Selected Correspondence of The Riddle Coach and Hearse Company
March 4, 1908
C. P. Smith & Bro,
Hagerstown, Md.
Gentlemen:-
Your favor of the 1st has been received and contents noted. We understood from your former letter that you wanted second hand coaches and with that in view we have quotes you on two or three that we had in stock. We would not take it from your letter that you were looking for new coaches.
We, of course, do not take anything in trade on second hand work, that is something we never do, for if we did it would simply keep us us repainting and refurnishing all the time. We do sometimes take saleable good style, sound second hand coach in trade on a new one but we do not tale anything except a coach that is thoroughly sound.
We can take in trade on new work more second hand ones than we could possibly use and it does not pay us to take anything in trade on second hand work.
You mention that you would like some coaches trimmed with tufted satin. On all our new coaches we use tufted satin head lining, but do not use the satin either for the cushions or for the part above the cushions to the roof, simply because if satin is used where it gets very much wear, it will not give satisfactory service but will soon look shabby and wear through.
We use in our new work for the seats, cushions, and backs either imported French goat skin leather or imported coach cloth. We are trimming in both ways and as some prefer one method of trimming and some the other, although we recommend the French goat skin as being the most satisfactory and the most serviceable.
Our Mr. Paltzgroff, one of the members of our firm is now in Pennsylvania and is getting towards your vicinity. He will be pleased to call and see you as you request and show our other designs and name you some very close figures. We will be glad to have you await Mr. Paltzgroff's arrival and favor him with your order which will have our prompt and careful attention.
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach & Hearse Co.
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Berton A. Spring April 13, 1908
Grand Rapids, Mich
Dear Sirs-
Your letter of the 9th has just been received.
We are glad to hear that the shipment of the three vehicles reached you so promptly and all in good shape.
We note what you write in reference to scraping the top of the silver gray car while unloading. The little places where you have scraped it we think you can have fixed all right so that they will not show and also so that it will give you no trouble.
If it is cut clear through the canvas to the wood it would be best to have the edges fastened, carefully fastened down to the wood with heavy white lead. Then after this is done you can have your painter sand paper off any rough spots and then touch up the places with white lead and oil, giving it plenty of time to dry hard. Then, if necessary, give it another touching up
with white lead and oil. It can then be smoothed over with a little bit of hard drying putting, which your painter will understand,
Then the little spots carefully sand papered. It is then ready to be touched up with the gray color. We will send you some grey color all mixed ready to use, except it should be thinned with turpentine. This should be applied with a fine brush, camel hair is the best. Two or three coats may be necessary in order to cover nicely. And then after it is thoroughly hard it can be rubbed with fine ground pumice stone the same as rubbing varnish is rubbed and then polished with a piece of white woolen cloth.
We will send you a little bottle of the grey paint at once and you can have the places touched up without very much delay and we think so they will not cause you annoyance.
We also note what you write in reference to the axles on the pallbearers coach. In reply to that point will state, that when you finally concluded to have the pall-bearers coach shipped with the other vehicles we had the coach all ready and it never occurred to us but what the axles were all right. We are aware that on the other vehicles you wanted the spring washer axles and we arranged accordingly.
We never use a spring washer axle unless it is specifically specified, because we consider from our experience that the improved Collinge axle is the best axle in the world and we know will give you better service than any spring washer axle that was over produced. And from the experience of a coach builder we say to you, that we consider that we have furnished you a better axle on the pallbearers coach than the spring washer.
An axle that will give you in years to come better satisfaction than any spring waster axle. One objection to the spring washer axle is their liability to sticking unless very carefully cared for.
That is the reason we we had to take the wheels off the vehicles in shipping.
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April 14th,1908,
J. F. Floyd,
Spartanburg, S.C.
Dear Sir;-
Your favor of the 11th has been received. We regret to say that we cannot send you photograph of #948 funeral car, as we are not building, that design now and have no photograph of it. We have not built the design for a number of years and all the photographs that we had were burned in the fire that we had several years ago.
It would be impossible for us to furnish, you a #948 car unless we would build one from the beginning and that would necessitate about seven month's time to make a new draft and also patterns, for our draft and patterns of that design were burned in the same fire which we mention above. While it was a very nice design in its date and was quite a handsome style, yet it is not up-to-date at the present time and the designs sent you were more modern than that particular style. It however was a very nice design in a car, was an eight column mosque top style and had hammercloth seat. The designs of which we sent you photographs recently are styles that we are sure that would please you better than #948 as they are more modern.
Trusting you will be able to select a car from some of the designs sent you, we are,
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach & Hearse Co.
---------------------------------- The following letter is undated, but from it's position in the book it appears to have been written in April of 1908 -----------
Stephenson A Barnhart
Avon, NY
Gentlemen:-
Your favor of the 13th has been received.
We are pleased to hear from you and would like very much indeed to furnish you a funeral car and undertakers wagon. We are large builders of this class of work, being the oldest established concern in the United States manufacturing strictly funeral vehicles. We feel sure that we can interest you in our designs and make it to your interest to place your esteemed order with us.
The particular funeral car which you mention which you saw advertised is a very elaborate design and one of our higher priced ones. It is a $2250.00 funeral car, but we would feel disposed if you would want to buy as fine a car as that to make you a special price, we would like very much indeed to do some business with you and send one of our more elaborate styles to Corning.
We do not issue a regular catalogue, for past experience has shown us that it would be imperfect almost from the start. It takes quite a little while to get out a catalogue, get the cuts properly made, arranged and adjusted and we have found by past experience that it would hardly be out of the printers hands before it would be imperfect, because there would be designs illustrated in it that we had abandoned and in a like manner new styles that were coming through the factory would be omitted and thus the catalogue was imperfect and confusing almost from the start. We use therefore large photographs, which show in much better detail and in a much more satisfactory manner the designs, than can be a shown by any pointed catalogue.
We are however, sending you by this same mail one of our booklets , which in a small way gives a general idea of the line of work which we build.
In selecting work of this kind a personal interview is always more satisfactory, and we therefore endeavor to have our salesmen call on prospective buyers.
It just happens that our Mr. Paltzgroff, who is one of the members of our firm, will be in your immediate vicinity very soon, in fact almost within a few days and we will have him call to see you, show you large photographs of our designs and quote you some very close prices.
Mr. Paltzgroff being one of the firm will be in a position to make you special low prices.
Trusting you will await his arrival and favor him with your order which will have our prompt and careful attention, we are,
Yours truly.
Riddle Coach & Hearse Co.
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April 17, 1908
J. W. Atcherson
Anderson, Ind.
Dear Sir:-
Yours of the 13th from Alexandria, Ohio, has been received, and we note figures etc, made to Mr. H. A. Parsons.
Also note your call at Urbana and Bellfontaine, also figures made to David Harmon, Napoleon,Ohio.
This morning we received two orders for #856, which puts us low for the present on that design, also makes us low on #862.
We have some coming through the factory and they will be added to the stock in a short time, but for immediate shipments do not take an order for #856 or #862.
We hope that you will get Lampkins & Tucker to pay.
They have not paid anything at all; we have written them, and written them, and written them. It seams to do no go whatsoever. The only thing to do is to make them pay up or we shall take the carriage away from them, as we cannot run after such small payments. We fear they are bad eggs.
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach & Hearse Co.
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Apr.1908.
White Mfg. Co.
Bridgeport, Conn.
Gentlemen:- .
We are needing very much indeed the 1 1/4 in. metal whiffletree tips ordered of you March 19. Please send at least a pair of them at once.
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach & Hearse Co.
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April 17, 1908
James A Linn,
New Philadelphia, Ohio
Dear Sir:-
Your favor to hand and and contents notes. We are pleased to hear from you again and would like very much indeed to do some more business with you.
In reference to combined ambulance and undertakers wagon will state, that at present writing we have two different styles, both of which we could show you finished if you would take the train and come up here.
Trusting we may have a call from you promptly, we are,
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach & Hearse Co.
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April 17, 1908
Dexter Mfg. Co.
Troy, Ohio.
Gentlemen:-
As a good many hearses are not being finished silver grey we find we are having some calls for silver grey hearse horse nets.
Can you furnish them in your style #1?
We enclose herewith a piece of grey cloth; we would want the nets to pretty closely match this cloth in shade. Let us hear promptly.
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach & Hearse Co.
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April 17, 1908.
James A. Linn
New Philadelphia, Ohio
Dear Sir:-
Your favor to hand and contents noted.
We are pleased to hear from you again and would like very much indeed to do some more business with you.
In reference to combines ambulance and undertakers wagon will state, that at the present writing we have two different styles, both of which we could show you finished if you would take the train and come up here.
Trusting we may have a call from you promptly, we are,
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach & Hearse Co.
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April 17 1908
Dexter Mfg. Co.
Troy,Ohio
Gentlemen:-
As a god many hearses are now being finished silver grey we are having some calls for silver grey hoarse horse nets.
Can you furnish them in your style #l?
We enclose herewith a piece of grey cloth; we would want the nets to pretty closely match this cloth in shade. Let us hear promptly.
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach & Hearse Co.
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April 18th, 1908
Fairmont, W. Va.
Gentlemen:-
We have your favor of the 16th reference to Mr. Irwin's note $225.00 and interest due last February, stating that he requested you to hold the note a few days as he things he will be able to take it up within a few days. If he will take it up within a few days it will be satisfactory to us. Kindly hold the note for payment and oblige.
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach and Hearse Co.
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April 18th, 1908
C. H. Jones,
Hampton, Va.
Dear Sir:-
Your latter dated the 14th has just been received and contents noted. We have no desire to cause you any loss, nor to take any unfair advantage of you and surely would not think of doing it, but we must have, your long past due notes paid.
You had not paid anything for more than six months and then sent us $10.00. We simply cannot stand it to have the payments made in that manner.
No one can stand such payments, we therefore will have to ask you to make some arrangements to meet these notes. We do not want to cause you any loss in the matter; we do not want to take any unfair advantage of you and all that we ask is that the money that is due us is paid, which has been due us for a long time. We have our men to pay every Saturday night and our bills to meet and the money that was due us on this funeral car should have been in our hands so we could use it long ago but we have had to get along without it. And as you say the amount is down very small now to what it was in the beginning, but for all that it must be paid and we cannot let it run along as it has been running along month after month and than after six months to send a check for $10.00. This is very unsatisfactory and we trust you will be able to arrange the matter in some way or other in a couple of weeks to make a considerable payment on these past due notes, or take than all up. If you do so it will be satisfactory to us, but if you do not do so, we shall have to proceed as mentioned in our former letter.
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach and Hearse Co.
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Vogt Mfg. Co.
Rochester, N. Y.
Gentlemen:
Please send us
1 gro. #1966 gimp silver grey,
You will notice the number we have used is black gimp. We want simply the same design in silver grey to correspond in shade to the other silver grey trimmings you have been furnishing us.
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach and Hearse Co.
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April 27,1908
E. F. Heath & Son,
Newark.,N.J.
Gentlemen:-
Please find us samples and prices of extra smooth coat enamel duck 50" and 56". Some of the duck what we have been getting of you of this extra smooth coat is too heavy and stiff. We stretch it on the top, sometimes have curve on top, and it must be pliable so that it will stretch without wrinkling. This is the reason we want the sample so that it will not be so heavy and stiff that it cannot be drawn smooth on the tops.
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach & Hearse Co.
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May 7th,1908
A. T. Steffins & Co.,
Gentlemen:-
Please send us,
30 doz 1 1/2 in nickel swedge name tug loops.
We want the same as you have furnished us heretofore.
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach & Hearse Co.
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May 7 th,1908
Miss Nellie E Woodworth
Windham, O.
Dear Madam:-
Your letter of the 6th has been received in reference to 100 ft. of Poplar lumber.
Well we have all the lumber that we specially care for, yet inasmuch as this is only a small amount, if it is nice, where willing to take it.
We are now paying $35.00 per thousand for such lumber delivered to us here.
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach and Hearse Co.
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May 7th, 1908.
H.J. Lweis,
Indianapolis, Ind.
Dear Sir:-
Your letter of the 5th has been received.
We regret to say that we have no opening in our body making department, as we have all the men that we can possibly employ.
Regretting we cannot answer you more favorably, we are,
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach and Hearse Co.
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May 7tht 1908.
Joe B. Nelbach,
Utica, N.Y.
Dear Sir-
We enclose herewith duly canceled your two notes due Jan. 3rd,1907, and Feb, 3rd, 1907, for which you sent us remittance a few days since.
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach & Hearse Co.
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May 8th, l908.
Ludwick & Snyder,
Gentlemen:-
Your of the 7th has been received.
We have shipped you today via. Penn. freight, charges prepaid, a left hand lamp plain design. We enclose bill of lading for the shipment.
When it arrives you can put other lamp in the same box and see that it is carefully packed and send it back to us by freight. We can furnish you these lamps at $30.00 net cash per pair.
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach & Hearse Co.
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May 8th,1906.
F. M. Paltzgroff,
New York, N.Y.
Dear Sir:-
Your three letters of May 6th have been received. If Steurwald of Newark, N.Y. comes here we will try end take care of him. In reference to the Nelbach notes will state, that they are here, both the notes end the mortgage. We did not look for them at the time the remittance was received, as we supposed of course as you were going Utica you would have than with you.
Nothing further new and business very dull.
Yours truly
Riddle Coach & Hearse Co.
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UNDATED
Ira C. Hiwsem,
Geensburg, Pa.
Dear Sir:-
Your favor of the 6th has been received in reference to second hand coaches.
We have exactly what you inquire for, a nice line of good second hand coaches, and we are sure* that no can please you.
We have quite a variety in both design and condition.
We have them both with steel tire and rubber tire,
Our assortment includes landaus, Berlin Coaches, Broughams Coupes,
Six seat Rockaway Coaches etc.. We have them as low as $200.00, $250.00, $300.00,$400, $450.00, $500.00, $550,00 and $600.00 for coaches that cost new $900.00 to $1200.00.
These coaches are all in good naming order, some of them in extra fine condition, all of them in good paint, newly touched up, varnished etc. . We can surely suit you.
We do not got out photograph of those second hand coaches for every one wanting to buy them wants to select personally, so they come here to our factory and make a personal selection, for no one wants to buy a coach, and especially a second hand one without looking it over personally.
We have parties here almost every day to select work, some of then coming 5OO wad 1000 miles to select rather than to buy without seeing.
We are only a very short distance from you.
If you will take the early morning train from Pittsburgh you can be here at 9:36 in the morning or at 10: 25 in the morning on the Penn. R.R. You can take this train back as early in the afternoon as 2:35 and several trains later in the afternoon. This will give you several hours here and ample opportunity to look over various coaches and make selections and you need be away from home but the one day.
Our stock and assortment is large and complete, prices low and terms easy and we can surely please you if you will give us a call. Furthermore if you will come here and buy one or more coaches, so that the purchase price will be $400.00 or more we
would be willing to allow you your fare off whatever you buy, so that the expense of coming here would not cost you anything.
Hoping we may see you at once, we are,
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach and Hearse Co.
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May 8th, 1908
Welshiemer & King,
Columbia City, Ind.
Gentlemen:-
We have yours of the 6th in reference to insurance of the coach. In reference to sending the policy here will state, that a great many of our customers do send the policy here. That however is not necessary and you can use your own pleasure about it.
It is however necessary that the policy should be properly written and we feel it our duty to warn our customers in reference to that point, so that in case of a fire they may not have a loss that the insurance company will refuse to pay because of the form of the policy. The policy should be written in your name and simply a notation on it "loss, if any, payable to Riddle Coach & Hearse Co. , Ravenna, Ohio, as their interest may appear".
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach & Hearse Company
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May 15, 1908
W. T. Davis,
Cambridge,O.
Dear Sir:-
Your letter of the 14th has been received and contents noted. We certainly regret very much that the spokes in your coach should have any worms in them. There is one thing that shows to you, that the spokes are the best second growth Hickory, for these little pests were never known to be in any inferior material.
Every spoke that we use is carefully inspected to see if the slightest indication can be found and if there is any such indication the spoke is discarded.. We never for a moment would think of using a spoke that would turn out that way if we could possibly foresee it.
Every possible means has been used, not by us entirely but by everyone to see if these little pests could be prevented but no positive means have ever been found to absolutely prevent them and in once in a while they will come. They usually do no particular damage more than the looks of the thing and you can quite easily kill them.
If you will take a needle, dip it in gasoline and run it down into the place where the worm seems to be, try to get as much gasoline as possible down into the little hole, it will kill it.
You may have to watch for several days and do it several times and then the little places can be partied and touched up and did no harm is done.
Yours truly,
Riddle Coach and Hearse Co.
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