants of the first ones unloaded here over forty years ago.

Over the years the dirt road was paved, the salt water pond become Wychmere Harbor, a long jetty curved out into the Old Inn and Channelside Restaurant grew yearly and became known far and beyond the small village of Harwich.

Thompson clam bar later was established at the Inn by Levi’s daughter, Clementine. In 1983 a developer purchased the inn, and closed it after 100 seasons in 1991.

Letter is from J. B. Masse. There are several Masse’s listed in Fair Haven (now condensed to Fairhaven) historic records.

Clean cover. Sale price.