1886-87 - USA, Canada, Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Egypt

 

September 16th, 1886

The Windsor, New York

My last letter made you acquainted with my arrival here and I was much cheered to receive the cable from Arundel "Glad-all-well". After a wash and some breakfast on Monday I started off with my bag of samples down among the Importers and have been working away all the week.

Shall have a very decent sheet to send to London from New York - I have booked 3 orders, making a total of 88 cases of biscuits - that is the large export cases containing 50, 75 or a 100 tins or 200 tins, am expecting to get some more tomorrow before the mail closes. I opened with the very large firm here this morning - the principal, a nice old gentleman, seemed like a father to me and gave me a splendid order for the new enamelled tins. I felt very strange for a day or two, but am beginning to feel at home with the work now - I had to cable rather a long message to P.F. on Tuesday evening and found their reply waiting for me soon after breakfast on Wednesday morning - it is indeed marvellous to think of. Have been to some meetings this week in New York and suburbs and very much enjoyed them - expect my work will detain me here over Lord's day now, I am expecting to get to Boston, but feel it is no use to run away too quickly from this place. Am feeling very well through mercy and sleep well and have a first class appetite for my food – the fruit here is really delicious just now. This is a splendid Hotel - their charge is 4 dollars. I called at Wall St. yesterday to make a draw of £10 on my credit letter - in one department they gave me a cheque for this amount to get cashed at another counter. On presenting it the cashier asked me how I would take it, at which I was a little surprised - I said notes - I saw him then take up a large roll of notes and counting I thought a good many - he then handed them to me saying "twenty one hundred" - I was puzzled altogether and thought he must have made a mistake - perhaps thinking the 10 was a 100 – I said to him, have you made a mistake, my cheque was for £10 - he then very quickly held out his hand and took the notes again from me, having given me over £500 or twenty one hundred dollars in mistake. Some Yankees standing by smiled and one said to me you might have gone off with them.

The weather is very hot, though the Americans call it cool - have been obliged to leave off my Jaeger drawers and hardly know how to live in one shirt - but it will be cooler in Canada I dare say - will close this tomorrow as the "Servia" mail is not made up until Friday evening.

Friday evening

Have now had a hard day's work though not to hook any more fish, but am very thankful for what I have got. Much love to you my beloved wife and all our dear children and believe me.

Being very affectionate Husband



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