Letter, William Gleason to Kate Gleason (1)

[page 1]
Hotel Jefferson
New York, Oct 11, 1898

Dear Kate  I arrived at
Bethelem at 2 P.M. and was there
untill six. I formed a very
bad state off affairs. they have
disabled the feed gears in
the big Lathe..and fell back
on the screm for a feed. they
busted the frame of the nut
they banded that put it [illegible]
and next sheared off the long
¾ bolts that holds it too the
apron. and that is the condition
at the present writeing. I argued
them out of the two carriage
idea but promised on
my return to see if I could
devise a new feed works
for them. One that will last

[page 2]
they like the big Planer
also the 38” Lathe neither of
them has given any [illegible]
mechanicaly speaking they
are brutes the more dull
and [stultified?] a tool is the
better it seems to suit one
that will push the stock
off and not shear it. most
of there heavy Lathes are
fitted with a plain solid
nut on the lead screm and
when they want to run the
carriage back they do it by
a quick return of the screm
I would not care to build tools
for them, and would not bother
trying to fix the lathe only
for there gear work. I seen
a 12” gun mounted complete
on its revolving carriage
they cut the internal gears
themselves. they are the
same size as the last ones
we cut I have every thing in
readiness too go on board in
the morning        my love too
all Wm. Gleason