Letter, William Gleason to Kate Gleason
A handwritten letter from William Gleason to his daughter, Kate Gleason. William tells Kate about his trip to Carthage, NY, to survey the damage from a fire that happened there on October 20, 1884. He reports on the condition of tools that their family’s shop had sold to a business in the town and assesses whether or not they can be repaired. He anticipates the time when Kate, who is attending college at Cornell University, will return to work with him and describes to her his recent sales and the current state of the company and its employees.
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Office of
William Gleason,
Manufacturer of
Machinists’ Tools.
Brown’s Race,
Rochester, N.Y., Nov 11th 1884
Dear Daughter
Your letter of the 19th has
been received by me and read with a good
deal of satisfaction. I did not have anything
of importance to relate. and there was so
mutch political excitement that kept me
occupied evenings. I neglected to write to
you. You have undoubtedley heard of the
fire in the town of Carthage. I went there
after the fire. the only tools that were worth
repairing in Ryther & Pringles shop is the
Planer and lathe that I sold to them those
has been shipped to me to be put in order
they have ordered a 30” 25” Lathe. Hill
Clarke & Co has ordered an 8’ 36×36” Planer
it is for a Party in Michigan. I sold the
Old Lathe that I took in exchange from
[Molty] Brothers for $200. it remains in
Rochester. that is all in a business line
since I wrote to you last. I am figureing
with others and expect more orders soon
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I am glad to hear that you like your studys
and am anxiously waiting for the time
when you will be assisting me. Mr
Burghard and myself don’t find any
trouble in running the shop. there is
35 men to work and at present have
all they can do. I get about work
enough for one Gear Planer and one
of the Rotary machines are on jobbing
most of the time. I think I am holding my
own. if I do I am satisfied. as the worst
is over. the men have got used to the
smaller wages. and those of the poor fellows
that are out of work are so anxious
to get to work that those in work
realize the fact that the times are dull.
and insted of being sulkey they are
even polite in their bearing towards
the foreman. Jim is working hard and
while I have had a share of the hardships
of life haveing to deal with bad and
wilful children is not any part off them
but on the other hand can be classed
with the comforts of life and makes it
worth liveing. Yours truly Wm. Gleason
Write soon