2006-06
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/31/2006
ISIDOR BUSH (1828-1898) single page letter in his hand with full fancy signature from Palmyra, Missouri Sept. 18, 1851 to Isaac Leeser (small town in northeast corner of state almost on Mississippi river and about in the “middle of nowhere” at the time). “…At the moment I am vacationing and hasten to send [this letter] to you. I do not doubt that you will have to correct it; very much so, indeed. But I am sure that this sketch will then be worthy of your journal and may be a seed of grain for many a good decision. I presume that you have by now received the Bible and one sheet of [the Italian Rabbi Isacco Reggio’s (1784-1855) published work] DENKBUCHLEIN [which Bush had earlier published with Reggio]…you would make me happy and would honor him who deserves honor if you would print in one of your journals a literary biographic note concerning this great old man with ever-young spirit. I also send you two journals; I don’t have anymore though I believe many more are in existence, of a Talmudic dictionary. …Some time ago I asked you for a draft of the statutes of the congregation for which I did [those articles]…it is a small one and a poor one with a Bohemian rite, similar to the small Polish rite. This congregation now made some statutes for itself…will try them out for awhile and after they have experience will draw them up anew with the aid of sample statutes and shape them properly. [It has] 28 members at $7.50 for seats for man and wife; $5.00 for single persons; 10 cents weekly contribution.” He ends with Hebrew lettered phrase of good wishes. Letter is neatly penned entirely in German (includes a Jewish phrase); accompanied by a modern English translation. A journalist and political liberal Bush escaped the revolutionary movements of Europe in 1848; arrived N.Y. City 1849 becoming a bookseller, publisher and editor; issued the first German Jewish weekly in America “Israels Herald” (short lived) then moving to St. Louis. Among the many businesses in which he participated he was noted especially for the introduction of viticulture to the region; a founder of St. Louis congr. Beth El and of B’nai Brith in the West. Was a St. Louis alderman and member of St. Louis Board of Education and more. Accompanied with fine bio sketch; light aging. Exc. The reverse of letter acts as cover, addressed to Leeser and with what might be a rare postal surcharge of “Palmyra, Mo.”.
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