In Philadelphia, Israel Whelan, Purveyor of Public Supplies, agent buys supplies and equipment essential to the success of the Lewis and Clark Expedition: tin lanterns, sounding horns, and cups; brass kettles, scarlet and drab cloth; and the most expensive item of the expedition, a chronometer.
Tin Lantern
Taken in cooperation with the Fort Mandan Visitors Center. Photo © 2013 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Passmore’s Tinware
Israel Whelen Esqr. Phila. May 19th 1803 B. of Thomas Passmore 4 Tin horns 50 cts. 2.00 2 Lanthorns 1 2.00 2 Lamps 25 0.50 32 Canisters 25 8.00 1 squar box 1.00 3 doz. pint Tumblers 1 40 / 100 4.20 $17.70[1]“Supplies from Private Vendors,” in Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed., ed. Donald Jackson (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), … Continue reading
Brass Kettles
Bot. of Ben. Harberson & Sons 14 Brass Kettles 48 @ 4/ £9 12 0 48 Pieces Brass 12 @ 4/3 2 11 0 1 Black Tin Saucepan 11 3 Porterage 1 10 ½ 12 16 1 ½ Exd. B. M. Drs. 34. 10 / 100
Wister’s Scarlet Cloth
Bot. of Jno. & Chas. J. Wister 1 pc. Scarlet Cloth No. 1518 22 y. 9/6 10 9 0 Adv. 100 pct. 11 9 9 £21 18 9 5 doz & 6 fancy hdfs. 2 29/ 3 ½ 26/ £ 7 9 0 3 Gro. Br. Binding 13/6 2 0 6 3 Gro. Scarlet do. 17/6 1 12 6 2 Card Beads 15/ 1 10 0 £13 12 0 Dist. 5 pct. 13 7 £12 18 5 £34 17 2 4 dn. Butcher Knives 10/ 2 0 0 £36 17 2 Exde. B. M. $98.29
John and Charles Jones Wister were Philadelphia merchants on High Street.[3]Ibid., 85–6.
The Chronometer
5 Mo. 19th 1803.
Israel Whelen Purveyor of Public Supplies. Bot. of Thos. Parker
1 Gold Chronometer $250. Keys for do. .75 $250.75
Lapsley’s Drab Cloth
Bot. of David Lapsley 32 Yards S fine Milled drab cloth @ $7 $225.75
David Lapsley sold dry goods on Second Street in Philadelphia.[5]Ibid., 91.
