Incoming and Outgoing Business Correspondence of the Health Merry-Go-Round Company, of Quincy, Adams Co., Illinois, 1892-1912

Beschreibung

292 letters, 296 manuscript and typed pages, (no retained mailing envelopes), dated 8 November 1892 to 31 August 1912; plus 23 pieces of related paper ephemera mostly receipts (19) and advertisement proofs (3). Description of the Collection Correspondence: Outgoing Letters: 33 outgoing letters, 33 typed pp., on the letterhead of the Health Merry-Go-Round Co., dated 14 May 1907 to 31 August 1912; written by either the secretary of the company, Thomas Jasper (28 letters), or the vice-president of the company, Charles M. Ertel (4 letters), with one letter written (retained copy, not signed) by the president of the company, G.R. Cottrell. There are 10 short manuscript letters/notes written on 10 of these letters; which appears to be written by the recipient of the letter who then writes back to the Health Merry-Go-Round Company, on the original sheet. G.R. Cottrell was also the president of the Cottrell Hardware Co., and Thomas Jasper was the secretary of the George Ertel Co., Charles M. Ertel was the president of the George Ertel Co., a hay press and incubator manufacturer. Correspondence: Incoming Letters: 259 incoming letters, 263 manuscript and typed pp., dated 8 November 1892 to 22 July 1912; (no retained mailing envelopes); of this correspondence there are 9 letters dated 1892 to 1906, of which, all 9 were written on letterhead of engraving companies, the contents of letters deal with the engraving business, that is, firms seeking to do business with the George Ertel Company; there are 63 letters dated from 1907; 63 letters from 1908; 82 letters from 1909; and 42 letters from 1910 to 1912; the bulk of these letters are all addressed to the Health Merry-Go-Round Company, several are addressed to the George Ertel Company. The letters are written by individuals, as well as companies, and they inquire about the Health Merry-Go-Round, the cost, the freight costs, the types of machines, requesting catalogues, or placing orders. In some cases they notify the company that the machines arrived and were missing parts, etc. There are several letters from various publications in which the company advertised. The correspondents tend to be from all over America, as well as from some foreign countries. Some inquiries were written by individuals hoping to be the agent for the Health Merry-Go-Round in their states, putting one up on their lawns and gaining a commission from sales. Several letters are from the old New York City toy store, F.A.O. Schwarz. Ephemera: 14 receipts on the letterhead of the Health Merry-Go-Round Company, dated 1907-1911; 5 receipts made out to the Health Merry-Go-Round Company, dated 1907-1909; 1 mss pp., of an incomplete letter, (no date); 3 advertisement proofs for Health Merry-Go-Round Company, not dated. History of the George Ertel Company and the Health Merry-Go-Round Company George Ertel Company George Ertel was born in Bavaria on 10 April 1830. He was said to have been from a ¿well to do¿ family. He went to the common schools to get his education, but at the age of 13 left home to learn the cabinetmaking trade. He worked for several years in different cities of Germany learning his trade and making furniture. His younger brother was in America, in Pennsylvania, and on his advice, George decided to immigrate to America in 1854. He was accompanied by his widowed mother, an elder brother, and a younger sister. They arrived in New York City, and Ertel secured employment in a furniture making concern in Elmira, New York. After one year he moved to Williamsport, Pennsylvania where he engaged in cabinet making. By the year 1856, Ertel decided to move west. He moved to Quincy, Illinois at first, where he worked at a cabinetmaking firm, but then moved to Liberty, Illinois, where he opened his own small furniture store. It was in Liberty, that Ertel invented a hay baling press, an important item in a predominantly agricultural nation. In many important. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 030417

Bibliografische Details

Titel: Incoming and Outgoing Business ...

Einband: No Binding

Zustand: Very Good