Letter to Hermann Engels, December 18, 1868

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 18 December 1868


First published abridged in Deutsche Revue, Jg. 46, Bd. II, Stuttgart-Leipzig, 1921 and in full in: Marx and Engels, Works, First Russian Edition, Vol. XXV, Moscow, 1934
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 43


ENGELS TO HERMANN ENGELS

IN BARMEN

Manchester, 18 December 1868[1]

Dear Hermann,

F. Ris in Mittlöden set himself up as N. Durst Söhne (sons of the Cologner), and moved from there to Zurich. I believe he was formerly with Durst, and young Durst, who was here at the time, spoke quite well of him. According to bank information from Glarus, Ris is good for credit of 10,000 frs.

E. Burghardt is the nephew and son-in-law of the Burghardt of Burghardt, Krenels & Co. (former associé of Burghardt, Aders & Co.), whom you will know. He set himself up here and went bankrupt certainly once, if not twice, and virtually nothing came of it. Many years ago I sometimes met him at an inn in the evening; since he married I have scarcely seen him at all, and I know absolutely nothing of what he has been doing since then. But what do you want an agent in Munich for?

Tell Mother I still haven't received the draft contract from G. Ermen; he blames the lawyers. The point is that he would like to have me withdraw large sums of money from the business at this moment; then he would have me at his mercy, but we are not as green in the eye as that.

Be so kind as to send me my current account in the course of January, since I would like to pay off the sum owed as soon as I am clear with G. Ermen. You could also say whether I should remit to Funke or there.

If I had wished to drive things with G. Ermen to extremes, that is, risk a breach, and had then had to start something else, I think I could have squeezed out about £750 more. But I had absolutely no interest in being tied to jolly old commerce for about another 10 years—and it wouldn't have been worth starting a new business again for a shorter period.

Enclosed—a pile of photographs, of which you could send 2 to Engelskirchen and distribute the remainder there. One of each sort is intended for Mother.

Heartiest greetings to Mother, your wife and all my brothers and sisters, and have a good time over the holidays. With best greetings

Your

Friedrich

  1. ↑ In the original: '1866', a slip of the pen.