[Letter of 1873 May 22]

[Letter of 1873 May 22]

1873-05-22

African Ameraican authors

African American businesspeople

Books

Door-to-door selling

Wiley, Edward A. [recipient]

image/jp2

Correspondence

This material is made available for private study, scholarship, and research use. For access to the original letter, or high-resolution reproduction, please contact the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection (blockson@temple.edu; 215-204-6632).

Temple University Libraries, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection

William Still Collection

Blockson manuscripts

William Still Collection

Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Libraries

blockson@temple.edu

BMS010X0063

May 22nd 1873/ Dear Edward:/ Your letter of the 20th inst. Came/ to hand yesterday and it was most gratifying/ to learn that you have been pushing the/ work so successfully in Pittsburg. Are there/ any more where you come from? Could/ I manage to get hold of 10 young men with/ your energy and goaheada tiveness as agents/ I would guarantee them each at the expir/ =ation of 3 years steady work, five thou =/ =sand dollars. I would just farm out the/ territories after This fashen[sic]. To 1 agent I/ would give Maryland. To another I would give/ Virginia &c &c. and would have them con/ tinue untill[sic] the whole state wase farmed/ thoroughly. In trusting to Will’s clerking I perceive/ as you say, I sent you the [bill?] for the “last box”/ “instead of the first.” You will in this instance/ find it correct, I think./ Any time before 1st of June money/ will be acceptable./ Of course I agree with you with/ regard to the circulars. For certian[sic] purposes/ however I think the North American’s will pay./ Editors in Pa. would be much influenced by it./ Have you furnished any copies to any of the papers/ yet at least 3 or 4 papers should have had books,/ (Editors copies) with the authors Respects. If you have/ not furnished them suppose you do so still –/ and do not fail to take in each book the illus/ trated circulars & also the North Americans'. It would/ help you. You tell me you “have over 200/ copies”. This is extraordinary. I hope but few will/ fail when the time comes to pay./ Now a word with regard to “how” I “think/ it would pay to set up an office”, with a view/ of having "Carrie to attend it”? I think it would/ pay admirably if you designed to go into the/ book business permanentlly[sic] or for a year/ or two. But simply for two or three mos. I hardly/ think it would be practicable. However if/ I had good agencies with offices, in a/ number of the leading cities it would be/ a capital thing and it would wake up/ matters. Isaac Chase hads not paid/ any thing[sic] more on his coal. From nothing nothing can be got./ Abram is in his house on Lombard below 12th. Adam shall/ have his book when he wants it./ All are well except Rob & Willie. They/ have symtoms[sic] of whooping Cough. At any rate they/ cough a goodeal[sic]./ They are not sick however. Yours &c W Still