Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1881-08-19)

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engraving co. I also have an editorial ready which I will copy ere long and send to you for your approval - or otherwise. I am beginning to feel a good deal exercised over the losses incurred in mounting bad skins, or rather the </u loss of profit. > which is just the same thing, and I want to write you a letter as soon as I can all on this subject. Some of my late experiences have completely stirred me up, and I shall strongly suggest to you the extreme desirability of charging people - I mean patrons - according to what specimens </u cost > to mount, and not what they are expected to cost before we can be aware of their condition. I should like for one year to have the entire management of a taxidermy establishment, just to see whether I could not make it pay, and pay </u well >. I am getting sick of wrestling with miserable, hard, horny skins which tax all my powers to get into respectable shape at all and which I </u know > all the time are eating up the profit which ought to be rec'd on them.

    I have lately mounted the following objects; Pronghorn

Antelope male, Pronghorn head, a big seal, a monkey, two arma- dillos, two small deer, a Pteropus, a S. A. fox, and am now on the little elephant, which will come out well, although I never yet had such a time to soften a skin The big elephant came near wearing out both Mr Bailly & I. It was by