August 31, 1939 E.A. Pierce & Co Private Wires

I scanned 14 more documents of the E.A. Pierce & Co. Wires I found in my grandfather's collection of wire correspondence just on the brink of WWII while he was in employment with Merrill Lynch/E.A. Pierce.

When I first found this collection, I wasn't sure what they were, honestly. But one particular page (on the back said in script: SAVE M.L.'s TAPED MESSAGES R World War II Beginning). You can see that here: https://365project.org/darylo/didn-t-make-cut/2021-03-03

After I started reading the various pages, I knew that I was looking at the stock market assessments as they related to the rise of Hitler, the invasion of Poland, and the European responses. On this day, there are projections on cotton, lower sterling rates, a new Mathieson Alkali synthetic salt cake plant--this last one was focusing on Kraft Paper industry's consumption of 400 Tons of Salt Cake in 1937. The German supplies would be cut off in the case of war. Mathieson was the only domestic producer of the salt cake--a new plant would be strategically placed on the gulf coast with deepwater shipping facilities. The projection was that Mathieson's earnings (which had declined) would improve in the next year after the plant opens Nov. 1st.

Also of note was a one-liner: "FLASH RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT RATIFIES GERMAN - SOVIET ACT FC.."

Today, I decided to contact the WWII National Museum in New Orleans, LA to see if they may want the physical archives for their collection or if they might know of an archive that would like to have these papers. I don't want to own them anymore after I scan them all -- they deserve to be boxed or on display in a more meaningful way than I can do here at home. They may already have tons of this stuff--I have no idea. I just left a voice message, so I'll email them if I don't hear back.

Tomorrow is the next set of Wires: Sept. 1, 1939, the day WWII started.

Thanks to all who are following me this month. You can click backward or forward if you are interested in seeing this project I have set for March. It's nice because I get to do what I've been wanting to do for a very long time now (get docs scanned), but I can keep my tripod in the office and take a shot for the day to sum up my work or research.

[katy]

How fascinating to read this historical information in the context of when it was written! So often history is recorded from the present perspective. Seeing the information from that time period gives an entirely different insight into the history! I applaud you and your efforts and your generosity with these documents

[Danette Thompson]

Very special documents. I do hope a museum can take them.

[Daryl O'Hare]

@grammyn these are just primarydocs from history. I couldn't possibly venture to know what lens to use for perspective. :) It's more complicated with some of my other ancestors, however. I do hope these docs find a proper home!

[Daryl O'Hare]

@danette me too!

[Lin]

Wow, this is so interesting. I would guess that any historical museum would love to have these. Now I have to go back over the past few days and see your other captures that I missed while my internet was out.