Letters from V. Barsalou to Otard... (1856)

NRA-L-000407 / 1856

Letters from V. Barsalou to Otard Dupuy & Co, 1856-09-02 and 1856-09-09

V. Barsalou discusses shipments of brandy, invoices, customs charges, the ships Darien, Jehossee and Carver, market conditions in New York, and the relative standing of the Otard Dupuy and Hennessy brands. The file includes a letter of 9 September and a duplicate of the letter of 2 September 1856.

Neruda Archives
NRA-L-000407

NRA-L-000407 image 1 showing a folded address panel to Otard Dupuy & Co in Cognac, with transit marks, a pale sealing remnant and manuscript docketing. — **Image 1**Address panel to Otard Dupuy & Co in Cognac, with transit marks, a sealing remnant and docketing.

NRA-L-000407 image 2 showing the first page of a handwritten French commercial letter dated in New York and headed Steamer Niagara. — **Image 2**First page of a French commercial letter dated in New York, headed Steamer Niagara.

NRA-L-000407 image 3 showing the continuation and closing signature of the handwritten New York letter. — **Image 3**Continuation and closing signature of the New York letter.

NRA-L-000407 image 4 showing a duplicate handwritten commercial letter dated in New York, with postal marks and accounting figures. — **Image 4**Duplicate commercial letter dated in New York, with postal marks and accounting figures.

Archive Record

Identifier: NRA-L-000407
Date: 1856-09-09
Original date: New York 9. Septre 1856; duplicate dated New York 2 Sept.re 1856
Type: Commercial correspondence
Language: French / fr
Sender: V. Barsalou
Recipient: Otard Dupuy & Co
Places: New York / Cognac / New York–Cognac
Extent: 4 documentary sides: Address panel; Letter text page 2; Letter text page 3; Letter text page 4; 4 digital images.
Citation: Neruda Archives, NRA-L-000407.

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Transcript and English translation

working scholarly aid

Address panel

Original transcript

Steamer Niagara for Liverpool
via Boston

Messrs. Otard Dupuy & Co
Cognac
France.

Address panel

English translation

Steamer Niagara for Liverpool
via Boston

Messrs. Otard Dupuy & Co
Cognac
France.

Letter text page 2

Original transcript

Steamer Niagara

New York 9. Septre 1856.

Messieurs Otard Dupuy & Co
Cognac.

Messieurs

J'ai l'honneur de vous confirmer ma lettre
du 2. Septre dont ci-contre la copie & d'accuser
réception de la vôtre du 19. Août. Je vois avec plaisir
que le temps était tout à fait favorable à vos vignes & que
la qualité alcoolique des vins en serait grandement
améliorée. — Quant aux E de vie vieilles, elles devenaient
de plus en plus rares & vous prévoyiez même le moment
où vous seriez obligés de refuser des ordres.

L'observation de ma lettre du 29. Juillet, que votre
marque était tombée en discrédit, provenait de ce que
vos Eaux de vie étaient offertes de tous côtés à des prix
bien inférieurs à ceux tenus & obtenus pour d'autres
marques de Cognac, entr'autres pour celle d'Hennessy,
ce que je ne me souviens pas avoir jamais vu
précédemment.

A propos des factures que vous aurez à m'envoyer
pour le chargement du Darien, je viens vous prier
d'en changer un peu la teneur, & si vous me les
aviez déjà adressées, ce qui est probable, de m'en envoyer
de nouvelles avec le changement que je désire.
Comme on a quelqu'espoir d'arrêter le prélèvement
des droits de douane sur les frais de Cognac au lieu

Letter text page 2

English translation

Steamer Niagara

New York September 9, 1856.

Messrs. Otard Dupuy & Co
Cognac.

Gentlemen

I have the honor to confirm my letter
of September 2, a copy of which is opposite, and to acknowledge
receipt of yours of August 19. I see with pleasure
that the weather was entirely favorable to your vines and that
the alcoholic quality of the wines would be greatly
improved by it. — As for old brandies, they were becoming
more and more rare and you even foresaw the moment
when you would be obliged to refuse orders.

The observation in my letter of July 29, that your
brand had fallen into disrepute, arose from the fact that
your brandies were offered on all sides at prices
much lower than those held and obtained for other
brands of Cognac, among others for that of Hennessy,
which I do not remember ever having seen
previously.

Regarding the invoices that you will have to send me
for the loading of the Darien, I come to ask you
to change their wording a little, and if you have
already addressed them to me, which is probable, to send me
new ones with the change that I desire.
As there is some hope of stopping the levying
of customs duties on the Cognac charges instead

Letter text page 3

Original transcript

du chargement, frais que je suis induit à
croire de 35. centimes par velte, je vous prierai
de déduire ces 35. centimes du prix de la velte, &
de les ajouter ensuite pour frais de transport au bas
de la facture, comme du reste vous le faites,
je pense, pour d'autres maisons. —

C'est une formalité que je vous prie d'observer
pour tous les envois que vous me ferez à l'avenir.

J'ai l'honneur de vous saluer.

V. Barsalou

Letter text page 3

English translation

of the loading, charges which I am led to
believe are 35 centimes per velte, I will ask you
to deduct these 35 centimes from the price of the velte, and
to add them afterwards for transport charges at the bottom
of the invoice, as moreover you do,
I think, for other houses. —

It is a formality that I ask you to observe
for all the shipments that you will make to me in the future.

I have the honor to salute you.

V. Barsalou

Letter text page 4

Original transcript

Duplicata
Steamer Africa

New York 2 Sept.re 1856.

Messieurs Otard Dupuy & Co.
Cognac.

Messieurs.

Depuis ma lettre du 6 Août, j'ai eu l'honneur de recevoir
les vôtres des 23 & 30 Juillet, 5 & 12 Août, et vous remercie des
renseignements que vous me donnez sur l'état de vos récoltes et
la situation de votre marché. Vous me remettez facture
et connaissement à 38 demi-pipes chargés à bord du Jehossee
en fcs. 28,454.86 et vous m'annoncez devoir charger sur le
navire Darien mon ordre du 25 Juillet de 16/2 et 4/4. Vous
pensiez que ce navire partirait de La Rochelle le 25 Août
mais j'ai appris au contraire qu'il avait grand'peine à
trouver son frêt, et que selon toutes probabilités, son départ
serait beaucoup retardé; vous aurez donc été sans doute à temps
pour y ajouter mon second ordre du 6 Août de 26/2 et
2/4. Veuillez prendre note que j'ai remis à Mr
Lewis pour votre compte:
fcs. 20,000. — le 26 Août dont vous m'aurez crédité.

Je vous remercie des explications que vous avez bien voulu
me donner au sujet des E. de Vie chargées sur le Damon.
Je regrette seulement qu'elles n'aient pas été données
plus tôt, ce qui aurait évité à vos agents la position
équivoque où ils étaient en offrant vos Eaux de Vie
avec des rapports incorrects, et à moi le risque que j'ai
couru de me charger non seulement de celles offertes par
vos agents, mais aussi de celles offertes par la maison
anglaise.

Les affaires continuent sans activité sur notre place
il y a encore q.ques demandes pour les E. de Vie de la
Rochelle, celles de Cognac sont entièrement délaissées.

Veuillez prendre note, Messieurs, que d'après votre lettre
du 8 Avril, je vous ai débités du coulage par le Carver de
la manière suivante:
Montant du coulage $326.90
Paiemts. de la Cie d'Ass. 150.— suivant ma lettre 18 Mars.
$176.90 @ 5.18 3/4 = fcs. 917.66

Letter text page 4

English translation

Duplicate
Steamer Africa

New York September 2, 1856.

Messrs. Otard Dupuy & Co.
Cognac.

Gentlemen.

Since my letter of August 6, I have had the honor of receiving
yours of July 23 & 30, August 5 & 12, and thank you for the
information you give me on the state of your harvests and
the situation of your market. You remit to me invoice
and bill of lading for 38 half-pipes loaded on board the Jehossee
in fcs. 28,454.86 and you announce to me that you are to load on the
ship Darien my order of July 25 of 16/2 and 4/4. You
thought that this ship would leave La Rochelle on August 25
but I learned on the contrary that it had great difficulty in
finding its freight, and that in all probability, its departure
would be much delayed; you will therefore doubtless have been in time
to add to it my second order of August 6 of 26/2 and
2/4. Please take note that I have remitted to Mr.
Lewis for your account:
fcs. 20,000. — on August 26 for which you will have credited me.

I thank you for the explanations that you were kind enough
to give me regarding the brandies loaded on the Damon.
I only regret that they were not given
earlier, which would have spared your agents the equivocal
position in which they were by offering your brandies
with incorrect reports, and me the risk that I
ran of taking charge not only of those offered by
your agents, but also of those offered by the English
house.

Business continues without activity on our market
there are still a few requests for La Rochelle brandies
those of Cognac are entirely neglected.

Please take note, Gentlemen, that according to your letter
of April 8, I have debited you for the leakage by the Carver in
the following manner:
Amount of the leakage $326.90
Payments from the Ins. Co. 150.— according to my letter March 18.
$176.90 @ 5.18 3/4 = fcs. 917.66

Discovery Terms

Cognac trade
Otard Dupuy & Co
Hennessy
Eau-de-vie
Shipping
Customs duties
New York
Cognac
United States

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