Letter from Adot Spalding & Co. to Churchill, Browns & Manson Co., 1868 March 13

Collection of handwritten letters dated 1867-1871 and written by various agents in Cuba reporting on business conditions to merchants in Portland, Maine. Most of the letters are addressed to J.B. Brown and Sons or to Churchill, Browns and Manson. The letters report the market prices and sales of molasses, sugar, shooks (knock-down barrels), and other commodities. Additionally, they discuss market conditions, agricultural concerns, grinding and manufacturing activities, and shipping. Descriptions of the ships and which cargoes are selling or not selling are also provided.

The letters are written from such places as Havana, Matanzas, Caibarién, Cárdenas, and Sagua La Grande. The agents include Vanderkreft, La Puerta and Co.; D. Ruiz Toledo; Smith and Company; Juan Ferrin; L.Y. Stocker and Co.; J.C. Burnham and Co.; and C.P. Madan. The majority of the letters are written in English, but a small number are written in Spanish.