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COPY

Washington D.C.

April 6, 1916

Mr. D.E. Felt, Pres.,
Felt & Tarrant Mfg. Co.,
Chicago, Illinois.

Dear Mr. Felt:

        Referring to your letter of March 30, re the purchase for you, of the Odhner machine; this is to let you know that I have followed your instructions and have destroyed the photograph which you sent me.

HISTORY OF
ODHNER
MACHINE.

        This machine was bought by Prof. Ezekiel Brown Elliott, about 1865, as he was appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury, in may, 1865 to act as Government Actuary, prior to the creation of that office by Act of Congress. Later, when Congress created the office for this, he made Mrs. S. Wollard his assistant.

        Prof. Elliott used this machine until his death May 24, 1888, at which time it was bought by Mrs. S. Wollard from his estate. Mrs. Wollard continued to use the machine in her capacity of Asst. Actuary, under Mr. Jos. S. McCoy, from that time until her death Sept. 6th, 1915, at which time the machine was inherited by her daughter, Mrs. Lillian Bonner, from whom we have just purchased it.

        Mrs. Bonner feels a great attachment for this machine, because her Mother used it for so many years, and said that she would like to have a photograph of it to keep as a memento. I have told her that I would communicate her desire to you, and that you would, no doubt, instruct our photographer to make one and send it to her. Should you care to do this for her, I am sure it would be greatly appreciated, and would do no harm, as she is a clerk in the Treasury Department, and could say much that would be helpful to us.

Yours very truly,

 

Her address:
Mrs. Lillian Bonner,
1876 Mintwood Place,
Washington, D.C.

J.M. Furnas

 

 

 

 

        The machine was shipped by Wells Fargo & Co. Express, yesterday.