A most unusual and interesting letter copy book which contains a record of the outgoing correspondence of Charles McIntier, a Boston broker, relating to his multiple business operations and investments. The letters mainly relate to two of McIntier's operations, one is a Maine lumbering operation (approximately 52 letters), the other is his ownership of the mechanical panorama the "Conflagration of Moscow," (31 letters), invented by Johann Nepomuk Malzel, or Maelzel, (1772-1838), the Bavarian inventer and virtuoso. McIntier seems to have purchased the concern from Maelzel and financed its exhibition throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West, and the South, in hopes of turning a profit. Hopes which were not often realized.

The copy-book contains thirty-one letters that were written by McIntier to Amasa Huntress, Dyer Divine, Samuel Eagerly, and others concerning their partnership in the Conflagration of Moscow.

Maelzel was born in Regensburg, Germany and moved to Vienna. While details of his life are obscure, he is an important figure in the history of entertainment, magic, conjuring, and the history of "slight of hand."  Maelzel was an inventor, engineer, and showman, best known for patenting a portable metronome, which is still known as Malzel's Metronome, and several musical automatons. He was a friend of Ludwig van Beethoven. Maelzel constructed several ear trumpets for the composer. Beethoven composed Wellington's Victory (op.91) for Maelzel's panharmonicon, an automaton able to play the musical instruments of a military band, powered by bellows and directed by revolving cylinders storing the notes. Maelzel was most famous in the 19^th century for his chess playing "automaton," sometimes known as "The Turk." Maelzel had acquired the chess machine of Wolfgang von Kempelen, which was constructed in 1769, from von Kempelen's son. He went on tour with it in 1825 and came to America. Edgar Allen Poe would write an article on the Turk in April 1836 issue of the Southern Literary Messenger. It would appear that Maelzel, who is said to have taken to drink in his later years, must have sold off the "Conflagration of Moscow," and it came into the hands of McIntier. The "Moscow" as McIntier calls it, was put on exhibit throughout America by McIntier, his partners and employees.

Amasa Huntress (1808-1883) was a one time farmer and auctioneer. Huntress was originally from Maine, but lived in Boston, where he presumably became acquainted with Charles McIntier. Together they became partners in Maelzel's "Conflagration of Moscow," with McIntier being the owner and Huntress responsible for taking the panorama on tour to Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville, New Orleans, and elsewhere.

The Letter Copy Book, contains a two-page contract for leasing the panorama to one "R. Rowley" who was to take the panorama on tour paying back to McIntier one third of the proceeds. It was not uncommon to charge people fifty cents to view the panorama. The exhibit usually was combined with other forms of entertainment as well. Rowley who was apparently untrustworthy, came into some trouble eventually running up debts, was arrested, and skipped bail. McIntier was forced to hire a lawyer to get the "Moscow" back as Rowley's debtors tried to confiscate the "Moscow" for Rowley's debts.

The panorama apparently traveled with a small company of actors who were part of its performance. McIntier mentions one of these actors, a man named Smidtt, whose amount of pay irked McIntier:

"I can hardly doubt she [the Moscow] will do under your present regulations of Economy in regard to Smidt I do not know what you have to pay him but I hope the Creature will make it reasonable or I will engage some of our Starving Exhibitors here to go and join you."

McIntier again writes to Huntress, in January of 1838, complaining about the amount paid out to Smidtt:

"You say that Smidt cuts into the Receipts very much so it appears to me for I perceive that he gets as much as we do into $47 it does not seem to me to be an arrangement on equal terms I think Smidt to be a clever fellow but if he is so high in his demands it may cause a divorce of Bank and State. I find Harrington is here and is now at liberty to make an engagement and I wish you would say to Smidt that I think Harrington would do very well I have seen him perform and have a high Opinion of his acting and believe he might be obtained for half what Smidt is receiving. I do think Smidt would make better terms than those he now has rather than to quit for good...."

McIntier's letters discuss many of the day to day problems    encountered in the operation and marketing of the "Moscow." These problems ranged from simple logistical problems to difficulties with Rowley and the apparent construction by Maelzel of a competing version of the "Moscow" which its inventor ran by himself.

In a letter dated September 12, 1837, McIntier informs Huntress that he has heard from "Maelsel" through a "Mr. Dogget,":

"I have had a call from Maelsel yesterday through Mr. Dogget in regard to the Case of Moscow he has made an offer of $300 in Gold to use it until Feb next and return it in improved condition I do not feel inclined to accept of it but do believe if I could get $500 and Moscow put in good repairs and have it returned to New Orleans in February it might be the best thing I could do with it."

McIntier writes in a letter of August 26, 1837 to Huntress:

"Dear Sir, yours of the 18th has been duly Rec'd  - and the first thing which strikes me is that we shall not be able to do any thing with Mr. Rowley for on no account should I agree to authorize additions at my expense....I have no Objection to their getting any additions which would be proper and not a disgrace to the concern in Regard to the delivery of Moscow....I now believe it would have been better fro me to have let Maelsel had it as he proposed but this Rowley was in my way with his offer and I now have lost the Old man."

This comment by McIntier would seem to indicate that he was dealing directly with Maelzel and the "Conflagration of Moscow." Maelzel died the following year in 1838. McIntier mentions suing Maelzel (April 25, 1838) if he dared to show his "Conflagration of Moscow" in Boston. It would appear that Maelzel sold off his original version, but then constructed a second "Moscow" later on:

"I suppose Maelzel is coming to Boston but do not believe he will dare to open Moscow here for as soon as he does I shall sue Gray and his company for damages to a large amount and they so understand it, and they would not dare suffer him to do it...."

Samuel Edgerly, of Dedham, Massachusetts, was later hired to repair the "Conflagration of Moscow," so that it could be taken to England. McIntier also wanted Edgerly to take the Moscow under his care for a year and try to make them some money with it. Edgerly had been a former owner of the "Moscow."

A portion of the letters deal with another of McIntier's investments. McIntier appears to have veen in partnership with John Welch and J. D. Brown of Oxford, Maine, in a  logging concern with others, operating in Stetson, Maine, and other nearby locations using the Sebasticook waterways for transporting the logs to Bangor. Brown was to cut and haul the timber and Homans was to purchase it and pay Brown as "fast as he earned it."  Welch and McIntier appear to have provided the funds. They appear to have had teams that went into the woods to fell the trees, haul them out of the woods, then bring it to the town, or to the river where were they were hoping to bring the logs south to Boston, if not sell them to Homans. The concern ran into trouble when the person in Maine who was helping to oversee it, quit on them, which necessitated one of the partners to go to Maine. Also, a captain of a ship sold the cargo and kept the money. As well, Welch felt they were investing too much money on the project without getting a proper return and Brown couldn't get along with Homans who he said was not paying him fast enough. The "Panic of 1837" appears to have also been a key factor in slowing down the logging concern as did a winter with too little snow. McIntier visits Maine, as do the others. The Letter Copy Book contains approximately 52 letters written by McIntier to Welch, Brown, Homans and others concerning the logging operations in Maine.

The context within which McIntier discusses his business affairs is the Panic of 1837, an economic panic in the United States built on a speculative fever. The bubble burst on May 10, 1837 in New York City, when every bank stopped payment in specie (gold and silver coinage). The Panic was followed by a five-year depression, with the failure of banks and record high unemployment levels.

The letters capture the desperation of the times in a letter dated January 23, 1838, to a regular business correspondent, Andrew Sigourney of Oxford, Massachusetts, the ramifications of the Panic of 1837 are detailed by McIntier:

"In regard to our affairs the only payment since I was with you that has been made is sixty dollars on the Sudbury Farm Mrs Bassett says she cannot pay and does not things look gloomy here at present I would assure you we have had a long series of Miscarriages since I saw Warren Wild I think you know him he has been forging paper to a large amount and has absconded causing a considerable sensation in regard to the Commonwealth and Middlesex Banks Failure you must have heard through the papers the Commonwealths Insurance Office has also failed and large losses fall on the public an investigation is now going on by the Legislature in the Concerns of the Banks which have failed a report of which you will see through the papers it looks very bad you probably are informed that the Fulton Bank is like to stop business it appears to day that their stock is not worth 25 per cent as represented by the Committee they will not do any more business but it is believed that there bills will be redeemed also the Hancock and Commercial Banks have given Security to redeem their bills but it is supposed their Stock is not worth much. I find it is not possible to collect money at any rate without instituting Suits which I do not like to do."

A contemporary portrait of Charles McIntier can be found in Henry Smith Chapman's History of Winchester Massachusetts, written about 1850.

"...he was a brisk, stirring man oftener engaged in speculation than in sound business, of pleasant manners and plausible speech, public spirited, but after a visionary, grandiloquent fashion that often brought him into differences with his harder-headed colleagues. At this time [1850] and for some years afterward he owned and occupied the old Black Horse Tavern building, the grounds of which he beautified with gardens and hedges at considerable expense. In later life he was unfortunate; his financial schemes went awry, and his shining dreams faded."