Letter, William Gleason to Kate Gleason

[page 1]
Office of
William Gleason,
Manufacturer of
Machinists’ Tools,
10 Brown’s Race

Rochester, N.Y., May 10th 1885

Dear Daughter
I have just returned from
the sale of tools caused by the failure
of the Miller Co of Canton O. I have come
out pretty nearly even on that deal
I don’t think that I will loose more than
one or two hundred dollars perhaps not so
mutch as I bought three machines and
had them shipped to Rochester. My loss
if any will depend some on the price that
I get for them. Now for the heavey part
I suppose I might as well tell you at
once that Prentiss is busted and I am
left to the tune of $3500.00 When I wrote
to you last time, I told you that
I had been to New York, and by takeing
Machinery & c. reduced it to $2500. I counted
a few days ahead, there was two notes
due on the 16th of April which he assured
me that he would pay, and as it was then
within a few days off the time and as he

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seemed so confident of paying them that I commenced
to figure the amt he owed me as being $2500.00
Sometimes it seems to paralyse me and
I feel as if it is only a dream but
the stern reality is ever present. You
have not any conception of the feeling
that it has produced in me it is one that
I feel as if I am ashamed to tell of it
and have not said mutch about it. I will
give you a few figures in two columns
the amt [have?] been taken out of my
working capitol, since last April. One
column is added to the business and is
not a loss the other is shrinkage and
is of course a loss

[column 1]

[note: this figure is incorrect; total should be $4450]

[column 2]

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the colum $3550 of course is in the shop
but the 4716 is a dead loss. the tools that
were in stock in St. Louis & Boston and
against which I had drawn by receiveing
Will Clarke & Co. notes, were on hand and
were finaly sold to them at 40 off the list
I had drawn against them at 20 off hence
the rebate. the tools in the shop were the
two Lathes that were sold to the Boston
[illegible] Co and left on my hands. they
were also sold at 40 off. As might be
supposed I am close pressed for money
and have to be concocting schemes
all the time and to the above the
fact that prices are so low that there
is very little profit. On Reading your
letter to Ellen I see that you feel it in
your bones, and that you have decided
to stay at home and help the comeing
year. I am glad you feel that way, and as
you say the college will not stop you can

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return in another year I think. I am going
to keep Jim home also I will then feel that
I have help and with the [Plant?] of Tools that
I have and three of us giveing our
undivided attention to the business, it
wont be long untill Every thing will be
bright again. Mr. Irwin has let me
have more money, and he is real
friendly you know how mean it used
to make us feel when he used to come
round when business was good. We used
to feel as if he wanted Every person to know
that he was backing us up well now
he dont seem to have that feeling at
all and he Realy is more decent in
sutch matters than I have Ever known
him. I have discharged the men all but
20. I make the Blacksmith work ½ the
day in the machine shop, as Labourers.
I keep Isac & Hugh McParlton one of them
helps the Blacksmith ½ day and McParlton
does the drilling so that the shop is being
run very Economicly. the men know of my
trouble and seem to feel it they are [very?] [quiet?]
and work hard. let me know how mutch money you
will require to finish the term.
Yours & c Wm. Gleason

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5.
I have just sold to the US Government
an 84” gear Planer for the Arsenel
at Rock Island Ill. the Col [Commanding?]
is a West Point graduate a Mechanical
Engineer. he was here all day Saturday
Will Clarke & Co has sold a 48” 16’
Planer. I am makeing a 36” Lathe for
Woodbury Booth & Pryor of this City and a
21” Lathe for the Shipman Engine Co.
Wm. G.
I was not the only person Prentiss stuck
he owed about $66000, all together