Statement of Hall J. Tibbits, master of the American ship Pacific, as to his removal from the command of said ship, by Gorham Parks, U.S. Consul at Rio de Janeiro

8vo, pp. 24; original blue printed wrappers; ownership signature in pencil at the top of the front wrapper of I[saac] M. Bull, Esq.; vertical fold; near fine. The famous story of Captain Tibbits is brought alive in an article by Eric C. Rodenberg which appeared on the 4 November 2013 front page of Antique Week's National Section, and is now available on line. Gold Rush fever was sweeping the east and Tibbits offered deluxe passage to San Francisco on the Pacific, replete with fine dining and staterooms. But Tibbits booked, booked, and eventually overbooked his ship with passengers, and the food and quarters were not all that was advertised. "Once the passengers learned they had been hoodwinked, they filed a lawsuit. But, Capt. Tibbets 'not to be dry-docked by any lawyer' quietly slipped the Pacific out of New York in the late afternoon 'to escape any further problems with the lawsuit'." "Thirty days out of New York, the passengers were miserable with seasickness and cold. Snow confined them in verminous quarters. The food consisted of raw mush, preserved meats, dubbed 'old junk,' and beans . Once the ship made port in Rio de Janerio, the passengers scurried to the U.S. Consulate with their allegations of cruel and inhumane treatment. Despite protesting vigorously against what he characterized as 'the abuse of authority and the outrages committed upon me individually,' Tibbits was relieved of duty by the American Consul." Among the unsatisfied passengers were Hiram Bingham and J. Ross Brown. NY Historical, NY Public, and Union College only in OCLC.…