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J. E. Reinhalter of P. Reinhalter & Company to Walt Whitman, 31 October 1891

About This Item

  • Title: J. E. Reinhalter of P. Reinhalter & Company to Walt Whitman, 31 October 1891
  • Date: October 31, 1891
  • Creator(s): J. E. Reinhalter of P. Reinhalter & Company
  • Whitman Archive ID: loc.03305
  • Source: The Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Transcribed from digital images or a microfilm reproduction of the original item. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Contributors to digital file: Andrew David King Cristin Noonan Stephanie Blalock Amanda J. Axley
  • Cite this page: Company, J. E. Reinhalter of P. Reinhalter &. "J. E. Reinhalter of P. Reinhalter & Company to Walt Whitman, 31 October 1891." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 11 May 2025. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: loc.03305.xml (TEI)
 loc.03305.001_large.jpg P. Reinhalter GRANITE MONUMENTS VAULTS AND STATUARY WORK. WORKS AT WEST QUINCY MASS. OFFICE 18 SOUTH BROAD STREET. Philadelphia, Pa1 October 31 1891 Walt Whitman Esq. Camden N.J. Dear Sir

While at your home few days ago I learned that you was not feeling any too well consequently did not get to see you and take this method of informing you that we are obliged to call upon again regarding a payment on the Mausoleum, we are just at present pushed hard for money, when last payment was made writer promised not to ask for another payment for a while this being now nearly four mo's ago, now as we are not men of capital and are working hard for a reputation and promote our business we must make collections2 so we hope and trust you will do whatever you conveniently can for us and we will be very thankfull to you hoping our letter will reach you enjoying good health we remain.

Yours very truly P. Reinhalter & Co. per J. E. Reinhalter  loc.03305.002_large.jpg  loc.03303.001_large.jpg  loc.03303.002_large.jpg

Correspondent:
P. Reinhalter & Co. of Philadelphia built Whitman's tomb—an elaborate granite tomb of the poet's design— in Harleigh Cemetery in Camden, New Jersey. J. E. Reinhalter was a designer with P. Reinhalter & Co. Whitman's tomb cost $4,000, and he covered a portion of these costs with money that his Boston friends had raised so that the poet could purchase a summer cottage; the remaining balance was paid by Whitman's literary executor, Thomas Harned. For more information on the cemetery and Whitman's tomb, see See Geoffrey M. Still, "Harleigh Cemetery," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998).

Notes

  • 1. This letter is addressed: Walt. Whitman Esq. | Camden | N.J. It is postmarked: PHILADELPHIA, PA | OCT 31 | 4 PM | 91; Camden, N.J. | OCT 31 | 4 PM | 91 | REC'D; CAMDEN, N.J. | NOV 1 | 4 PM | 91 | REC'D. The Reinhalters' return address is printed on the envelope as follows: P. Reinhalter & Co., | 18 So. Broad Street, | Philadelphia, PA. [back]
  • 2. See Whitman's letters to the Canadian physician Richard Maurice Bucke of November 12–14, 1891 and November 22, 1891, for more on the payment arrangements for the tomb. The receipt from P. Reinhalter & Company, the builders of the poet's tomb, read: "Received from Walt Whitman tenth of July, 1891 One thousand dollars cash, for the tomb in Harleigh Cemetery—making, including the sum of five hundred dollars (paid May 12 last) altogether to date the sum of fifteen hundred dollars which is hereby receipted"; see the Detroit Public Library's publication, An Exhibition of the Works of Walt Whitman, (Detroit: February and March 1955), 41. [back]
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