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3. Provenance 5. Inventory 6. Subjects |
National Tracing Cloth Company
Saylesville, R.I. Business records, 1910-1918 Size: 10.5 ft. Catalog number: MSS 6 sg 23 Processed by: Harold E. Kemble, Jr., September 1977 ©Rhode Island Historical Society Manuscripts Division |
Historical note:
The National Tracing Company was in existence as early as June 1909. A subsidiary of Sayles Bleacheries, National Tracing Cloth by 1916 was wholly owned by Frank A. Sayles. The company manufactured tracing paper and cloth, blue print paper, and tag cloth. Most of the cloth used was purchased from the Glenlyon Dye Works, another Sayles company. On occasion, goods were also purchased from other makers in the U.S.A. and abroad. Entry into this market was a daring move as most Americans exhibited strong resistance to giving up their British and European made cloths. In addition, the humid climate of New England presented particular production problems. Nevertheless, National put their product on the market in 1910. They must have done well because the company was soon faced with domestic competition. The first new entrant into the field was Ernest A. Palmer who had apparently tried, unsuccessfully, to market a product from his Regina Plant in East Greenwich, R.I., after which he turned to importing and distributing Anglo-American Tracing Cloth. The next new competitor was the Defiance Company, supposedly backed by money from the Stetson fortune, and operating in the former Regina plant in East Greenwich. In an effort to weaken foreign competition Frank A. Sayles strongly supported efforts to stiffen protection afforded by the terms of the Payne-Aldrich Tariff. He corresponded with financier Charles A. Conant who was in Washington, D.C., lobbying R.I. Senator Henry F. Lippitt and others.
Much of the business of National Tracing Cloth came about as a result of the efforts of a number of traveling salesmen who covered the U.S. making direct sales and establishing wholesale outlets. These salesmen kept in constant contact with the company through telegraph and the mail, and their letters provide interesting insight into political and economic conditions. This is particularly true during the years of World War I when the industry kept a close eye on whether companies who sold European, especially German-made, cloth goods would be able to maintain their flow of goods. Through it all the National Tracing Cloth Company prospered until the line was discontinued in June 1930 and manufacture of all N.T.C. products were transferred to the Special Fabrics Company.
Scope and content:
The records of the National Tracing Cloth Company include sales records, 1916, 1917; purchase records, 1913-1916; cost records, 1913-1917. The bulk of the collection is made up of the correspondence, 1910-1918, which is mostly incoming letters from salesmen and sales outlets, with some outgoing letters from the company.
Because of the considerable bulk of the correspondence and the repetitious nature of much of it, the material was weeded heavily. Nearly all of the salesmen's letters were retained as were representative files of letters from sales outlets and direct sales customers.
Provenance:
Gift of Sayles Finishing Plants, 25 December 1971.
Inventory:
Item 1. Statement of Business Oct 1916 - Feb 1917
Item 2. Sales 1916, 1917
Item 3. Trial Balance Jan 1916 - Oct 1918
Item 4. Accounts Receivable Apr 1917
Item 5. Tracing Cloth Sheets Printed 1913 - 1916
Item 6. Inventories 1913 - 1916
Correspondence: Jul 1910 - Dec 1918
Item 7, Folder 1. Adams Express Company, Pawtucket Office Mar 1912 - Dec 1917
Item 7, Folder 2. Aird, John A. Nov 1913 - Mar 1915
Item 7, Folder 3. Allen E. Clifford, manager National Tracing 1914 - 1918
Cloth
Item 7, Folder 4. American Blue Print Paper Co. Aug 1912 - Dec 1918
Item 7, Folder 5. American Bridge Company 1911 - 1917
Item 7, Folder 6. American-Hawaiian Steamship Co. 1914 - 1915
Item 7, Folder 7. American Locomotive Company 1912-1916
Item 7, Folder 8. American Paper Goods Company 1910 - 1917
Item 7, Folder 9. Architectural Record Company 1916 - 1918
Item 7, Folder 10. Associated Architects Printing and Supply Co. 1916 - 1917
Item 7, Folder 11. Bethlehem Steel Co. 1912 - 1917
Item 7, Folder 12. Bradstreet Company 1916 - 1917
tem 7, Folder 13. Paul L. Brand Co. 1913 - 1914
Item 7, Folder 14. China & Japan Trading Co. (efforts to secure 1912
Asian markets for "National")
Item 7, Folder 15. Collins, Ray & Co. 1915 - 1917
Item 7, Folder 16. Conant, Charles A. 1913
Item 7, Folder 17. Davison, Everett W. (N.T.C. traveling Jul-Oct 1916
salesman)
Item 7, Folder 18. Dennison Manufacturing Co. 1913 - 1917
Item 8, Folder 1. Denny Tag Co. 1914 - 1918
Item 8, Folder 2. Deitzgen, Eugene & Co. 1916 - 1917
Item 8, Folder 3. R.G. Dun & Co. 1913 - 1917
Item 8, Folder 4. Duncoff, William May-Aug 1915
Item 8, Folder 5. B.K. Elliott Co. 1910 - 1917
Item 8, Folder 6. Engineering News 1915 - 1916
Item 8, Folder 7. Engineering Record 1915 - 1917
Item 8, Folder 8. Federal Valuation of Railroads (President's Jun 1914
Conference Committee, Eastern Group)
Item 8, Folder 9. Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico Jul-Aug 1912
Item 8, Folder 10. Fessenden, Myron F. (N.T.C. traveling May 1912 - Mar 1913
salesman)
Item 8, Folder 11. General Electric Company 1911 - 1917
Item 8, Folder 12. General Ordnance Co. Jun 1915
Item 8, Folder 13. Glenlyon Dye Works (testing of cloth, Apr 1912 - Aug 1917
complaints, orders, engraving)
Item 8, Folder 14. Hirschberg Art Co. 1915 - 1917
Item 8, Folder 15. Ho-la Company 1912 - 1915
Item 8, Folder 16. Holiday, Robert M. (purchase of cotton goods Apr 1913 - Oct 1914
for import for manufacture of tracing cloth)
Item 9, Folder 1. Howland, D.W. (N.T.C. traveling salesmen Sep 1912 - Oct 1916
see re: Ernest A. Palmer)
Item 9, Folder 2. Illinois Steel Co. Dec 1916 - Aug 1917
Item 9, Folder 3. Industrial Management 1915 - 1916
Item 9, Folder 4. International Tag Co. Jun 1915 - Dec 1918
Item 9, Folder 5. Iszard-Warren Co. 1911 - 1913
Item 9, Folder 6. Keystone Blue Paper Co. (the proprietor, Nov 1910 - Oct 1916
Frank A. Brunner, is often quoted by
D.W. Howland regarding Anglo-
American, Palmer, Imperial, etc.)
Item 9, Folder 7. Kopp, George L. 1913 - 1915
Item 10, Folder 1. Leiber (H.) Co. 1912 - 1914
Item 10, Folder 2. Letiz (A.) Co. Nov 1911 - Sep 1915
Item 10, Folder 3. Luckenbach Steamship Co. (transportation Jan 1914 - Sep 1915
of goods to west coast distributors
via the Canal)
Item 10, Folder 4. Manley, J.W. Jan 1915 - May 1917
Item 10, Folder 5. Marlin-Rockwell Corp. Oct 1917 - Dec 1918
Item 10, Folder 6. Mendes, L.W. (N.T.C. traveling salesman) Feb 1913 - Nov 1913
Item 11. Mendes, L.W. Dec 1913 - Nov 1915
Item 12. Mendes, L.W. Dec 1915 - Jul 1917
Item 13. Mendes, L.W. Aug 1917 - Feb 1918
Item 14, Folder 1. Mendes, L.W. Mar-Dec 1918
Item 14, Folder 2. Miller, A.P. (N.T.C. traveling salesman) Oct 1916 - Aug 1917
Item 14, Folder 3. Morris (Bert M.) Co. 1916 - 1918
Item 14, Folder 4. Moshassuck Valley Rail Road Oct 1912 - Dec 1918
Item 14, Folder 5. Nashville Bridge Co. Apr-Dec 1914
Item 14, Folder 6. National Tracing Cloth Company Nov 1911 - Dec 1918
(purchase orders; bills; supplies;
materials; analysis of sales for 1912;
list of customers, 1915; list of approx.
225 "Automobile Builders" c. 1911;
complaints)
Item 15, Folder 1. Pacific Paper Co. 1913 - 1915
Item 15, Folder 2. Pease, (C.F.) & Co. Dec 1911 - Dec 1918
Item 15, Folder 3. Ponemah Mills, Taftville, Conn. 1911 - 1916
Item 15, Folder 4. Pratt, M.B. (N.T.C. traveling salesman) 1918
Item 15, Folder 5. Pratt & Whitney Feb 1912 - Dec 1918
Item 15, Folder 6. Prendergast, (J.M.) & Co. Jan 1917 - Dec 1918
Item 15, Folder 7. Purvear, C. Emmons Jr. (N.T.C. traveling Mar 1912 - Feb 1913
salesman)
Item 16, Folder 1. Purvear, C. Emmons Jr. Apr 1913 - Jan 1914
Item 16, Folder 2. Queen City Blueprint Co. 1913 - Jul 1915
Item 16, Folder 3. Remington Arms Jun 1913 - Dec 1918
Item 16, Folder 4. Remington Printing Co., Providence, R.I. 1912 - 1917
Item 17, Folder 1. Rexim Company 1916 - 1918
Item 17, Folder 2. Richmond Paper Co. May 1913 - Nov 1916
Item 17, Folder 3. Robin Hood Ammunition Co. 1915
Item 17, Folder 4. Rohan & Rohan 1915 - 1917
Item 17, Folder 5. Russo-American National Association of Jun 1915 - Jun 1917
Commerce (efforts to enter Russian market)
Item 17, Folder 6. Saco-Lowell Shops May 1912 - Dec 1918
Item 17, Folder 7. Sayles Bleacheries (instructions re: Apr 1911 - Dec 1917
manufacture and shipping)
Item 17, Folder 8. Sayles Bleacheries - R.D. Shaw (instructions) 1914
Item 17, Folder 9. Scharf Tag, Label and Box Co. 1914 - 1917
Item 17, Folder 10. Seaboard Air Line Railway 1912 - 1914
Item 17, Folder 11. Singer (Palmer &) Manufacturing Co. 1913 - 1914
Item 17, Folder 12. Slater Manufacturing Company, Pawtucket, R.I. 1911 - 1914
Item 17, Folder 13. Soltman (E.G.) Inc. 1915 - 1917
Item 17, Folder 14. South Dakota State Engineer 1915 - 1917
Item 17, Folder 15. Spaulding & Moss 1913 - 1918
Item 17, Folder 16. Stevenson & Foster Co. Jul 1913 - Dec 1914
Item 17, Folder 17. Stone & Downer 1916 - 1917
Item 17, Folder 18. Stott, (Charles G.) & Co. (sales of "National," Jul 1913 - Dec 1914
mostly to U.S. government)
Item 18, Folder 1. Strott, (Charles G.) & Co. Jan 1915 - Dec 1917
Item 18, Folder 2. Sullivan-McKeegan Co. Dec 1916 - Dec 1918
Item 18, Folder 3. Takata & Co., Tokyo 1915
Item 18, Folder 4. Union Pacific Railroad Co. 1912 - 1917
Item 18, Folder 5. United States Envelope Co. 1911 - 1917
Item 18, Folder 6. United States - Agriculture Department Feb 1912 - Nov 1914
Item 18, Folder 7. United States - Commerce Department Jun 1912 - Nov 1914
Item 18, Folder 8. United States - District of Columbia Jun-Jul 1914
Item 18, Folder 9. United States - General Supply Committee Oct 1913 - Aug 1914
Item 18, Folder 10. United States - Interior Department Apr 1913 - Sep 1914
Item 18, Folder 11. United States - Interstate Commerce Commission Feb-Jun 1914
Item 18, Folder 12. United States - miscellaneous departments 1913, 1914
Item 18, Folder 13. United States - Navy Department Feb 1911 - Dec 1914
Item 18, Folder 14. United States - Post Office 1912 - 1914
Item 18, Folder 15. United States - Standards Bureau 1914
Item 18, Folder 16. United States - Treasury 1913 - 1914
Item 18, Folder 17. United States - War Department 1912 - 1914
Item 18, Folder 18. U.S. Manufacturers Export Corp. 1915 - 1917
Item 18, Folder 19. Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. 1913 - 1917
Item 18, Folder 20. Wilson, (J.C.) Ltd. 1915 - 1917
Item 18, Folder 21. Willy's-Overland Apr 1913 - Apr 1917
Item 18, Folder 22. Wood, Kenneth F. Sep 1911 - Nov 1913
Item 18, Folder 23. Woodbury & Co. 1915 - 1917
Item 18, Folder 24. Zellerbach Paper Co. Jul 1912 - Nov 1917
Subjects:
Anglo-American Tracing Cloth Company.
Business records - Rhode Island - Saylesville.
Commercial Travelers.
Conant, Charles A.
Defiance Company.
Glenlyon Dye Works.
Lippitt, Henry Frederick, 1856-1933.
Palmer, Ernest A.
Sayles Finishing Plants.
Special Fabrics Company.
Tariff on textile fabrics.
Tariff - United States.
World War, 1914-1918.
End of finding aid - return to top
RIHS1822