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FE Thomas Labeled Rod Tube - 1938
$ 195
VFT7868
For sale here is a very unique item from the Thomas Rod Co. An original mailing tube with all of the original labels and stamps. The tube measures 42" in length and the inner diameter is 1 3/4" - a perfect for for the old rod tubes.
William M.Marr was indeed Superintendent of Schools of the town of Millinocket, Maine in 1938, when a rod was delivered in this tube to him by the Thomas Rod Co. You can see the 1938 post office stamp on the original mailing label.Here's a link to a PDF of the town's annual report that year. Not very good reading (and very slow to load), but I did find that he made $1,900 in salary for holding the Supt. post that year. Another note of interest is an excerpt from his yearly report...."It is to be regretted that more parents do not visit school and learn first-hand just how their children are getting along. Remember, even a short visit would encourage both pupils and teachers." Nice reminder for us current parents to live by, eh? Andhere's a bio I found, with a relevant excerpt: "Much of his spare time he devotes to hunting and fishing". Ah yes, a true fish bum this William....
The rod in the photos can be found here. The prevailing wisdom is that this was not the rod originally shipped in this mailing tube since the "30" on the bottom of the rod butt cap dates the rod prior to 1936, perhaps even in the 1920's. I learned these facts from Dana Gray and Joel Hughes.
A must-have for the FE Thomas collectors.
Just to clarify, this listing only includes the mailing tube, not the rod shown in the photos.
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Shipping Information
- We ship at cost to the buyer and in the majority of cases do so via UPS with full insurance and signature. There are cheaper options but our experience has been that you get what you pay for and that it's not worth taking risks when shipping what are often one-of-a-kind items. Your shipping estimate will be calculated at checkout and if you have any questions please contact us. Please note the buyers are responsible for any applicable import duties or fees that may levied. Due to the importance of packing items carefully please allow up to two weeks for arrival (depending on how busy we are) though we certainly do our best to get items to you as expeditiously as possible.
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Other Terms
- Unless otherwise noted, all items come with a 3-day inspection period during which they can be returned to us for a full refund (provided that they are in the same condition in which they left our shop). Return shipping is the responsibility of the buyer. If an item is returned, we will issue a refund within 10 days upon receipt. Refunds will be either administered by providing a check or, when possible, by canceling a credit card purchase.