ERBzine 1979 ERB Early Letters

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Volume 1979
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THE ERB LETTERS FILE:
Early Correspondence
Commonwealth Edison Company
Edison Building, 120 W. Adams Street
Chicago, Ill.
Address all communications to the company
December 26th, 1912

Mr. E. R. Burroughs,
2008 Park Ave.
My dear Mr. Burroughs-
Glancing through he January copy of the "All Story" magazine I found your new serial starting, and further search revealed the fact that you had published my friend "Tarzan of the Apes", in the October issue, ever since I left you I have looked for this story and must have overlooked the copy in which you published it.
The comments upon this were many and interesting and I see that you have at last found something which will be profitable and also a pleasure to you.
I shall send for the copy of the "All Story" and hope with the many who have expressed their opinions that you will Tarzan back to life in the world of Civilized Humanity (?) and also that your success may be lasting and that you may find a "Market" for all your works.
Sincerely yours
Mary L. Halpin
622 Briar Place
Chicago

The Stoddard
Calvin W. Baker, Proprietor
La Crosse, Wisconsin
Absolutely Fireproof
17 January 1913
My Dear Burroughs:
Yours of 15th follows me to this point. I am on the annual round with the Wisconsin "Guardsmen."
10 per cent on the retail price of the booth was what my publisher paid me for what they were pleased to term my first long stories.. . . Stories were sold out-right would bring from $500 upward. AS a rule a 40,000 word story by an author whose work is well known and quite generally read should fetch at least that; and stories of 90,000 words and over -- $1000 to $1500. Of course many writers can command more that I couldn't. Good luck to you and the books. I shall look for them and read them.
Yours as ever,
Charles King
(answered)

THE FRANK MUNSEY COMPANY
175 Fifth Avenue
New York
Munsey's Magazine
The Argosy
The All-Story Magazine
The Railroad & Current Mechanics
The Cavalier (Issued Weekly)
June 19, 1914
Edgar Rice Burroughs
205 Park Avenue,
Chicago, Ill
Dear Burroughs:
The copy of "Tarzan" came yesterday. It certainly looks very fine, doesn't it! I have no doubt at all that it will prove as popular as it has in the past. If you can suggest anything to me whereby I might help you particularly in the sale of the book, I wish you would let me know about it.
Those were very pleasant things you said about me in the little inscription you wrote on the fly leaf, and again I thank you.
Are you coming on to New York within the near future?
Yours very truly,
Thomas Newell Metcalf
Editor
The Argosy

HOWARD VINCENT O'BRIEN
Blackthorn Road
Winnetka
Illinois
October 31
1916
Dear Mr. Burroughs:
Much obliged for the cheque. Having this secretarial job wished on me. I appreciate any lightening of the burden.
As to the membership roster: Mr. Reilly is writing you today, and he will include that.
Joe Bray, unfortunately, had the Treasurer of A.C.McC with him, and therefore enjoyed a disgusting sobriety.
Ray Long, however, went home most respectably three sheets in the wind, requiring assistance, as every gentleman should. Raymond, though his decks were awash, confined himself to a decorous fox-trot with his shirt tails out, and was otherwise well-behaved.
Quirk indulged in recitative and Billingsgate, but got away with it in fine shape. He was the only one of the "program," with the possible exception of Kiser, who could get through with his speech.
Chapman was not present, some intestinal disturbance at the last minute preventing.
I can assure you that you were missed, and all send their best.
Cordially,
Howard O'Brien

C. H. HANSON & SON
Real Estate
Loans and Insurance
5939 Chicago Avenue
Chicago
Telephone: Austin 476
C. H. Hanson ~ F. L. Hanson
December 7, 1916
Mr. E. R. Burroughs,
355 S. Hoover St.
Los Angeles, Cal.
Dear Friend Burroughs:
Your letter of the 29th ultimo, enclosing check for $1300.00, has been received.
We have made a release and recorded it, but it will take about three or four weeks before we can get it from the recorder's office, and mail it to you. However, we send you today herewith, all the notes canceled, together with trust deed. Also insurance policy for $1500.00. These are all the papers we have that belong to you in this matter.
Thanking you for past business, and hoping to see you again when you come to Chicago, we remain,
Very truly yours
C. H. Hanson & Son

AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
General Headquarters - 1344 South Figueroa St. - Los Angeles
Public Safety Department
Ivan Kelso, Superintendent
E. B. Lefferts, Manager
Co-operating with Los Angeles Safety Council
April 28, 1922
Mr. E. R. Burroughs,
Care Tarzana Ranch,
Van Nuys, California
Dear Sir:
In answer to criticism contained in your letter of April 27th regarding minor violation reported: our object in sending this information to you was simply an endeavor to save you the inconvenience of being stopped by an officer, in case your number is obscured and that fact should be observed by an officer. We are receiving reports that usually this carries with it a fine, - we wanted to save you this expense as well as inconvenience.
However, not having seen your particular car, I am not in a position to judge as to whether it is in violation of the law, or not, but can say that the fact that the dealer has equipped it with bumper and affixed the license plate is not necessarily an indication that it is within the regulations because we find that a great many dealers have affixed bumpers so that they do obstruct the numbers. In an endeavor to remedy this practice
we have taken up the matter with all the dealers in this territory.
In this connection, we take up the major violations that come to our attention, as well as the minor ones.
Should you observe any violations of the traffic regulations, and will send reports of t hem to this office, we shall be very glad to take them up with the owners of the cars.
Yours very truly,
E. R. Lefferts,
Manager, Public Safety Department.

Attached Photo Sheet from the Public Safety Department

.
ERB, Inc. Office Memo by Edgar Rice Burroughs ~ May 1925
A former North High boy came in to see me today - Clarence L. Blair - and asked me to send a message to the North High boys and girls for their Annual. He suggested that I write something inspiring on "good literature."
I shall have to confess to you, as I did to him, that a great many book reviewers insist that I know noting about literature of any kind, but, however that may be, I am sure that I know what young people like to read and a great many old people who are still young in heart, and if my stories are not literature, they are at least clean, and, I hope, entertaining.
There are among you, probably, future famous authors and playwrights, and each of you, when he has attained the full flower of his abilities, will have his limitations just as all writers and playwrights and other human beings have. So, if I were to send any message to you, it would be simply to give the best that there is in you to your public. Your best will never be perfect but if it is your best it will be worthy of applause and will receive the recognition that is its due.
In writing a story I always feel bound by a certain duty that I owe my readers to give them the best I can. However far beneath the highest standards it may be, it is still my best and I know that I have not cheated and whatever success I have, I have earned. Which is enough preaching, as everyone hates to be preached to, however interesting the sermon may be to the preacher.
When writing to young people in schools I am always reminded that, while some schools use my books in their English work, others bar me absolutely. In one of the latter, where Tarzan was looked upon in holy horror, a girl was asked to write a review of one of John Burroughs' nature studies. When she handed it in the teacher was shocked to discover that she had written a synopsis of TARZAN OF THE APES. On the other hand, there is a teacher in a school in Florida who is reading THE CAVE GIRL out loud to her class - a very human teacher - may her tribe increase!

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