Thomas Jefferson Papers

To Thomas Jefferson from Daniel Trump, 6 May 1801

From Daniel Trump

Philadelphia May the 6th 1801

Sir

Your Sashes are finished and I Expect will be at Richmond by the time this reaches you as Shiped them on board of the Sloop Sally Captn Wm Webb of Philadelphia Bound to Norfolk and Richmond She Sailed this Day week; I Sent a letter to Monticello Directed pr favour of Messrs Jefferson & Gibson Richmond, Expecting you had not Left Monticello but Saw in This Days paper of your arival at Washington, I thought proper to write again as they were not Done as soon as you Desired to have them, I Could not make them Myself as I was engaged at the new Bank of Pensylvania at making of the Mahogany Counters & Desks the Person that I imployed to make them met with an accident and hurt his hand that he was unable to work for Sometime, and after they were Done I had like not to got them glazed as glass of a good quality is not to be had of a Size that answered for them you Calculated for to cut the out Side panes of 12 by 18 but it takes 13 by 18 although the Lights measures but 12 In paralel but the Curvature of the iner Circle makes it 13 In the Center Lights will Cut out of 12 by 12. Mr Stock went to Every Glass Store in the City but Could find none but Hamburg Glass he had Some Glass Left of the Same quality that your other Sashes and Doors are Glazed with of 18 by 20 and we Ventured to Cut the outside Lights of them and the iner Lights of 12 by 18 to match the others we had no alternative but to do or Else not have them Glazed we had almost Determined to1 glaze them without writing

I Sent the Bill that Mr. Stock gave me in the other Letter—your Bill Comes high but it Could not be avoided as Mahogany Comes So Very high at Present. Bay wood Such as Could formerly be Bought for 8 d now Sells from 1/6 to 1/10½ ⅌ foot if Sir you Should have any other orders I always Shall be happy to Serve you upon as Reasonable terms as the times will admit of—

I Remain Sir your Most Obt Hle Servt

Daniel Trump

84 Lights of Circular Mahogany
astragle and hollow Sash @ $1 47100
Including workmanship and Materials $123 201002
Mr. Stocks Bill. Glazing 56 87100
$180 57100

RC (MHi); with calculation by TJ at foot of text indicating that “180.07” divided by “84” equals “2.14 per light” (see note 2 below); endorsed by TJ as received 9 May and so recorded in SJL.

I sent a letter: Trump wrote to TJ on 28 Apr. (see below). On 6 May the Philadelphia Aurora reported that TJ had arrived at Washington on Wednesday, 29 Apr.

Except as noted here, Trump’s letter of 28 Apr. includes the same information as the letter above. On 28 Apr., Trump noted that “Mr Donat,” that is, Joseph Donath, a Philadelphia importer of German glass, had been contacted but that he had none but Hamburg glass “of an inferior quality” (RC in MHi, endorsed by TJ as received 11 May and so recorded in SJL; MB description begins James A. Bear, Jr., and Lucia C. Stanton, eds., Jefferson’s Memorandum Books: Accounts, with Legal Records and Miscellany, 1767–1826, Princeton, 1997, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Second Series description ends , 2:884). I sent the bill: John Stock’s bill, enclosed in the 28 Apr. letter, has not been found. Stock was a painter and glazier at South Seventh Street in Philadelphia (Stafford, Philadelphia Directory, for 1801, 68). In the earlier letter Trump noted that the Saint-Domingue mahogany was very scarce and the cabinet makers used “but Very little of it.” Trump listed the charges, as above, but in pounds and shillings with the total being £66.8.0, including £1.10.0 for a packing box, for a total of $180.40. On 26 May, TJ had John Barnes pay Trump $184 for the sashes (MB description begins James A. Bear, Jr., and Lucia C. Stanton, eds., Jefferson’s Memorandum Books: Accounts, with Legal Records and Miscellany, 1767–1826, Princeton, 1997, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Second Series description ends , 2:1042).

1MS: “to to.”

2Digits in numerator reworked with “20” written above, perhaps in TJ’s hand. The numerator of the fraction in the total was not emended to reflect the change, but TJ used the revised “180.07” in his calculations, described in the source note above.

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