Received my letter !

[Jeff Bonadurer]

Howdy All,

I was pretty excited to receive as much information as I did on the gun.
The gun is now wearing what looks to be a lower grade straight grip without
the drop-points. It is interesting that the letter reflects a straight grip stock
conversion from the original. I have some investigating to do. Could've the RWJ
on the stock shield been Robert W. Johnson co-founder of the Johnson and
Johnson company?

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6630638619_c38520047f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/46845109@N06/6630638619/)
scan0001 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/46845109@N06/6630638619/) by Bonadurers (http://www.flickr.com/people/46845109@N06/), on Flickr

Best regards,

Jeff

[Jared Valeski]

That's a cool letter.

[Mike Shepherd]

For a cool gun!

[Pete Lester]

I'll bet "RWJ" was for Robert Wood Johnson of Johnson & Johnson Company fame. Mr. W.H. Hobbs was the Superintendent of J&J at that time and RWJ was President of the corporation. Very nice!

I wonder if RWJ knew he bought a used gun?

http://books.google.com/books?id=5vfNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA425&lpg=PA425&dq=W.+H.+hobbs+Johnson+%26+Johnson&source=bl&ots=IwlNMyqKYU&sig=XqaSH6UqzsYmSyrS9OqjtzpO_Sg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BZYDT4CFEIPu0gGKzJiLAg&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=W.%20H.%20hobbs%20Johnson%20%26%20Johnson&f=false

[Brian Dudley]

Well, not really used per say. Interesting letter. Thanks for sharing. I need to order me a few of those.

[Bill Murphy]

Second buyers are very common in the Parker order books. Often the first buyer or consignor, in this case, was charged a nominal fee to return the gun to new condition after being a bit shopworn or "hunted" into less than 100% condition. Marcellus Hartley purchased Remington in the early days and was a big deal in the gun business in New York.

[Jack Kuzepski]

Bill,

You are right about Marcellus Hartley owning Remington Arms. He also owned M. Hartley Co. who was the largest gun dealer in America in the early 1900's as well as wholly owning Union Metallic Cartride (UMC) and Bridgeport Gun Implement Co (BGIC).

Jack Kuzepski

[Craig Larter]

Wolcott NY is east of Rochester along the shore of Lake Ontario in the apple belt. It is a very rural community even today. At one time the Lakes Plains of NY had fantastic Pheasant hunting. I wonder why the gun was ordered through Thacker Hardware in Wolcott NY.

[Dave Noreen]

M. Hartley died January 8, 1902, while the Browning Brothers were in the waitingroom with the autoloading shotgun patents. I wonder if the Parker was returned because of some restructuring in the company after M. Hartley Dodge took control.

[Dean Romig]

Amazing! Encyclopedic...

Thanks Dave.