| Author(s) | Friedrich Engels |
|---|---|
| Written | 28 November 1867 |
ENGELS TO HERMANN ENGELS
IN BARMEN
Manchester, 28 November 1867
Dear Hermann,
Forgive me for leaving your two letters unanswered for so long. Many things were to blame for this, but above all the fact that yarns were certain not to go up for the time being and—with no demand from you at the moment—there was thus no danger in delay.
The SEWINGS we normally send out bleached and dyed in the finer nos., are doubled by us from the same COPS which we also send to you. (36/45 Taylor, finer No. Knowles.) But we can have these COPS doubled by a DOUBLER for you here, and the SEWINGS would at today's prices then cost
No.: 36 40 50 60 70 80
19d. 19 72d. 2/1 2/7 2/11 3/3
For DIAMOND 2d., however, we use a yarn that has been doubled on the DOUBLING FRAME but is more loosely spun; at today's prices that costs us
No.: 36 40 50 60 70 80
18d. 18 7*d. 20d. 2/1 2/3 2/5
I am enclosing a sample of the latter in No. 60, but you also had some of this last spring, bale No. 319, delivery note 9 April, so you can compare whether you need this cheaper product or whether you must have the more expensive yarns with real SEWING TWIST.
We are all expecting a drop in prices here in view of the exceptionally good American harvest. MIDDLING was selling at 672 FREE ON BOARD in New Orleans. However, the spinning business is very much in the doldrums just now, and so when things first pick up again yarn might well remain stable, even if there is a fall in cotton. The fine nos. will hold their own best, the ORDINARY fine DOUBLES being already cheaper than in 1860 (16d. as against 18d. for 6O/RFOLD). The prices I gave you overleaf are approximately the same as those at the end of 1859 and the beginning of 1860, the more expensive 60s being then at 2s. 5d., the 40s at 19d., and the cheaper 60s was anything a little more expensive then. I cannot make an exact comparison as we were not using the same threads in those days.
Otherwise everything is pretty much as usual here. From time to time, a bit of a tussle, now with Anton, now with Gottfried,[1] ensures that our old love never fades.
I am wishing myself many happy returns of my birthday today from all of you, and send you all my very best wishes. I shall be answering mother's[2] letter one day soon.[3]
Your
Friedrich