Letter to Oscar Heidfeld, November 12, 1891

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 12 November 1891


First published in: Marx and Engels, Works, Second Russian Edition, Vol. 37, Moscow, 1965
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 49


ENGELS TO OSCAR HEIDFELD

IN LIVERPOOL

[Draft]

[London,] 12 November 1891

Dear Sir,

...I still hold the documents mentioned in your letter[1] but they are of no value whatever now, the policy having lapsed long since through Mr Dronke's failing to pay the premiums as he ought to have done. The very first premium due in November 1877 I did pay expecting to be repaid by him, but when I applied for the money he never replied, nor have I been able ever since to make out his address, though my Manchester solicitors took every trouble to find him out. Under these circumstances, and in view of the almost certainty that the gradual payment with interest on the same and on the original loan would eat up more than any possible return for the policy, there was nothing left to me but to let the policy drop.

From what you tell me I must conclude that the same result would have been arrived at had he not pledged the policy.[2]

  1. ↑ In his letter of 11 November 1891 Oscar Heidfeld advised Engels of Ernst Dronke's tion, Vol. 45).
  2. ↑ The beginning and end of the letter are missing.