17-10-92
Lancing, Sussex
25 August 1892
My dear Chris
Your letter of 4 July has come since I wrote to you last week, which enlightens me more as to the business position of A Forbes and yourself. You say that Woodgett has invested in claims adjoining yours and that your contemporary Viles has been favored with his patronage. This was arranged evidently before anything was known of your London agency being established. This I consider all the more reason that you should go on working for your own and doing as little as possible to favour the requirements of A Forbes & Co. You have got the bridle and if your agents act with energy and discretion on this side, which you may be sure I will do my utmost to direct, I have no doubt you will gain the day. Forbes may from his financial position handicap you for a time, but meantime you must get a strong grip of the best things on the field and force him to come to you to get what he wants, and whatever you have power over and see your way to make a good profit from – as well as giving your agents a good commission. Don’t let him have except at a big price. Forbes business has grown to its present dimensions from the buyers trading in the shares they buy coming to him again and again to sell and to buy the same things.
Tasman has in view this kind of business before long, and if he and his present partner Stormont come out fairly successful they may be disinclined to allow you to be a partner with them. Mr Oliver, who I consulted last Friday as you ???? me says your name being used renders you liable in such a case. As a man buying shares in a certain mine and the contract made with agents not being fulfilled at all, or incorrectly if the agents could not satisfy, he would have a case against you. But this seems to me remote, in the case of debts contracted during the agency it is doubtful if you would be liable ????. No creditor would risk the cost of an action against you without you had available assets in this country.
Mr Stormont was a member of the Stock Exchange for some years was unlucky and failed but not discredited. I tell you this thinking you may not know. He told me ???? he has his way to make again and regain his position, and for a living you may be assured he has the best incentive possible to make your business in London a success for himself and you. He is quite sanguine and even confident that it will be a success, but as you are the fountain from which ???? stream will flow to convert into hard metal it behoves you to have???? of your health and strength. If you were to collapse there would at once be ???? of the venture. I think and judge, partly from what Mater tells me ???? your incessant writing and train work when at home and consequent sleeplessness often, that your energy exceeds your strength and that in enervating climate in which you live, if not careful of yourself as ???? grows upon you, you will knock up.
I am aware now that ???? do an immense amount of opportunity, this besides your ???? business transactions, and the thousand and one matters that ???? be attended to in your mining connections must be a constant upon you.
Archie came down yesterday for a few ????. If he continues in the same service he will have to join again in ???? days – a most unsatisfactory kind of service to be in. Neither the ???? managing director ever appears, the officers receive no sort of recognition and don’t know from one day to another what may happen to them.
I have been making all use of my friends and acquaintances in order to see if anything better can be done – but little hope. I made application to headquarters for leave during the ship’s stay in Glasgow. This has not been given as yet. I want him to have a week or two at home ???? about. Mr Moore said the other day if things looked up at all he ???? get a ship for him, meaning to buy one.
If you really think your business will enable you to offer him a position with you now is the time to begin the new life. He is strong ???? and intelligent and would soon adapt himself to the sort of business you would put him to, and he is sure to be popular wherever he goes. ???? has had experience enough now in steam. I consider ???? another voyage even would be a waste of valuable time. If he ???? to give up the profession for a new life, now is the time. He desires that you should be in a position to make him a certain offer so that he should not fall between the stools.
As I have previously said he is fond of coming home and no matter what the inducements, he would join you all the same would do well when with you. If you see signs further of rapid development in your gold fields, make up your mind and let us know what you think is the best course. Should Archie in the ???? again the ship will most likely go to the West Coast of ????.
I will look out for A H Coombes when he comes. Will write and ask him to meet me in????. I am going to town early tomorrow and will see and have a talk with Tasman and Stormont if they can be ???? for half an hour. There is such an absolute dearth of reliable ways of investing money at present and most people are so little disposed to touch anything that it becomes a hard matter to push business. But I feel sure that your kind of investment will be largely sought after before long.
Will add to this tomorrow and address by Torres Strait per ????
Your affectionate Father
Jas. A. Elmslie