Series I. Salem Office Records contain correspondence, financial records, and legal papers which give a general overview of the various activities of the company. These include business transactions in the United States, distribution and purchase of cargo, and accounts with foreign agencies. The cable books record copies of cables sent and received by Ropes Emmerton. The originals are located in agency correspondence. The shipping account books and purchase and sale accounts often contain both invoices of cargoes shipped to the United States and a tally of when and where these goods were sold. Of special interest in the legal papers are agreements between Ropes Emmerton & Company and their agents, masters, and foreign merchants. There is also a folder of legal and financial papers from the 1892 sale of the Zanzibar agency to Arnold, Cheney & Company