E. H. Jeffords to Sumner Simpson on Manheim's Request for Charleston's Dust Control Designs (1935)

A two-page letter marked "Confidential," of September 13, 1935, from E. H. Jeffords, general manager of Raybestos-Manhattan's General Asbestos & Rubber Division at North Charleston, South Carolina, to Sumner Simpson, president of Raybestos-Manhattan, enclosing "for your information and possibly your amusement" a request from C. H. Burns of the Manheim plant and Jeffords's reply. Burns had asked for blueprints of Charleston's hoods for ventilating cards, looms, twisters and spoolers, since Manheim planned "to improve our dust collecting system." Jeffords told Simpson that Charleston's dust removal results were "accomplished by the work of our own men" using old, second-hand and "home brew" equipment, and asked that company officials visit the plant more often. A handwritten note at the foot reads "Please do not let this get in the hands of the 'R. S. C.' for then we will be placed on the carpet to explain."

What it shows

The exchange shows the company's other plants turning to the North Charleston dust system as a model after Metropolitan Life's Manheim survey. In his reply to Burns, Jeffords explained that "we did not make any blue prints" for the card hoods and spooler equipment, since "The equipment was designed as we went along with our experiments," and offered drawings and a visit instead.

In Johns-Manville's index

Johns-Manville's attorneys indexed the Sumner Simpson Papers. Their index describes these documents as follows:

02550-02553. States Burns requested information on Charleston's dust collecting system for use at Manheim. Remarks that Charleston's efficient system was accomplished by the men of the division working with very little in way of supplies. Suggests Raybestos officials take more interest in fact that Charleston plant is operating efficient system using older equipment than other plants have.

02554. Suggests visit to Charleston plant so entire dust collecting system can be seen. Encloses some information and blueprints relating to dust collecting system and advises other information will be sent as it becomes available.

02549. Requests information and blueprints of dust collecting equipment used at Charleston. Informs that Manheim is going to be improving their dust collecting system and acknowledges fine reputation of Charleston plant in this field.

Related documents

• Sumner Simpson to George R. Weber on the Startling Metropolitan Life Report on Manheim (1935)
• George R. Weber to Sumner Simpson on Dust Improvements at Manheim (1935)

About this copy

These are documents 02550-02553, 02554, 02549 of the Sumner Simpson Papers, as numbered in the collection's index.