W. J. CRANFORD - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 03/07/1898 - HFSID 23310

WILLIAM J. CRANFORD
The "practical inventor" pens a letter (with many misspellings) touting his inventions but pleading a shortage of funds.
Autograph Letter signed: "W. J. Crawford; also initialed"W. J. C.", 2 pages (front and verso), 8x10. Newberry, South Carolina, 1898 March 7. On letterhead of the American Plate-Lifter Company to Captain William W. West, Asheville, North Carolina. Accompanied by original mailing envelope. In full (original spelling): "I received yore letter to day after my arival here. And wer very much pleased with yore letter and kindness to me and do warnt you I will do all I can - but the low price of cotton and the war craze is very much against me - but I am shure I will be O.K. soon any way. And any deal you can make for you and I will be much appreciated by me and in order to make you more safe and me not luse my teritory, you will pleas take charge of the sale of my place in Asheville for me at once. Pleas go out and se my wife and the place. Anything we can do will be O.K. rite along know. Pleas pardon me for not comming to se you I had so much to do I could not get thare when you wer in. But I will ever remember you and do all I can to all repay you. Pleas let me here from you at yore convience and oblige yorse very truley to serve. [signature] PS Capten, I am shure I never did handel any article that every body seems to think more of than they do my tire tightner. And I am shure I will make a good thing out of it but I am in the wrong cuntory for money rite at present. Every one I talked to in Asheville is very much taken with the tightner invention. So you can depend on me to do my best and will keep you posted from time to time. Though obviously lacking in education, William J. Cranford was a gifted innovator of mechanical devices. He obtained patents for a plate-lifter and a gate hinge, and this letter touts a new creation, a tire tightener. Multiple mailing folds. Lightly toned. Corners lightly worn. Otherwise, fine condition.