FARMERS' FRIEND TRACTOR COMPANY
MAKERS OF EARTHWORM TRACTORS
EARTHWORM CITY, ILL.
October 9, 1924
Mr. David Crockett Suggs
Dry River Junction, Tex.
Dear sir: This will acknowledge your valued letter of October 6,
stating that you desire a gear for your tractor, but are unable to
give us the parts number of same owing to the fact that you have no
parts book. We have carefully gone over your description of the
gear, but we regret that we have been unable positively to identify
what gear it is that you desire. We note that you state the gear has
44 teeth and we feel sure that some mistake has been made, as there
is no 44-tooth gear in the tractor.
We are therefore mailing you under separate cover a parts book for
the Model 45 Earthworm Tractor, Year 1915, and would suggest that you
look up the gear in this book, and let us know the part number so
that we can fill your order.
Unfortunately we are not able to supply you with a parts book printed
in English.
Nearly all of the old-style Model 45 tractors were sold to the French
Government in 1915 to be used in pulling artillery on the western
front. As only a few of these tractors were sold in America, the
edition of English parts books was very limited and has been
exhausted. We are, however, sending you one of the French parts
books.
We regret exceedingly that we are obliged to give you a parts book
printed in a foreign language; and we realize, of course, that
possibly you may be unable to understand it. However, you should be
able to find the desired gear in the pictures, which are very plain.
Kindly give us the part number which is given under the picture of
the gear, and we will make immediate shipment.
Very truly yours,
FREDERICK R. OVERTON,
Parts Department.
DRY RIVER JUNCTION, TEXAS
October 12, 1924
To the Farmers Friend Tractor Company
Earthworm City, Illinois
Dear Sir: Your letter has come your book has come you was right when
you said I might not understand it. I cant understand the Dago
printing and I been looking at the pictures all evening and I cant
understand the pictures they dont look like nothing I ever seen. So
I cant give you no part number, but I'm in a hurry so please send the
gear anyway. It is the one way at the back. You cant miss it. Its
not the one that lays down its the one that sets up on edge and has
44 teeth and meshes with the little one with 12 teeth. The little
one goes round and round and drives the big one. And the big one is
keyed on the main shaft and goes round and round and drives the
tractor. Or I should say used to go round and round, but now it has
six teeth busted out and wont go round--only makes a funny noise when
it gets to the place where the teeth are busted out.
I'm in a hurry and to show you that I need this gear quick, I will
explain that the tractor is laid up right in the middle of an
important job I'm doing for Mr. Rogers of this city. I'm a young
man, age 24 years, and new at the house moving business and I want to
make a good impression and also expect to get married soon.
When Mr. Rogers of this city decided to move his house from down by
the depot up to the north end of town, and give me the job, I thought
it was a fine chance to get started in business and make a good
impression. I got the house jacked up, and I put heavy timbers
underneath, and trucks with solid wheels that I bought from a
contractor at Llano. And I bought this second-hand tractor from Joe
Banks at Llano at the auction after he died, and all my money is tied
up in this equipment and on October 1, at 3 P.M. we had the house
moved half way to where they want it, when the tractor made a funny
noise and quit. And if I don't get a new gear pretty soon and move
the house the rest of the way I'll be a blowed up sucker.
I'm just starting in business and want to make a good impression and
I'm expecting to get married so please hurry with the gear. Excuse
paper as my regular business paper has not come yet and oblige,