Lot
973 
Salmon River & Nez Perces Express, Paid 50 Cents., printed frank used with Wells, Fargo & Co. black frank (Haller WF-07) on 3¢ pink entire (U34) to Straw Ranch (Burnt River) Ore., canceled by "Wells, Fargo & Co., Dalles O., Aug. 20" oval datestamp, reverse with blue "Wells, Fargo & Co., Walla Walla, Sep. 7" oval datestamp; small corner repairs, otherwise Very Fine, ex-Dale-Lichtenstein. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
This 1861-62 express carried mail between the Salmon River and Nez Perces mines in Idaho and Walla Walla, Washington Territory, where Wells, Fargo & Co. provided connections to other locations, the service to and from the Idaho mines was probably provided by Wells, Fargo & Co. with the frank representing a surcharge (50¢, 75¢ and $1.00 rates). This usage is unusual because of the sequence of datestamps and their locations -- The Dalles (presumably the origin of this cover) lies west of Walla Walla, and Burnt River is about the same distance southeast of Walla Walla along the Oregon/Idaho border -- our interpretation is that the cover travelled east from The Dalles (Aug. 20), then south from Walla Walla (Sep. 7) to Straw Ranch, which means the frank was used for express service to Burnt River (where gold was discovered in the 1850's).
Realized: $950