Transcribe page 96 of 737

This transcription is completed and pending approval.

Instructions

Transcription

94

(80) 

Jan. 16/97.

Mr. W. M. Wilson,
1421 & 1423 Fisher Building,
Chicago, Ill.

My dear Wilson:

Referring again to the note I left for you at the Waldorf Hotel on Saturday last in reference to the Chicago & Eastern Illinois matter, I have to-day made inquiries at home concerning the basis of comparative cost of the C. & E. I. standard truck and the 30,000 lb. truck, and after including $146.00 per car for the latter trucks there is a difference of $145.00 per car in favor of the C. & E. I. standard. Of course the Fox truck is actually worth a great deal more money than the C. & E. I. pattern, but I cannot refrain from repeating that I made in my note to you and also what I personally told Mr. Brady, that is, I fear your prices are higher, in fact, very much higher than present or future conditions warrant.

A specialty, particularly a good one, should and will always bring, when properly managed, much larger returns upon the capital invested that manufactured articles in which the many compete. There is however a limit beyond which it is often very dangerous to go, and I fear that if you decide to continue your present prices for [[?]] future, you will find in the end that many of your present customers will adopt other devices and you will not only lose your present trade, but the very fact of losing it will diminish very much your new business.

Furthermore, the depression in general business throughout the country has compelled Railway Companies in America to reduce expenses and economize in every possible way, and under such conditions we have found our customers disinclined to change standards, per [[?]] when the expense approximates such figures [[?]] [[?]] [[?]]

Notes on Transcribing this page (optional)

----------
Reopened for Editing 2023-09-18 21:21:46
----------
Reopened for Editing 2023-09-18 16:41:25
pls read instructions, too many [[?]]s to have been marked complete, 

The last few [[?]] are very faded and blurred. They may be impossible to transcribe. Left open just in case someone else can read them.

This section can be used to communicate any questions or concerns to Smithsonian staff, as well as other volunteers, about this transcription. Do not use to transcribe extraneous notes made by collector or other institutions.

Math question 1 + 7 =

Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.