Letter, William Gleason to James Gleason
A letter from William Gleason to his son, James Gleason. William looks forward to the time when Jim can help him with the family business. He reports on recent business activity and employee relations and characterizes the past year as good. The water wheel that he installed is working fine.
[page 1]
William Gleason,
Manufacturer of Machinists Tools,
Office, Brown’s Race,
Rochester, N.Y., Nov 4th 1888
Dear Son
Your letter was received and I am
well pleased to know that you are comfortably
located and are fully embarked on the last
stage of your education. and I am loocking
forward to the near future when I will have
assistance in running the shop also to help on
the outside business. I have been so long in the
harness and always on the upgrade that I will
be more than willing to delegate a portion and
eventualy the whole off the load to you and Kate
and Andrew. business is good and if it only
keeps so I hope to lighten the debt the comeing
year at least $5000. Which would be about the same
proportionate gain as last year. I am still to
work on the Wheel foundry and have it very nearly
ready for occupancy about the only thing to be done
now is too remove the cupola and build the [B shop?].
Since the new deal in the foundry I have given
more off my time to the machine shop and with
out saying mutch Messers Palmer & Co has settled
down to business and dont give Mr Marriott any trouble
[page 2]
They have evidently read the hand writeing on the wall.
Everything is working like clockwork. On one occasion
when I was out of town Mr Marriott asserted his
authority over Turner in good shape he told Turner
to do or have done some particular work and
Turner refused. When Mr Marriott toock one off
the men working for Turner and had the work
done at once. Mr Turner appealed to me on my
return and I told him that the only thing that
astonished me was that he was not discharged
that if he cared about his job he had better appologise
or he might loose it yet, that I had got tired off
petting men simply because they could do the work
to advantage but that when they undertoock to
work against my interest, by interfereing with
the foreman, they were not any further use to
me. Since then all is quiet. the new water wheel
is working fine. it has not cost 25¢ since it
was put in. I speeded it up about 50 rev more
as soon as I found it would stand it and it gives
very steady power it dont vary [illegible] any.
From your father, Wm. Gleason
[side note]
I dont say anything about family affairs as Kate and Andrew
keep you posted on them.