Elleda Wilson: Pricey pants

Dec. 15—Last week's column mentioned Jeff Hummel and his friend, Matt McCauley, finding the intact 1875 wreck of the SS Pacific off Cape Flattery, Washington, and how they already have salvage rights. Judging from a recent Associated Press story, it could be far more rewarding than anticipated.

The SS Central America sank in 1857 off the coast of North Carolina. Holabird Western Americana Collections in Reno, Nevada, held an auction on Dec. 3 that included the contents of a wooden trunk from the wreck. One of the items was a pair of five-button fly "miner's work pants" said to have been made "by or for Levi Strauss." They sold for a stunning $114,000.

As it turns out, Levi Strauss claims it didn't even start making jeans until 1873, and the pants in question weren't even miner's pants. Another opinion is that these could easily be an early version of the jeans the company became so successful for selling. Clearly, the buyer didn't care either way.