| Richmond Decr. 12, 1864 |
| |
| Col. Sam Tate {President,
Shelby Iron Works} |
| Demopolis Ala |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| The writer regretted
exceedingly that he did not find you at Demopolis, as he desired to
confer with you on the subject of your letter to him thro Major Willis
recd at Mobile. On the subject of the Spike Machine, we have no more
that we require, although none of them are worked full time, still for
certain spikes all are required. |
| These machines have been
obtained at great cost, and we are sure think you will be disposed to
make a liberal arrangement with us for the use of them; and we propose
as a basis that the machine be sent on at our freight expense and put
in production, you supplying the room & power for driving, charge
the spike rods to the machine at Government price & all wages
& other expenses of making the spikes at cost, the price of the
spikes to be ??? by us, and we to have one half the profits accruing
from the operating. This letter is intended also as a reply to Major
Weeks letter, with whom we believe, you are connected on the ???
business & we request that you will communicate with him on the
subject. |
| In order to start this machine
it will be necessary to have special arrangements therefor. It would
be best to have the machine on the second floor of a building, with
strong underpinnings -- the furnace being on also it therewith. To
make the arrangements the p?? of our prior cipal spike cutter would we
think be in dispensable. |
| Let me hear from you as early
as practicable. |
| ***** |
| Very respectfully |
| J. R. Anderson {President,
Tredegar Iron Works} |
|