This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/1/2026
August Busch Sr. typed letter signed to his father, Anheuser-Busch Brewery founder Adolphus Busch, with Adolphus' handwritten edits throughout. Dated 8 March 1906, letter covers a variety of topics related to both business and personal matters, including a ''poison case'' they were trying to keep out of the news, and also reference to a Jewish slur. At this time, August was running the business under his father's guidance; after Adolphus passed in 1913, August's management of the company would successfully weather the Prohibition years.
August covers several topics, including pricing, writing in part, ''we ought charge our customers who are now filling their houses $2 per ton during the month of March. After that, and for the balance of the season, $3'', to which Adolphus writes ''should be 2.50 & 3.50 at least''. The letter then discusses various loans, a new checking system, etc. before it pivots to a ''the poison case'', with August writing, ''I regret to advise that the poison case has gotten into the courts. None of the papers however have taken note of it, with the exception of the Star, who claim it got in by mistake. It however appeared only in their noon edition, which does not reach the families, and has only a limited circulation...Mr. Schroers is by no means our enemy, on the contrary he is a sincere and good friend of ours...It was only through a mean trick on the part of some insignificant reporter...'' Adolphus pencils a note at this point, writing, ''that poison case is too stupid for me to mention it, if it is conspiring then of course we want [?] & kill the guilty ones.''
August finishes the letter on a personal note, telling his father how his ''telegram amused Alice and me very much, especially that part of it stating that if it had not been for introducing Nellie [Augustus' sister] you could easily have passed for 26.'' He continues, ''I know if you read this part of the letter to [Nellie], she will say 'let that dirty Jew mind his own business', hence you better keep the above confidential. / I fully agree with the gentleman who calls you 'King of all Men', and assure you that you are even 'More than King' to me. With much love and many kisses to the 'Queen' [Augustus' mother]...[signed] Gussie''.
Letter on four sheets of Anheuser-Busch stationery measures 8.5'' x 11''. Staple puncture to upper left and shallow folds, overall near fine condition.