E.B. Newcomb was a 19th century machinist and
draughtsman for the railroads. In this 4 pp, 5 x 8, ALS, Chillicothe, Ohio,
January 21, 1877, he describes his job to a friend and concludes with a beautiful
draft on the verso of a railroad machine shop, something we rarely see.
“…I am in the shops of the Marietta & Cincinnati R.R.
[railroad] in this city—with the understanding that I shall do all the
draughting that is a necessity for. In
the mean time I work as a common machinist and get a little of the practical
knowledge of the business.
“There are simply repair shops so there isn’t need of so many
drawings as in a shop where locomotives are build. The job is by no means the
one which I shall settle down but it helps me pay my expenses till something
better comes up. I think there is an opening now which I shall take the
advantage of.
“The Hocking Valley R.R. new road of about 200 miles-running
from Toledo to Athens both in the state has no draughtsman on the whole road
and the Master Mechanic—who is a nice man to work for and by the way is an old
R.R. friend of my Father & Uncle—wants me to go to Columbus and go into his
shops and I think I shall make the change. Don’t think I shall have much
drawing here whereas if I go to Columbus where the road has been running but
for a few weeks, I shall have plenty of drawing and designing for new casting
patterns etc. which will of course be required.
“Hope you are not out of a job—would be content to do most
anything till something better comes up…Please let me know what you are up to
as I have and oblige your old chum Newc.”
He then provides a superb draughtsman diagram of the railroad’s
machine shop, blacksmith shop, storehouse, boiler and brass foundry placement
and the yard in general. Very fine 19th
century railroad related letter with a spectacular diagram on the verso.
Folds and light toning.
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