1888 Martin Traction Co Grain Freight Bill Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce
$ 6.86
Description
1888 Martin Traction Co Grain Freight Bill Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. This 1888 freight bill documents a shipment of grain and feed from the Martin Traction Company to J.R. Tomlinson, dated May 29, 1888, and originating from Room 15 of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. The document is a quintessential piece of Gilded Age commercial ephemera, detailing the logistical and financial particulars of a bulk commodity transaction. Its pre-printed terms and conditions, such as the guarantee of weights within one per cent and the stipulation that claims for shortage must be filed within twenty-four hours after cars are unloaded, provide a clear window into the standard business practices and risk management of the period. The involvement of the Martin Traction Co. and the noted N.P. Division highlights the critical role of railway infrastructure and inter-company billing, or interline freight accounting, in the national distribution of agricultural products during the era of industrial expansion. The manuscript entries complete the transactional narrative, specifying One Load out of Car of Bran with a car number of 711 and a series of weight calculations, including a tare weight of 95 3/4 and a final net weight of 6529. The document's physical character, with its crisp clerical penmanship filling the designated blanks, embodies the daily administrative rhythm of a Philadelphia commodities broker. As a surviving artifact of mercantile trade, this bill of lading offers primary source evidence of the distribution channels, contractual formalities, and material culture of American commerce just prior to the 20th century, making it a significant find for collections focused on economic history, transportation, or agricultural supply chains. PLEASE NOTE: This item may be folded in order to fit the mailer. Whenever possible, it will be folded using folds or creases that were already in the document.
