Dear Porch,



A few weeks ago I received an email on an upcoming estate sale that had
tools and other things of galootish interest.  Unfortunately, I was going
to be out of town, but I forwarded it on to some local BAGs (Bay Area
Galoots) and said that if anyone did go, I was very interested in the
cabinet with small drawers.



Kirk Eppler went and was there early enough to snag it for me (yay for me,
bottle of wine for him).  The guy hosting the estate sale called it the
"belle of the ball" and wasn’t exaggerating.



The chest has a label identifying it as The Rand-McNally Mercantile
Recording System.  Bill Kasper found a good explanation of it its intended
use here https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/iJ4AAOSwmFJbughN/s-l1600.jpg



Based on the maps in the drawers, I would say this chest was made in 1912
or shortly after.  It is oak and has 22 drawers.  Somewhere along the line,
it was re-purposed to hold lead (mostly) letters and numbers.  Not for
typesetting, but most likely  patternmaking based on the style of the
letters and an envelope from the Freeman Supply Company in one of the
drawers.   I’m not sure how this ended up at the estate sale because the
rest of his shop was for making guitars and drums.



I took some pictures and posted them here https://flic.kr/s/aHskUkZcFd



Properly gloved and covered and wearing a respirator, I cleaned the cabinet
and separately bagged up each drawer’s contents.   I would appreciate
suggestions of what to do with about 25lbs of letters and numbers.  I don’t
have a use for them, but do want them go to a good home – a pattermaker or
someone who does casting.  If no one else has a better idea (or wants/needs
them), I will ask The Crucible over in Oakland, as they teach casting and
various other industrial crafts.



Cheers to all from San Francisco,

Joe