March i, 1890.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
629 
Messrs. Wattson & Farr, your special agents, reoeived 
me most kindly, and I feel sure the Company has 
been exceptionally fortunate in having secured their 
aid and co-operation which are certain to prove in- 
valuable. 
SiDce my arrival in New York propositions to act 
as the Company's Agents have been received from 
firms and individuals doing business in San Francisco, 
Tacoma, Victoria, Vancouver, Winnipeg and St. Paul, 
but none from Chicago. These several propositions 
are now receiving consideration at the hands of Messrs. 
Wattson & Farr and myself and in due course the 
correspondence will be submitted to you. Encouragement 
of a non-committal charaoter and much advice was 
tendered to me bv every one I approached in the cities 
and towns hereinbefore enumerated, but with the 
exception of the Oppenheimer Bros, in Vancouver, 
no firm or individual was prepared or willing to give 
me an order, or handle Ceylon tea on conditions 
that would be acceptable to your Company^ 
All considered the time had come to introduce 
better and purer teas and that people's minds were 
exercised to an unusual degree ovtr the tea question 
and moreover that we were about to enter the field 
at an opportune time when everything pointed to an 
increasing demand for pure tea, but they were un- 
prepared to work the matter up at their own ex- 
pense and risk. 
At Mr. Murray's special request I visited him in 
Philadelphia with a view of arranging to secure his 
oo-operation and take over his business, bat the terms 
and conditions submitted by him were considered by 
Messrs. Wattson & Farr aud myself as involving 
too great a demand on the present and future finances 
of the Company to warrant the purchase of his busi- 
ness at present. 
Neither the tea nor Parnell's packer are yet to 
hand, and the non-receipt of the latter has prevented 
me from getting boxes made as the size of the boxes 
could not be determined, and until the exact shape 
and Bize are known I can neither order boxes nor 
get printing matter done. 
Much preliminary, detailed work has been done to 
get matters in time to start the business as soon as 
possible after getting possession of the store, but 
the date upon which we shall be prepared to open 
the store is uncertain, and I fear we may not get to 
work much liefore February. 
It appears to me matter for regret that elephants' 
feet, mounted and unmounted, were not sent with the 
curios. 
Our senrch for a store ended in the selection of 
one on Twenty-seoond Street, one door from Broad- 
way and the second from Fifth Avenue. It has a 
frontage of about twenty-five (25) feet on Twenty- 
second Street and its depth is about thirty-eight (38) 
feet, and below we have basement room large enough 
for present packing requirements. Enclosed is a sketch 
of its position showing its close proximity to the better 
portions of Broadway and Fifth Avenue. It would be dif- 
ficult, I think, to find a more suitable situation or better 
surroundings. It is in the immediate neighbourhood 
of all the very best retail stores and where the ultra 
fashionable and wealthy ladies do their shopping, 
driving, and walking. The rent, $4,360 per annum, 
will strike you as being extravagantly high, but Messrs. 
Wattson & F*rr and myself do not oonsider it a 
high rental for the class of store in such a neigh- 
bourhood. Indeed, a few doors below, on Broadway, 
we were offered a small store at a rental of $8,000 
per year. The lessor of our store would not give us 
the option of keeping it on after the 30th April 1891 
and peremptorily declined to allow any such clause 
inserted in the lease. 
We think it will be possible to advertise the Com- 
pany's business to greater advantage by having the 
store in this fashionable looality than if one, at a 
cheaper rent, had been taken elsewhere and the 
difference spent in some olhor form of advertising. 
We hope our action will meet your approval and we 
promise to curtail expenditure in advertising. When 
the plaoe is fitted up wo shall employ a young lady 
saleswoman aud a porter or packer whioh, with the 
two natives, will form our entire staff at first. 
The Company not having given a power of attorney to, 
nor being legally represented by anyone, the lease was 
made out in ray name and payment of rent, quarterly 
in advance, was and is guaranteed by Messrs. Wattson 
& Farr. This lease will and can be transferred to 
the Company if so directed by you. The propriety 
and necessity of appointing a legal representative of the 
Company might be considered by the Board of Direc- 
tors at their earliest convenience and their decision 
made known to Messrs. Wattson & Farr or myself. 
We have concluded to dispense with a cut for the 
packet and will confine ourselves to getting up a neat, 
rich, tasteful paper box, and, in lieu of one brand and 
designating the different qualities, our determination 
is to have three or (if we handle green tea) four brands. 
Thus we shall avoid confusion and each brand will 
use different colours for the boxes aud the lettering 
will be done with inks of varied tiuts. We have not 
yet settled upon the names, but think Buddha" on a 
maroon coloured box, with white press matter ; " Tiffiu" 
on a gfay box with red lettering; and " Bungalow" on a 
delicate lose tinted box with black printing will be the 
names we shall eventually use. You will recdve a box 
of each brand when it in ready. Messrs. Wuttson & 
Farr strongly recommend our packing orauge pekoe 
and fixing retail prices at $1-25 lor orange pekoe, 
90 ots. for pekoe and 65 cts. for pekoe souchong. They 
also believe it will be to the best interests of the 
Company to handle coffee, and I therefore beg you will 
forward, by first opportunity, a few casks of Ceylon 
plantation coffee. 
We are of opinion that the quantities of tea coming 
forward will not be sufficient to rn-et our require- 
ments in a very short time, that larger shipments, in 
the proportion of two of Orange Pekoe, and th' te tach 
of Pekoe and Pekoe-souchong shuuld be forwarded, 
and that simples of our staudard teas need to be 
sent to London and arrai gements made there for supply- 
ing us, in case we are running shun, or in any cases 
of sudden emergency. Our busine>s would certainly 
receive a severe check and possibly be ruined if we 
were, at any time, uuable to meet the demand which 
we believe will be, wi h the machinery we propose 
putting iu motion, very consi erably. Indeed, we think 
that the business will be limited only by your financial 
ability to supply us with tea and money to carry on 
operations. This leads me to remark that I do not 
feel in a pi sition to make any adveitising or other 
contracts "until you have definitely setiled m< ney 
arrangements with ivfessrs. Wattson & Farr, who are, 
I imagine, disinclined to support me financially more 
than to a very limited amount as matters now stand. 
I desire to recommend that rather than purchase 
outright a Bill of Exchange you should send them a 
letter of cedit for two, or three thousand pounds 
sterling and finally settle with them all financial 
questions. 
Everywhere there is a growing taste for Ceylon 
and Indian teas, and, in the course of a few months, 
our sales ought to be fairly satisfactory. 
Arrangements have beeninade for bof.ru.ing and lodg- 
ing the servants at 38 dollars per month, but whether 
they will prove satisfactory and permanent is open to 
doubt, as the rate is very low and may not be adliered 
to. — I have neglected to state that we do not get pos- 
session of the store until the 1st of January 1890, that in 
consequence of the high rental, our expenditure on 
advertising will be curtailed, and that the cost or fitting 
up the place need not be heavy. 
In the course of a few days I shall submit to Messrs. 
Wattson & Farr a memorandum showing the amount 
of money expended on servants' clothing aud board in 
Sydney, aud also sums spent in travelling from San 
Francisco to New York. This acoount can only be 
supported by vouchers from hotels and partly for 
clothing supplied to the servants. Tho items for 
carriage hire, transfer of baggage, meals and s eeping 
accommodation on railways &c. cannot be supported 
by vouchors of any sort. This letter will be submitted 
to Me-srs. Wattson & Farr befo e being mailed to y(U. 
In conclusion : I beg to add that expenditure will be 
kept within the narrowest possible be.uuds and that 
every effort will be put forth by me to advance! The 
