1883 political letter written on U.S. Surveyor General office letterhead in Tucson, Arizona by John Gardiner to "Losch" regarding a political appointment favored by Simon Cameron and others from Pennsylvania and New York

[Tucson]: n/a, 1883. Letter. Good. Manuscript Letter. Approx. 10.5" x 8." Three "U.S. Surveyor General's Office Tucson Arizona" printed letterhead sheets with 3 pages of contents. Printed Surveyor Office information on the blank pages. Sheets have been folded twice. First sheet is split at the horizontal fold and mostly separated into two parts.

Gardiner writes a polite job rejection letter to his fraternal friend telling him "Your opponent in this case (Royal A. Johnson) is a mere boy" and that a political favor is being done for a political appointee for a director in the U. S. Surveyor's office. Johnson is backed by the "whole political (truncated) force of Pennsylvania of which Cameron is the recognized head." Gardiner also mentions that Secretary Teller and the President are both from New York and support this. Gardiner writes: "Of course you will not get to be Sur. Genl. of Arizona why the position is worth $10,000 a year such places are not for Pennsylvania."

Gardiner writes of Johnson, "I hold a place here which was urged upon me, and in taking it have broken off some business relations, and know cannot afford to give it up, further I must say that Mr. Johnson has always used me well and personally, I like him, and to that extant I would favor his appointment, because at the outset I was promised that no change should be made that would affect me". Gardiner also mentions other items of business on the last page.

Simon Cameron was a very influential politician from Pennsylvania. President Chester Arthur appointed Henry Teller as Secretary of the Interior Department in 1882 overseeing the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Royal Johnson served as director of Surveyor's office in Tucson, Arizona. (Inventory #: 32727)