1901 Boston & Maine Railroad & Steamship Waybill / Freight Receipt Archive – Samuel Pierce Organ Pipe Co. (Reading, Mass.) – 4-Piece Turn-of-the-Century Ephemera Lot

Archive Overview & Identification

• Time Period: June – July 1901 (Turn of the 20th Century)

• Consignee / Customer: Samuel Pierce Organ Pipe Company (Reading, Massachusetts)

  • Inscriptions: Hand-inscribed variously as "Saml Pierce O. P. Co.", "S. Pierce O. P. Co.", and "Saml Pierce Organ Pipe Co Reading Mass".

• Transportation Lines:

  1. Boston & Maine Railroad (B&M) ("To BOSTON & MAINE RAILROAD, Dr. – Reading, Mass.")

  2. Merchants and Miners Transportation Company (M&MT Co.) ("From BALTIMORE, via S.S. NANTUCKET; Boston, Mass.")

• Form Types:

  • Boston & Maine Railroad: FORM 781 – Freight Receipt / Transportation Charges Bill

  • Merchants & Miners: Steamship Freight Arrival Notice & Paid Bill

• Cashiers & Agent Stamps:

  • E. P. Crooker, Freight Cashier / Agent for Boston & Maine Railroad (stamped and signed on B&M receipts).

  • A. M. Graham, Agent, with purple stamped "PAID JUN 18 1901 M. & M. T. Co." and clerk initials.

Individual Item Breakdown

1. Receipt 1 (Top Left in Box / June 27, 1901 B&M):

   • Pro. No.: 614 | Date: June 27, 1901

   • Origin: From Boston

   • Commodity / Cargo: 27 Pigs Lead (Weight: 1,520 lbs | Freight: $0.91)

   • Significance: Essential raw metal cargo used by Samuel Pierce to cast lead/tin alloys for church and concert pipe organ ranks.

2. Receipt 2 (Bottom Right in Box / June 21, 1901 B&M):

   • Pro. No.: 501 | Date: June 21, 1901

   • Origin: From Boston

   • Commodity / Cargo: Multi-barrel / crate shipment (Weight: 2,500 lbs | Freight: $1.50)

3. Receipt 3 (Single View / June 19, 1901 B&M):

   • Pro. No.: 439 | Date: June 19, 1901 (W-B Date 6/18)

   • Origin: From Boston

   • Commodity / Cargo: 1 Bx Hdw (1 Box Hardware, Weight: 20 lbs | Amount: 25¢)

4. Receipt 4 (Steamship Bill / June 17–18, 1901 Merchants & Miners):

   • Carrier: Merchants and Miners Transportation Company (Boston, Mass. agency)

   • Origin Route: Transferred from Baltimore via the S.S. Nantucket (Voyage 83)

   • Shipment: Consigned to Samuel Pierce Organ Pipe Co., stamped PAID JUN 18 1901

Historical Significance: Industrial Music & Rail Heritage

• The Samuel Pierce Organ Pipe Company: Founded in Reading, MA in 1847 by Samuel Pierce, this firm grew to become one of the premier and longest-operating independent pipe organ manufacturers in the United States, supplying precision pipes to world-famous builders such as E. & G.G. Hook & Hastings, Aeolian-Skinner, and Austin Organs.

• The "Pigs of Lead" Cargo: Organ pipes require specific ratios of molten lead and tin ("spotted metal") to produce warm diapason tones. Seeing the raw materials (27 Pigs Lead weighing over 1,500 lbs) physically moving from Boston rail yards to Reading on these receipts provides exceptional historical texture for industrial ephemera collectors.

• Coastal Steamship & Rail Intermodal Link: The combination of the S.S. Nantucket (Merchants & Miners) coastal steamer from Baltimore connecting into the Boston & Maine Railroad showcases the vital intermodal freight delivery network powering New England factories in 1901.

Condition & Visual Grade

• Assigned Technical Grade: Very Fine (VF Postal/Commercial Ephemera)

• Preservation Highlights:

  • Crisp, stable early-1900s document paper with light, natural handling patina.

  • Faint original folds and spindle pin marks from railroad station desk spikes (completely typical for authentic commercial rail archives).

  • Bold, unfaded letterpress typography and vibrant purple cashier handstamps.

  • No major paper loss, water damage, or rot.

Collector Value & Market Pricing

• Category: Turn-of-the-Century Railroad & Maritime Ephemera / Industrial Music Scripophily

• Fair Market Value (Complete 4-Piece Archive): $25.00 to $40.00 USD

  • (Individually, B&M receipts trade for $6–$10 each; the SS Nantucket coastal steamship bill commands $10–$15 alone).

• Cross-Market Demand: Appeals across three active collector niches:

  1. New England Railroad Specialists: Boston & Maine Railroad (Fallen Flag line).

  2. Maritime / Coastal Steamship Enthusiasts: S.S. Nantucket & Merchants & Miners Transportation Co.

  3. Musical History & Pipe Organ Collectors: Samuel Pierce Organ Pipe Co. documentation.