[I imagine it came about something like this – or maybe not!… As Cornelius walked around San Francisco, those hillside tents nagged at him. “Civilized people can’t live forever in tents,” he thought to himself. “They will want houses, and houses require land.” As the Honorary Belgian Consul, he naturally made connections with people of means. “I’ll ask Peter to come help run the import business and I’ll focus on real estate.”
“Cornelius” (“Corneille” in French) spoke to his partners who agreed to write a very gracious announcement about his retirement from the firm. (Any concerns about his ill health, though, were premature as he lived for another twenty years, before dying in Paris at the age of fifty-two.) His brother, Peter Romain De Boom, soon joined the California business. Every customer was sent this form with signatures below so they would know the correspondence was genuine…. Ed.]
San Francisco and Valparaiso, August 1st, 1850
M…………………………………
We have the honor to inform you that in consequence of an amicable arrangement, caused by the state of health of our partner, Mr. Corneille DeBoom, this gentlemen retires from our firm and that the partnership which we had entered into at Valparaiso, on the first day of November, 1848, is from this day dissolved.
In order to give a greater extension to our affairs, we have established a new House, in which Messrs. DeBoom and Vanlangenhove, of Antwerp, enter as partners.
The business hereafter will be conducted at San Francisco and Valparaiso, under the firm of
DeBOOM, VIGNEAU, GRISAR & Co.
The affairs of the late firm will be liquidated by the new one.
Being desirous of giving to Mr. Henry Huchette, who for several years has been in our employ, as proof of our satisfaction, we have, by power of attorney granted him the right of subscribing the name of the firm.
We take this opportunity of requesting you to take notice of our respective signatures and of recommending ourselves to your former kindness.
Very respectfully, your obedient servants,
DeBoomVigneau & Grisar ~
Mr. Ed. Vigneau will sign …………………………………………………
Mr. Em. Grisar will sign ………………………………………………….
Mr. Henry Hachette will sign ………………………………………………….
~
To see a PDF of the original, click on 20_Partnership_1850_a (English side) or 21_Partnership_1850_b (French side).