Menlo Park, N.J., Oct 1st 1878^a

Dear Sir

Your favor of the 25th ult relative to the Stock Co was duly rec’d— ¹ My The [—]^b My^c idea was to have a Co formed to take my small inventions, like the E pen and auriphone^d &c, and find a market for them. I expect to turn out other inven tions of this kind and want to place them as soon as desire that should be very much pleased to have a Co should be formed that would market my these small inventions of mine^e when^f perfected I have enough of the larger ones to keep me busy. Of course the Co must be a responsible one

New York, Oct ist 1878^1a

My dear Edison

I agree with you entirely as to Mr Twombly; & if he had not been at my office on my arrival, I should have been at his within a half-hour to lay my plan before him— As it was he agrees with me in everything except giving the Gas people an option— I explained that, I resorted to that merely as one means of putting some money in your pocket without taking it from our own subscribers, & asked if he would be willing to add that to the amount to be paid in so as to get for you the clear sum of $100,000 all cost of machinery experimenting &c to be paid out of the Company’s treasury— He answered very frankly & promptly that he would I believe now that he and I have a fair prospect working together to get you that sum; to provide an ample working capital, & to satisfy Mr Banker,² & Edson before as to^b these special points. I cannot now take the time to set them forth, but if you can receive a visit on Thursday or Friday from Mr Billings³ & two or three others I will have everything ready & will talk it all over— Please let me know what day to go over—

Give your whole mind to the light— I will see that not only do you get what you ought to have but that every reasonable expectation of those who have “spoken to you” is satisfied— I want Western Union people to have the best chance at this because both you & I know who we are dealing with; & my night reflection had determined me to call on Mr Twombly this morning— We are therefore quite in accord in this respect; & I welcome Mr Twombly’s co-operation, for I believe he will do as he said, he would (i.e) try to get you a suitable & worthy compensation instead of trying as is not unnaturally the usual custom, to get the lowest price which your modesty or your necessities might make possible—

I enclose a copy of a letter just written by me to him in response to a request for a copy of a project for a company &c which I showed him—

By the way, Mr Billings says that twenty five cents per light would give you a income exceeding Mr Stewarts— ⁴ I told him & Twombly that some fixed royalty would be a condition because you were thus assured of something definite, but the amount might properly be the subject of negotiation upon the basis of your getting $100,000 & of their getting their money back before the payment of any dividend— Page 541

You will note what I have said about their having one year before paying the second fifty thousand—

Keep your expectations moderate, notwithstanding this suggestion of large figures— Perhaps we may not get it all Truly

Menlo Park, N.J., Oct 1st 1878^a

Spiral so moulded right in plaster paris.^1b

Contact point made one solid and small spring with spark point ^2c

Diaphragm model³

New York, Octr 2nd 1878^a

My Dear Edison:

Mr Twombly met me on my arrival in New York this morning and took me to Mr Vanderbilts house where I spent about an hour and a half. They seemed a good deal fortified by a remark of yours that I had put the figures up much higher than anything you had anticipated. I told them that proved how important it was that you should have a friend to advise you. We separated after a good deal of talk with an engagement to meet again at Mr Vanderbilts house this evening.

In the meantime Mr Billings has been here, and I have telegraphed to know when you could show the light. He says the proposition which I made in the letter to Mr Twombly, (a copy of which I enclosed to you yesterday,) is reasonable, if the light Page 545 is what I described it to be, and I have not attempted to do more than describe what my eyes rested upon.

And, now, Mr Banker and Mr Edson have been here. Mr Edson declares himself ready and willing to take up the proposition as made to Mr Twombly and go right on with it. I repudiated entirely his interpretation of what had taken place as constituting a contract, and said to him that he knew perfectly well that nothing had been arrived at, and fixed, in such a way as to make it improper for either party to with-draw. He himself would have felt at perfect liberty to have said to you that day, after thinking about the electric light, “I don’t think there is much in it, and I won’t put any money in”; and you know that you would not have felt that you had any right to complain of him for that.

I intend to unite all these competing interests into one concern; and Mr Edson and Mr Banker have declared that they will be satisfied if they have a chance to subscribe, for $10,000 each, in the $150,000 subscription, if you will make to them some private concession out of your stock. I would suggest that you give them $5000 each. I believe then that with this strong combination they will make more money than they would if they had been organized in the way they proposed with all the rest of the world outside fighting in the courts and elsewhere. They have just left me, and Mr Edson seemed, on the whole, to be contented. I said “you must smile upon me when you meet me, and not think I have wronged you.”

I do not see how you can do otherwise than come to New York if telegraphed for by Twombly; nevertheless I think in such matters two men may sometimes thwart each other, if they act separately, and you should be as reticent as you can, putting the matter upon me, or requiring, before saying anything, that I should be present.

Mr Twombly and I have discussed various ways of paying the $100,000; and probably this evening there will a proposition made that you shall receive $25 000 cash; that they spend $25 000 for the experiments; that at the end of the year, if the experiments are successful, you shall have $25 000 more, and that then you shall receive a yearly sum payable per month or per week, as you see fit instead of the round sum of $50,000 more, down. I think they will agree to this; and I suppose, from what I have heard you say about such matters, you would prefer the money payable in that way, from time to time.

I then propose that the first profits shall be used to restore Page 546 these gentlemens money; that after that you shall have a royalty, the amount of which we must get out with a little more soundness of judgment than before, for they all laugh at 25¢ royalty, Mr Vanderbilt saying this morning that it would produce to you Mr Astors fortune every year, and he did not suppose you wanted so much— There will be, therefore, two yearly sums to be provided for; one yearly sum in lieu of a cash payment of $50,000, and which may be made for your life or for the life of the patent, depending on what the sum is, and the other to be a yearly sum in lieu of royalty.

Mr Vanderbilt thought that would be more satisfactory to you than a royalty, because it is possible to cheat or be deceived in respect to royalties, and very difficult to keep the accounts.

I repeat to you that I see no difficulty in causing all these present competitors to unite to feel pleased with you and with me and with each other and give you what I demand.

And don’t you tell people any more that I demand too much for you. I mean to be perfectly just; and would not willingly demand too much for you any more than I would willingly demand less than I think ought to be paid to you. Yrs

Paris, le 2nd Octob. 1878¹

My dear Edison,

As I cabled you some days ago I made arrangements that one thousand dollars should be paid ia to^b my name credit^b to Serrell.—

I will cable you in a few days to let me know whether the money is paid by the tenth¹—otherwise I will send it by cable from here. I will send also the surplus if more is needed.— I made it one thousand because the first lot for which I paid in New York was twelve hundred fifty—including Spain at 300,—but now according to the new law in Spain the inventor has 2 years time to apply for a patent.— If you let me have a share in the additional countries too—for which we have the telephone & phono patent,—please tell Serrell to cable me the amount and I will forward it at once with great pleasure.— If your invention is practical and only a little superior Page 547 to what they have got now in electric light—there is lots of money in it; and patents ought to be taken out in every known country.

Do you know [-]^c Werderman’s patent.—(I think he got his patent ifor England in June last.)—² They say he found also the indefinit subdivision of light.— It is rumored here that the London Gas Companys paid him about a fortnight ago for his English patent one million dollars.

There is a very strong Company here in france for Electric light.— I had already a talk with the managers—they are very anxious to hear more about your light. We will get from them all the money we want. Yours very truly

Menlo Park, N.J., Oct 2 1878^1a

Mr. Kruesi—I want to have 5 lamps to show:—

1 = They all want to have safety spark points on lever.^b

2 = They all want mounting on bases with bindposts^b

3 = They all want to have no 28 Iridium wire on spirals and expansion^c rods.^b

4 They all want to have 14 copper running from bindpost up to light^b

5 They all want no 28 copper wire connecting the shaft to bracket (round shaft points)^b

6 Two of these 5, upstairs, have platina in, they also have thin copper connections from bindpost to working parts. Wire must be Iridium and copper thicker^d Page 548

Kruesi Next one must have spring instead of lever like this and 2 iridium spirals of No 28 wire about 12 or 14 turns on each

Kruesi Make an experimental Instrument on a sounder base like this:—

A is a bracket to hold one end of spiral

B is a pointed lever holding the other end, it is provided with a double point arrangement C.

D is regulating point. E is the safty point if the spiral busts the lever falls by weight W on to point

Make spring C very delicate and put ‘hold back’ close to points.^b

Regulator and Safety catch.²

Page 549

Make base with 2 posts & glass over to put anything in³ Quantity spirals⁴

Make spirals of finest platina wire with hook at each end & six holes in each plate.

The spirals to be ¾ long without the hooks The plates to be 1 in apart

Top ring

bottom ring

Menlo Park, N.J.,» Oct 2 1878

Platina Telephone receiver¹ passage of the current heats the receiv platina & expansion works the diaphragm =

air draft cools platina & alters the resistance.

[Menlo Park,] Oct 4^th 3^da [187]8¹

Friend Lowrey,

Go ahead— I shall agree to nothing, promise nothing and say nothing to any person leaving the whole matter to you. All I want at present is to be provided with funds to push the light rapidly.² Yours

Menlo Park Oct 3 1878

Caveat No. 3¹

Electric Light Subdivision

The object of this invention is to subdivide the Electric Light and to make a Lamp which is self acting or controllable

The invention consists in the various devices for effecting this object, such devices I am now experimenting with to ascertain their availability for the purpose I have allready filed caveats in which several forms of Lamps are shown and described²

Fig 1 shows the method of causing the rise in the temperature to regulate the temperature of the spiral by the expansion of the inclosed air.³ Q is the glass case made air tight .A. is the incandescent spiral wire D. is the bottom frame⁴ work two air holes⁵ B. and B’ lead from a chamber containing A into a space. C is a diaphragm air tight, when the spiral A becomes heated it instantly expands the air and this forces the diaphragm outward to a distant proportionate with^b the rise in temperature in the centre of this diaphragm is a platina wire K faceing^b this is another platina point⁶ 1 on the end of a flexible spring m when the temperature rises in a to a certain point come in contact and short circuit the spiral it temperature falls and the air contracts the diaphragm recedes and the same operation goes on incessantly. H is an extra platina point⁷ called “the safety “catch” this point is connected to the diaphragm, should the points K & 1 fail to make a connection owing to dust or oxide the temperature of A will rise still higher (but not to its melting point) this will force the spring m down and the spiral A will be short circuited. Just as if K & 1 had not failed an extra catch is arranged with the spiral which should it fuse will close the circuit, these safety catches are shown in figs 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 & 8 the two springs which hold the spiral in all cases are allowed to fall back or forward when the spiral melts and close the circuit Page 553

Fig 9 shews the secondary Battery S. B. arranged with the short circuit to prevent sparks in the points a small condenser might replace it.

Fig 10 shews a spiral filled with some non conductor which becomes incandescent at a low heat

Fig 11 shews a seperate spiral S. immerced in air or a liquid in a seperate compartment covered by a diaphragm the operation is obvious

Page 554

Fig 12 shows the spiral S in a house⁸ worked by secondary Batteries S.B instead of the direct current the latter be used to charge the Battery⁹ m and its lever is vibrated rapidly by a self make and break spring or an electric Engine clock-work or other motor may rotate a commutator to accomplish the circuit changes

Fig 13 shows a spiral placed horizontally the two connecting wires being carried through a peice of chalk .C. or similar material m is Brass peice contaning the chalk provided with two air holes¹⁰ 1 and i’. to allow the expanded air to remove the diaphragm K. outward and regulate the temperature of the spiral .S.

Page 555

Figs. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31 & 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. & 39 are different forms in which I propose to experiment with in ascertaining the best form for giving light by incandescence^b due to the passage of the Electric current through them

Fig 40 shows a regulating wire n and cone c of fine metalic foil kept incandescent.

Fig 41 shows a simple method of regulating the temperature of the spiral S.

I shall probably claim regulating the temperature of a conducting body rendered incandescent by an Electric current by causing the expansion of air in which it is enclosed to move a diaphragm lever or equivalent substantially^b as set forth

2d The double contact points or safety catches substantially as set forth

3d The various arrangement of the incandescent Bodies

Menlo Park, Oct 3rd 1878

Speaking Telephone Receiver¹

The above enclosed in a case to prevent evaporation deliquescent ² Page 557

Attachment for truing Discs³

October 4, 1878^a

Menlo Park, N.J.,^b 3:30 pm

Mr William Wallace

What is the price of duplicate of machine that you got the long arc from ¹ Answer free

San Francisco, Oct. 4th 1878.

Dear Sir:—¹

Mr. Thomas A. Edison of New Jersey has begun some scientific inquiry and experiments with a view of devising means for effectively and economically reducing the temperature in the deep workings of mines.²

He seems satisfied that he can accomplish this far enough to make it possible for men to work easily through an eight or ten hour shift.

To assist him in this, he has requested me to get as much information as possible regarding the present thermal condition of the principal mines on the Comstock lode, and the effectiveness of the means now in use for ventilating and reducing temperature.

Believing that, in view of Mr. Edison’s well known reputation as an inventor, and the importance of the result likely to be obtained, you will readily furnish the information he Page 560 wishes, I enclose a blank to be filled out with such information as you may have or can easily obtain,³ and returned to me to be forwarded to him, or if you prefer, it may be sent directly to him, addressed, Mr. Thomas A. Edison, Menlo Park, New Jersey.

I trust that you will add any information likely to be of any use to Mr. Edison, and at as early date as possible, forward. Very truly Yours

Menlo Park, N.J.^a Oct 4th 1878

Speaking Telephone Receiver¹

A—point made of caustic & chalk or other substances²

Menlo Park N.J. Oct 5th 1878’

My Dear Puskas

I take pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of your favor of the 23d ult and the accompanying documents. ² Am translating them by the aid of a dictionary. Will return them to you by the first steamer, which I think sails Wednesday Oct 9th.³ They will go on one of the French line and will I think, just reach you in time and that is all—

Regarding the phono receipts, I think ½ would be a fair division.

I take pleasure in informing you that I have discovered a new telephone receiver in which no magnet is used. It reproduces the voice several times louder than any magneto receiver— Whispering is reproduced so as to be heard one foot away from the receiver.

The Electric light is going to be a great success.

I have something entirely new— Wm H Vanderbilt and friends have taken it in this country and on Monday next advance $50,000 to conduct experiments

I retain ½ half of the capital stock of the Co they are to form and also receive a royalty of $30,000 yearly if it proves more economical than gas which I am certain it will do. Vanderbilt is the largest gas stock owner in America.

Carbon telephones great success here. I furnish 200 carbon buttons daily to manufacturers (several firms being engaged) making them for the Western Union

I propose to send you through Gouraud a sample of each kind. I do not send them direct for fear of the French patent law, on the subject of imported articles patented in France— ⁴ Very Truly

Menlo Park, N.J., Oct 5 1878^a

Caveat No 4 Electric Light¹

I propose to use reflectors on the bottom and top of the straight glass holders, or in the case of a globe place the incandescent conductor in the centre so it will be in the universal focus Perhaps I can use something in the glass that will radiate well, thus throwing back the heat & allowing the light to pass through.²

If Iridium wire is so impure I propose to use a cable composed of a number of exceedingly fine wires twisted together instead of a le»g single strand with the same amount of metal in the stranded cable

TAE

Newport R.I. Oct. 7″ 1878.

Friend Edison,

I enclose a small bar of pure Iridium—thinking that you may like to use it for a tracing point for one of your Phonographs— Page 564

I have for some time been intending to send it to you—but have neglected to to do— I would expect it to answer better than steel—& to be little inferior to a Ruby—because it is stronger—

While it is not tough & will not bear bending still it is not as brittle as a Garnet—

It is one of the bars that I have used for experiments on Electric Light—¹ It gives off much more light than does Platinum—because it will bear a higher temperature—

I will not however withstand so high a temperature as will a similar carbon bar in vacuo or in Nitrogen— I have obtained as much as 100 to 125 candle light from a square inch of platinum—five or six hundred or even more from Iridium—& over 14 000, from a sq. inch of carbon—

This latter is the most promising—when sealed tightly from oxygen either in vacuo—or in Nitrogen—

How soon will your new Phonographs be ready— Shall you sell or rent them—? If you sell them what will one cost me?—

Would you loan me one of your Carbon Telephones for a few weeks? & could I also get one of Phelps Crown Telephones for a few experiments— The Bell hpeople have loaned me half a dozen or more for experiment—& have constructed them with different resistances—5 ohms 80—450—660 &c.—& with one pair I conversed through 623 000. ohms readily—& could hear with a shunt on the receiver which took off half the current— [Stocky?]^2a whose hearing is impaired wishes to know if you are making progress towards affording relief to deaf people. Truly Yours

[London,] 7 Oct 1878^a

Edison

Panic in Gas shares.¹ electric light occupying much public discussion large combinations forming to work it but hesitate which system to adopt.² how soon can Adams shew your system here, if you will cable what it is desirable to say about it, if anything I will publish such a letter in leading newspapers as will at least delay anybody’s purchasing until your system can be seen

[Menlo Park,] Oct 7 1878

Phonograph ¹

Cylinder stationary fast on shaft

Cylinder with 3 threads on one end²

Arm for mouthpiece on sleeve” with rack to engage in the cylinder thread

Arm with upright to stop against

Friction device for holding up the sleeve when turning out

Fly^b wheel on bottom of second shaft³ Cylinder^b 9 in[ch] diam

Design^b in Shell clockwork covered up & speak through mouthpiece

Make^b arm that carries all mouth piece, stop pin, and rack swing from one common centre⁴

Menlo Park, N.J.,^a [c. October 7, 1878] ¹

Write Barrett & say will resene! him some more apparatus for his lectures Say that the Statement of Hughes that Clerac made resistance^b tubes with carbon the resistance being varied by pressure and which were said to have been used to regulate the resistance of telegraph lines cannot possibly be true for the reason that any changes the amount of resistance that would be thrown in and out of the line by the difference of pressure would be tso small as not to be detected by any apparatus worked on telegraph lines, that I have tried tubes of every size & character with carbon in every degree of finer division & no morse apparatus would detect the change that the thing is an after thought on the part of Hughes and one which fortunately can be proved untrue. CUndoubtedly Clerac mayde tubes filled with carbon that were adjusted to 50 10 500 &or any number of ohms but that he filled tubes with carbon & obtained these resistance by varying the pressure^c could^d not possibly be true in 1856 if it cannot now be done; I believe that it is rather unusual to bring Nothing has ever been published that I can find where Clerac claimed^e this statement of Hughes was set forth. Regarding Mr Preece; Page 569 None of my letters in the public Journals accused him of anything but abusing my confidence; which he did from what cause I cannot imagine. When I said abused my confidence I did not imply that he gave to Hughes any ideas. But that he had abused the confidences I placed in his promise that he would bring the matter my Carbon telephone before the authorities & societies there a result which I had hoped for and which I sent him one^d of my assistants with telephones. I gave him every chance to explain matters because in my first telegram which was widely published, I said, “If you do not set the matter right I shall with details.” After waiting for some time and receiving no reply I then wrote the letters The hard words spoken of were came mainly from newspaper reporters who sympathized with me especially as nearly every scientific man here whom these reporters saw gave the opinion that there was no difference between the microphone & telephone You will notice that my letters are made ofup mostly of extracts from printed publications while Hughes’ replies are insinuations & statements «ethaving nothing to do with the controversy. In one statement he says my apparatus was cumbersome & did not work well that an induction coil had to be used, (that Cl with one week afterwards he applies an induction coil to his device to make it speech^b audible to an audience^f & writes to that effect to a French paper—) He then drags Clerac in makes a statement that an account of it^g was published in the Journal Telegraphique of 1873. whereas there is not one word about it & insinuates that my tubes in 1873 was a singular coincidence;^d Yet not one word is found about it in the Journal Télégraphique of 1873; I am quite willing te setMr Pr to explain matters when Mr Preece shall come out before our society of Telgh Engineers and explain Scientifically the difference between the^h Carbon Telephone & Microphone;

It may astonish you when I state that I have a peice of paper with sketches of my own and Mr Preece when he was here in the laboratory in which an instrument is drawn precisely the same as is sold by one firm in London as the Hughes Microphone This drawing was made to shew to him’ the effect of pressure by weights, thus²

Page 570

His name is shown—one of my scrap books

Again the London Engineering left out of the article I sent them the cut

and^d kept all the others in probably because it looked too much like the microphone; again they left out the paragraph where I said I used conducting sulphides oxides, finely divided metals etc and then also several^d paragraphs^d about the non use of a diaphragm but in every case giving credit to Hughes for just what they suppressed from the article. Now the proEditors of Engineering could not have any object in suppressing these paragraphs’¹ and both Mr P & H had hence I cannot but infer that it was their handiwork, if so why was this necessary if everything was as they claimed.

The fact of the matter is If prior publication is of^d no use: what protection has any scientific man against just^b such mat ters as this, against a person who dont read the journals and designs apparatus in

Excuse me for writing so long a letter but I feel very grieved over this matter Preeces failure to understand Hughes work and to defend me, or at least explain and also at his subsequent action. He must have known that I was the first to use finely divided conducting matter to translate sonorous wvibrations into electric waves. Exactly what Hughes did.

The Motorgraph action was discovered by me in holding my finger on a tin recording point of a Bain recorder in 1872. A^b Motion to a lever was moved’ was obtained in 1874 A machine was designed & made in 1874 whereby vibrations were obtained, levers moved etc.

The Bell telephone was made an used by me in 1875, before Bell had invented his. I used several of them for receiving musical vibrations but Bell had the merit of discovering that such Receivers would act as transmitters. Litigation This is the point of the litigation in the patent office at the present time.

Menlo Park, N.J., Oct 8 1878^a

Working up details of

Was Gouraud.

Say nothing publicly about light let them go ahead I have only correct principle. Requires six months to work up details. Gas men here hedged by going in with me.^b Twenty telephones go on seventeenth, dont wait for new things go ahead on what you have, sample new receiver be sent soons ready.¹

New York, October 8th 1878.^a

Dear Sir:

Please find herewith my report of sales for the month of September, which shows a gratifying continuance of public interest in your invention; the demand however for these merely experimental instruments cannot be expected to last many months longer, but will I hope be replaced by Sales of the “Standard machine” which I understand you are perfecting.¹

While appreciating that you are always very busy we should be glad to see you oftener when in town. Very Truly

Menlo Park NJ Oct. 8 1878

Electric Light Subdivision Caveat No 4¹

The object of this invention is to subdivide the Electric Light by causing the Electric Current to pass through conducting Bodies and render them incandescent

The invention consists in the various devices for accomplishing this object.

Fig 1 shows a peice of metallic foil aA. through which the current passes, the top of this foil is secured to the top of the globe holding it at X an extension arm d is arranged so that the contact spring B rests upon it and places tension on the foil the extreme end of B is faced with platina contact is Page 574 made on a platina faced wheel g this wheel is secured to a shaft which secures causes an upward or downward motion without turning by the action of the screw n. M is a rigid stud in which the devices are secured on the shaft of the platina wheel g is a ratchet wheel with two springs² h & K engaging in its teeth when the screw n is adjusted downward the ratchet and wheel g is rotated about ¹/16 of an inch thus bringing clean platina for contact purposes every time the lamp is used with the wheel ½ an inch in diameter a fresh surface would be brought to face that on the spring B once daily for 24 days which is increased as we increase the size of the wheel, c is a small spring attached either to the spring B or to the frame of the instrument the object of this spring is to keep the foil A stretched when the spring B comes in contact with the wheel g

Fig 2 shows a resistance R inserted in the circuit when the foil A is thrown out by the expansion acting on the lever L to seperate it from the spring c.

Fig 3 shows in place of a resistance R a second foil Page 575

Fig 4 shows a device for lessening the spark when the foil A expands and brings the points together the battery X acts to send a current through A in the opposite direction to the main current

In fig 5 C is a chalk cylinder 1 & 2 are springs³ connected to it between the springs is the foil A X is a cylinder containing a regulating wire n this wire short circuits itself as well as the foil A when^b the temperature approaches the melting point

In fig 6 the short circuiting lever is worked by tension^b” the expansion of the spiral serving to bring the lever around to the short circuiting point

In fig 7 a rod s of silver placed in close proximity to the foil A cools A^c when it expands to such an extent that it bows out and touches the silver Page 576

In fig 8 A is the foil d a lever with a pad at c closing the orifice of the tube m through which a draft of air endeavors to pass when the foil expands to a certain degree the pad at c leaves the tube m and a draft of air passing to a instantly cools it by radiation

In fig 9 a double spiral is used to give light and a single wire for regulation

In fig 10 a carbon rod A dips in a molten mass of metal X in the carbon block B this gives brilliant incandescence, a carbon rod A should be fed downwards by proper mechanisms as it wastes away

Fig 11 shows two carbons 1 & 2 placed within a short distance of each other and in contacts at their ends when no current Page 577 passes. X is a platinum rod^d inclosed in the circuit and secured to the carbon 2 when the current passes X expands and with the assistance of the spring s seperate the carbons and establishes the arc

Fig 12 shows the expansion of a spring X by the heat of the arc

Fig 13 shows double expansion wires A & B

Fig 14 shows two carbons 1 & 2 working on torsion wires the arc being maintained by repulsion

Fig 15 shows a foil for incandescence on a peice of chalk it is ribbed in the center for strength Page 578

Fig 16–17 & 18 are similar

Fig 19 A is the foil B a weight short circuit takes place in a cup of mercury X

In fig 20 several levers ⁸ are 1 2 & 3 are used to make contact should one fail the others connecting should all fail to connect with 4 and short circuit the foil it would still be saved by the stirrup 8 leaving the levers and the current passing through spring 7 and resistance R 5 is the adjusting screw for the contact 4.6 is a mercury cup to insure contact together of all the levers

In fig 21 spring replaces the levers of fig 20 Page 579

In fig 22 the object is the same as in fig 1 but rotation of the platina wheel is obtained by the expansion of the Zinc rod X. every time the foil becomes incandescent a click in the rod engaging in the ratchet on the platina wheel.

fig 23 shows the^c ordinary regulator with the addition of a lamp and wick which assists the incandescence of the foil and which for some purposes is a useful adjunct

Fig 24–25 & 26 shows methods of connecting the spiral ein a magneto electric circuit Page 580

Fig 27 & 28 shows methods of connecting several regulators in 27 they are connected for intensity in 28 for quantity¹⁰

[Menlo Park,] Oct9[i87]8

Dear Sir

Genl Stager informs me that the W.E. Mfg Co have plenty of pens in stock but that they will not let them go except for cash and complains that you are behind in payments and that is the whole trouble— I hope this can be fixed up otherwise the business is ruined— Puskas will telegraph me on the 28th of this month $8,000¹ of which deducting some expenses I suppose ¹/9 will be yours.² Will notify you when it is rec’d and you can draw at sight. Very Truly

[Menlo Park,] Oct9[187]8

Dear Sir

I understand that the President of the Phono Co¹ says that I am not entitled to any royalty on phono exhibitions.² I should like to be informed of this decision officially. ³ Very Truly

Menlo Park, N.J., Oct. 10, 1878.

Dear Sir:—

Your favor of the 9th has just been received.¹ The Sun article was somewhat exaggerated. ² But it is safe to say that I have some new ideas in regard to the electric light, more especially relating to the infinite subdivision of the same. I expect to put in at least 6 months solid work perfecting it. Am just ordering a 50 H.P. engine for this line of experiment.³

I do not think I will enter the lecture field for several years.—Can’t spare the time.—and have no inclination that way.⁴ Very truly yours,

Philadelphia, Oct. 10, 1878.

My dear Edison:—

On looking up the subject of titanium, I find that it has never been” obtained except in the form of powder; in which form the dealers in rare chemicals sell it; as you will see by the catalogues of Trommsdorff, Schuchhardt, and Karlbaum which I have mailed you today.¹ Since it decomposes water at 500^o, it must take fire and burn to oxide at a red heat or less. I think silicon is better than titanium, for light. As to Rutile, there is a mineral dealer here who I think would supply you. If you say so I will get the price from him. If you only want a small quantity, I think you had better buy the titanic acid already made. This can be converted into titanic tetrachloride, and the vapor of this passed over heated sodium to obtain the metallic titanium.

I sent you yesterday an ounce bottle of chemically pure oxalate of cerium, precipitated from an acid solution by oxealic acid. If you want more, I can send you another bottle. I would like to know if you find it any better for your purpose than the commercial oxalate, which contains Di ² and La.

How does your new light come on? Mr. Bentley called me on the telephone yesterday and introduced me to a Mr. Wise³ of the Permanent Exhibition here, who told me that Brush’s machines⁴ were not giving satisfaction, and he desired to know about your invention. I told him your expectation was to make it public in a few weeks and that you had promised it to me for my lecture on Nov. 14th. I told him he ought to go over to N.Y. to the American Institute and see how Wallace’s machines worked lighting up that building. By the way you were over there last night I heard. What success has Wallace in lighting up? I believe his machine is the best in this country yet and I should like to see a comparative test made between that and the Siemens machine.⁵

Speaking of Wallace, I felt a little sorry for him when you told me the arrangements you had made for putting your new light on the market. I wish you had let him know of the plan, so that he could have gone into the company on equal terms with the men whose names you gave me. He is a capital fellow and an honest man, and I should like to have him have a chance in your new method of lighting.

So soon as you can spare one, I hope you will send me one of the new lights to experiment with with my Gramme machine⁶ in preparation for my lecture. You know I am expecting you and Bachelor over to help me show that new light. Page 584

Can you tell me where the cap is for the cone of the tasimeter I have? You had it in your bag.

I enclose some papers of yours I had & a letter which came to St. L. after you left.⁷ Draper would like your Tasimeter paper in the form of a report to him. ⁸ May I make the change? Ask Bachelor to send me these things soon. With best wishes Cordially yours

Tarry town Oct 10th 1878^a

My Dear Edison:

Mr Banker has been ill for two days this week and Mr Twombly’s occupation and my own engagements have prevented us from coming together. But I have fixed Saturday as a day for meeting to organize a company and pay in the first $30 000 subscription. If I need you on that day I will telegraph you. If you need money send over a messenger, first telegraphing the amount which you will require.

Mr Carr¹ and Mr Depew called on me a few days since. I told them I thought we were not yet ready to entertain proposals for the foreign patents. That it was your design to perfect the light with all the appurtenances here and when that was done you would be ready to name a price for foreign countries. Page 586

They seemed entirely satisfied with this, especially as I assured them that they should have fair notice when we were ready and an opportunity to compete with others.

I should like to have a word from you from time to time letting me know how you progress.

Are the foreign patents applied for? Does Mr Serrel look after all these things for you.

Our friends Banker, Edson and Twombly appear quite content with their respective interests. I think nature has formed Mr Twombly to want a little more always, but with this not uncommon defect I am disposed to like him and find good in him.

With the English patents I think we can get money enough not only to set you up forever but to enable you at once if you desire to build and formally endow a working laboratory such as the world needs and has never seen. I should like immensely to see your name given to a place of that sort, which while conducted as nearly as possible on self supporting principles would give a fair opportunity for indigent but ingenious men to have their ideas exploited or exploded as the case might be. Do not you think that might be made a very useful institution. I presume it would be very difficult to arrange so as to suit every-body and perhaps the notion is only whimsical Very truly yours

[Menlo Park,] Oct 10 78

Electric Light Experiment¹

1 Fix the Mercury guage and Air Pump^2a

2 Arrange a piece of sheet platina ¼ wide and very thin ¹/5000 in the glass bulb, with proper bindpost for large wire that we may try the effects of a partial or whole vacuum on radiation from the spiral^b 〈O.K.〉^c Page 587

2 Make 2 large cells consisting of Make 2 platina strips ⅛ wide one & the other ¼ wide both same length & having same resistance on Bradley strap 4 ³ with large C and H cell⁴ One foil being twice as thin as other arrange the 4 C H cells to heat either to redness but not to incandescence These foils to be without regulators and arranged so that glass tubes can be placed over them, which tubes are air tight at top and ground on bottom so that there is no leaakage at bot of air good solid connections required 〈OK started〉^5d

The idea is to ascertain if we do not gain by increased light by increased surfaced without alteration of resistance and also to ascertain if the radiation nullifies the effect of increased surface

(3) Make 2 lamps without regulators same as above with ¼ inch foils, very thin, one coiled in cylindrical form and the other straight the edges of cylinder not lapping but butted with smallest crack possible^a 〈OK started〉^6d

(4) Piece of Platina ¼ in wide to fit double pillar machine rolled if possible ¹/10000 inch thick and set in machine.³

(5) On one of the old style lamp regulators I want a platina point on lever ⅜ long and on the screw a brass cup containing Mercury in which I place two or three drops of glycerine 〈OK〉^7d

(6) Make With one of the machines made with ⅛ inch foil very thin arranged with a standard candle to see the p. c. of loss with thick and thin tubes of glass over it, the idea being that while glass does not obstruct light in the same ratio as radiant heat hence there may be a gain in amount of light by employing thicker bulbs Arra

() Arrange on a vertical revolving shaft at 300 per min. a lamp one of old style spirals with regulator securely clamped to the shaft with two heavy rings & heavy^e connection springs for conveying the current to lamp; idea being to increase quantity of light & diminishing its intensity the spiral must describe a 2 in[ch] circle.^8a

Make two induction coils of No 3 primary and 2 layers; and No 8 Secondary 8 layers cores 3 inch diameter 12 inch long cast iron, also cast iron backs placed on bases with bindposts for heavy wires— ⁹

New York, October 11, 1878^a

Friend Edison

We are about to order an additional lot of telephone receivers, but before doing so would like to know what progress you are making with your new receiver. If you are likely to have it out soon it would be better for us to wait for it, or to order a small lot to cover our immediate wants.

My new chapter on Electric Light is nearly completed. If you wish me to say anything about your work in this direction let me know what, as soon as you can, because I want to finish the chapter, and electrotype it before going on to your experiments in telephonic matters etc. ¹

I ordered your material as requested and sent you cuts of tasimeter which I presume you duly received.²

Shall I assign half of my quadruplex patent to you, according to agreement of August 19, 1874, or shall I assign the whole of it to the Company. I will do as you wish.³

Dr Nicholson⁴ was here yesterday, and says he will show who invented the quadruplex first when he gets before the Patent Office.⁵ Yours truly

New York Oct 11 1878^a

My dear Edison

I am sorry not to have been able to explain the state of the different casses—^lb I have nearly fixed the Toy business as you see but Russell will not deal with the Phono Co but only with me but is willing for me to arrange with^b the Phono Co myself and I propose for^b them to operate it having my half interest or the profits arising therefrom— In the matter of our own contract I have made the alterations we spoke of which I hope will meet your views. You see I put in the Exhibition royalty at the same time to close that up fairly to you— I think I can arrang with Russell on the basis I send— I am very anxious^b to restore peace in our camp and increase the value of our stock &c— Yours truly

New York, Oct 12th 1878^a

My dear Edison

Please be at my office at 2 o’clock on Monday—¹ At that I expect to be ready to place $30,000 at your service for developing the light. At that time I will have the contract which I propose ready—² I have drawn it hastily & enclose you a copy³ to be examined by you before we meet— I think on the whole you should see me & bring back the paper at twelve o’clock, and I can then have it re-written before 2 o’clock at which time I will fix a meeting to organize the Company and complete everything—⁴ I got in very late this afternoon & found Mr Griffin just going— He assures me that you do not need the $1240, for bills this afternoon & that Monday will do— If you needed it I would, although it is three o’clock, send out & get the greenbacks— I could give you a check but that would do you no good so late⁵

Another bid for the foreign patents has just come to me from the largest Banking House here— I told them that the longest pole would knock the persimmon, & I explained to them that they must compete with Carr, Depew and all others fairly—

The right way is to perfect the <thing here and then—we shall see— I don’t dare tell you how much I propose to ask down^b, besides retaining royalties, interest &c Yrs tly

[Menlo Park,] Oct 13th 1878

Edisons New Telephone Receiver Bracket for Same¹

Coil partitioned off on inside

[Menlo Park, c. October 13, 1878]¹

Mr Kruesi

Will you start Moffatt² on this box. You will see that the front is hinged That holds the transmitter I will be there soon

Will you also sketch out for Hense³ a chalk holder for the Motograph like this

Make the chalks so that they can take them off and put another something same as the one I have drawn for the other one only not so wide

Menlo Park N.J. Oct 14. 78¹

My Dear Gouraud

Rec’d Adams Cable dispatch tonight about Bell people putting on injunction on our receivers with magnet.² I cannot see how his patent can be maintained because the instrument as shown in his patent is not the one he uses, the one in the patent being inoperative.

However it is perhaps best that Bells patent should be sustained because if left open to the public it might damage us: The new receiver removes all question of patent rights in any country. I have several here in operation but am waiting to see if there are any defects before sending to you— The moment I am satisfied on this point they will go forward— The new receiver is such an enormous advance in telegraphy that you will be astonished— Batchelor last night heard whispering when 15 feet distant from the receiver. Ordinary conversation comes out about as loud as originally spoken, and but one cell Page 596 of callaud battery is required— In fact with the carbon transmitter and this receiver we have control of Telephony for the future, so be careful.

Electric Light. You know I telegraphed you that I had put you in with some strong parties here on light—³ So you will be counted in but I can make no arrangements as I am committed to parties here. In this country W. H. Vanderbilt and friends have taken it advancing $50,000 cash to experiment with and giving me ½ of the stock of the Co besides paying a royalty of $30 000 yearly.⁴ I am having fine success with the experiments— Am putting in a 50 H. P. engine and lot of electric machines for experimenting—⁵ British patent was sent last week. ⁶

Private. Parties after the light in England are J. S. Morgan,⁷—Reed⁸ the English naval constructor in connection here with Cauncy Depew and Col Carr, also Emil Erlanger⁹ Paris (Banker) who cabled— This information is private— Please understand that in any arrangement I make, you are to be in because I consider you as my representative there.

Have rec’d no papers as yet about Telephones— Central System here is a grand success —Very Truly

Menlo Park N.J. Oct 14. 78¹

My Dear Puskas

Money $1900 received by Serrell Saturday.² Patents go forward next Thursday.³ It will be necessary to take two, if not three sets of^a patents— The first set will contain the germ principle with apparatus that is somewhat imperfect— I cannot delay the patents to perfect the system because once the principle secured I am safe from the effect of publicity— The second set of patents will have to be obtained when the apparatus has reached a stage where several hundred are shown at once in operation and perhaps a final set, but it is possible that only two sets will be necessary. The first set will cost from 12 to $1500.

The arrangement with Vanderbilt is closed up and they have paid in their money—

No one but yourself and I have anything to do with the light on the Continent. Emil Erlanger the Paris banker cabled house^b here to secure light and they^c came here to me. I referred them to you. My impression is that I can make my system a great success so do not commit yourself without submitting terms to me— Very Truly

[Menlo Park,] Oct 14 [i87]8^a

My Dear Mr Rosevelt.

You know that Painter and Johnson were the parties who first dealt with me on the Phonograph Matter^b and I am in duty bound to ask them if they are satisfied that I should make changes in the contract as proposed.¹ For myself I do not see but that it is all right and fair to all but still I should like to submit the revised contract to both Painter & Johnson before doing anything in the matter.

Regarding the Toy contract that is another matter, because I am not under obligations to them in this respect, and I see no reason why you should not personally buy Harris out. But of course if the Phonograph Co claim that the small machine of Harris is not a toy then I have no right to say to you that you may pay Russell ten cents on each Neither have I anything to do with the amount you pay Harris, because that is a private matter between you and him.²I enclose you a letter somewhat changed to see if it will satisfy you and accomplish the object you have in hand. If not I will try and alter it as far as I can with justice to myself. Yours

New York, Oct 15 1878^a

Dear Sir:

Please do me the favor not to mention the price at which I sold you the Brown Engine, this will be to your interest, as well as mine, in case you wish to dispose of it— $2500 is as low a price as we care to make for this size:¹ The man I wrote to about your Hydraulic Press, wants to know how much pressure you want, and the nature of your work, says he can’t tell what you want without more information— The plan for Page 600 your Boiler & Engine House is well along, and expect to call on you with it in a day or two—² I will call on you again or send some one to see you about the other Pump— I have some nickel plated shafting would like to have you see— I have written to the mason & will see Mr Kinney— ³ Please call when you come to N.Y. Yrs very truly

[London,] Octr 15 [1878]

My dear Edison,

I was so sorry to miss you after your return to NY. Why did you not come to the century?¹ One may elapse before we meet unless you are very good .

Thanks for the cuts for Nature² but I want you to let Nature have the first say about your things & not almost the last! What in thunder is this new gas arrangement of yours? I have just bought some gas shares but I am prepared to go in for one universal bust & explosion in Nature if you will only let us talk about it in time.

Have not received the tasimeter³

The Museum here has not received your first phonograph⁴

We are both gaping for the fulfillment of your promise.

Now please send me all your novelties while they are red hot likewise a photograph of you like the one you gave the crafty Fox. Believe me Ever faithfully yours

London 16 Octr 1878.^a

T. A. Edison Esq

Telephones

Everything is going on satisfactorily and I shall forward you in a few days the papers in the case of the first organisation namely “The Railway Speaking-Telephone Company of Great Britain (Edisons Patent)” outline form prospectus of which I enclose.¹

The object of my first transaction as reported to you by Cable and approved was mainly with the idea of securing the entire time and services of a very useful man who makes the first advance himself and under my direction “pulls the wires.” I took the course I did with respect to submitting to you the proposition by Cable for the reason that the only way I could get him to decide at once was by saying that I would join him in the purchase on that basis, he therefore does not know that you share with me the Stock I am to have. The plan accomplished the purpose. He does not know nor does any one else the basis of my contract with you nor is it necessary that they should. What I do with them I do on the merits of the basis known to them: what I do with you is nobody’s business but yours and mine.

I propose to get several times the sum named as advanced Royalties from the Company formed and you will also receive a large proportion of the shares of the Company as well.

Now, I will tell you generally what my ideas are as to the best means of making the most of the splendid material in hand namely,—that we shall not sell out the whole thing to, Page 603 nor place the whole matter in the hands of, any one set of people however good they may be but that we shall organise all over the Country in all the large Towns in Great Britain a separate Company called “The Speaking Telephone Company of”—Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield & so forth—having a local Board in each place consisting of the best men in the place and divide it as on outlined in^b form Enclosed.

I propose for the general basis of these Companies something like the following

1. That the Patentees shall grant exclusive Licenses,^c he to receive one-fourth (if I can make it so—one-fifth at least) of the price charged by the Company as Royalties or Sale leaving to each Company the rates to be determined

2. The Company to pay an advance of as much as I can get in each case on account of Royalties all the way from £1000 to £20,000 depending upon the comparative estimated values of the districts licensed.

3 That you are to have perpetual representation on the Board of each Company so long as your interest in its business is dependent upon Royalties or profits. I mean until—as it is possible might be the case—your entire interest were bought out.

I propose that I shall be that Director but whoever he may be he shall have the power to appear by proxy at all meetings of either an entire Board or an Executive Committee thereof.

There are some novel features about this plan but they have the merit of common sense and the plan of separate Companies in any such undertaking is, I believe, in this Country quite unknown; but several friends of mine whose opinions I esteem most highly confirm my impression that it is the very best we can adopt.

I propose to have everything perfected in the way of the organisation down to the minutest detail so that whenever we are ready to exhibit the thing in a certain locality we may take advantage of the local excitement and gratuitous advertising which we are bound to get from the Press and be ready to at once accommodate a few of the people who are sure to want to go in; and, striking whilst the iron is hot there will be nothing to do but receive their cheques and furnish to them their Shares. I should propose to offer as available for local subscription as a rule only a proportion of the total Share issue beginning with a half and raising the amount to accommodate any demand beyond that. Page 604

I have had numerous offers already to organise Companies in different places if I would place the matter in the hand of the proposers but I have decided that one organisation being perfected it is a mere matter of machinery to grind out as many more as may be needed and by these means we will save parting with interest that we would have to give to others to do work that we can get done at a small expense ourselves. This plan you will observe practically gives me control over our joint interests—yours and mine—of each organisation and the system of local Companies will enable us to get into, not only the Board but as Shareholders of the Telephone Company a vast number of prominent^d people who could not possibly be expected to either take Shares or be Directors in a single London Company. The one exception to the exclusive privilege in any single geographical^c district to any one Company will be “The Railway Speaking-Telephone Company of Great Britain” whose business will be confined exclusively to Railway Companies which run everywhere and to which, in the end we may be obliged to sell the privilege outright as a means of getting the most money since experience proves that they are apt to prefer the payment of rather round sums to have done with internal administrations and to avoid the necessity of requisitions and accounts. But you will see that this exception will not materially affect an extensive business to each local Company.

Unless I am greatly mistaken you will derive a most satisfactory income from your share in thiese Companyies and which it shall be my special pride as well as my own best interest to make as large as possible

Bell Telephone Co’s Injunction

We all agree that we had better not put out any Telephones commercially in any way until we get the new Receiver since you declare that that will place the question of infringement beyond all possibility Meanwhile we really lose no time since we shall go on with a sort of private demonstration of the power of the instrument and the selection of our shareholders and Directors, but you will of course appreciate the great importance of losing no time in placing us in that impregnable position which the new Receiver promises to afford

Your Telephone generally

I have established a little Telephone Exchange of my own account as per Plan enclosed,² connecting my office with several offices in the City with which I am always in constant communication I show the Telephone from here and I may Page 605 say that without exception everybody who has thus far seen it—and only the choice few have been invited—pronounce it, as of course you will not be surprised to hear—all that we can ask with respect to its superiority to Bell’s—in a word the gist of the comparison is simply that one is practicable and the other is not; and no one asks anything better than yours so that if your new Receiver is as your Cable informs me four times as loud—well, unless it jars upon the brain I suppose it will not do any harm but what you have given is good enough, still I suppose you cannot help following^c it up to get the existing to what you believe to be the possible or what to you is synonymous with perfect.

We none of us like the tube instrument the Receivers being so far away there was a certain resonance from the action of otherwise imperceptible waves of the atmosphere striking against the tubes themselves. We like the bracket form infinitely better and are having a lot made with a table adapted to the size of English Telegraph forms and the Call Bell underneath so that there is nothing visible but the Transmitter and Receiver. We put an extra arm to the Transmitter bracket so that it may be used when sitting upon a chair or by giants or dwarfs, children &c. We will also have a bracket upon the wall in which to hang the receiver should it be desired to sit long either for conversation or reading through the Telephone making it unnecessary to hold anything. We shall go ahead with this form of transmitter and use the present receiver for those made in advance of the new and independent Receiver.

I enclose copy of the manner in which I met^c the first attack of Bell which I think will meet with your approval and will show them that we mean business.³

What I meant in my Telegram about sending Transmitters only was that Adams for some reason decided to make the Receivers here

Electric Light

If I had had my wits about me when your Telegram came announcing your discovery in this connection I might have made you a clean million as it played the very devil with Stocks all over the country. They have since rallied somewhat partly due to circulation by the Bulls of reports that your discovery is all a hoax; notwithstanding Adams is deluged by letters and visits of enquiry. I enclose sample of two letters selected from this morning’s mail with the circular form of reply adopted in one case and special reply in the other. ⁴ I also enclose card which will probably^c appear in to-morrow’s papers Page 606 from Adams. By the way I am conducting all this correspondence in Adams’s name but from the address of my office where he has a private room and every convenience.

Now, my dear fellow, I would express my very high appreciation of the compliment you pay me and your kindness as well in proposing to place in my hands this further invention and one, which, if all is true that is credited to it should be found the most money-making thing that you could possibly have produced and I need only assure you that you shall have, as usual, my best attention. I regret that you should have found it necessary to combine with me in England somebody in New York as you intimate however “bright strong a^c party” it may be. With regard to the Continent and your sentiment for Puskas I^e will abstain from comment from motives of delicacy. ^5c I feel it however due to you to state that one circumstance concerning him in which I have felt your honor to be at stake and the course which I pursued in connection with it.

It has been impossible for me to proceed in the matter of the preparation of the necessary papers between yourself and the proposed Companyies without more information concerning the Patents Deeds &c than I had; and, inasmuch as you advised me that the Telephone Patents were included in the Phonograph patents and that I should obtain a copy of Nottage’s contract as a basis I undertook to do so, and finding the only practicable means to be a letter from Puskas to the Solicitors who drew it instructing them to furnish me a copy. I applied to him for it and after considerable hesitation and some delay he gave me a letter requesting them to allow me to read it and take a copy if I desired. This letter I gave to my Solicitors who made several visits and applications and quite contrary to the custom in the profession they were unable to obtain it, being pressed for the reason they finally gave it to be that supposing me to be interested with you they objected upon the ground that Puskas your agent in this matter had never paid the costs which had been repeatedly demanded of him. Upon receiving this information I immediately instructed my solicitor to state that I was connected with you and represented your inventions in this country, and that I would personally guarantee the prompt payment of all the charges in question incurred in your behalf. Now my dear fellow you must draw your own inferences from this statement which is more evidence corroborative of more than one rumour I have heard about the gentlemen in question.

I feel perfectly certain that this invention can be worked to Page 607 more profit from London as its centre than by any other possible means as all the large Continental Banking interests have Branches or Resident Partners, or intimate connections here in London and if your Light is what we are led to infer it will be the biggest thing in the world for making money with. I am always at your command and if you like to make my interest in this subject include the Continent either as a whole or as a part you will of course do so.

Other letters referred to as enclosed I have not time to get copied, will go forward by next mail.

ENCLOSURE^f

The Speaking-Telephone Company of

Directors

________ a Swell

________ an M.P

________ a Railway Director

________ a manufacturer

________ a merchant

________ a Banker

Mr Butcher⁶—& myself—

Bankers

The best firm of Local^c Bankers

Solicitors

The best firm of local Solicitors

Brokers

The best firm of local Brokers & also a good firm of London

Brokers as London^d Brokers to the Coy.

Consulting Engineers

Thomas A Edison & The most prominent Electrician

in the District

Telephone Engineer

James Adams

ENCLOSURE*

London, 187^h

Edison’s Electric Light

To the Editor of⁷

Sir:

May I ask so much of your valuable space as to allow me to take this means of replying to the communications which are pouring in upon me from all quarters, as well as personal applications to an extent quite beyond my powers to meet with personal interviews. Page 608

Nothing can at present be said upon the subject of Edison’s Electric light further than has already been made known through the medium of the press, except that every effort is being made to push forward the securing of the patents so soon as this is accomplished, not a moments time will be lost in exhibiting the process in this country.—

Meanwhile no contracts can be entered into for the sale of, or licenses under the patents; but the numerous applications already received as well as any that may be hereafter received will be duly noted and the writers communicated with whenever that part of the business is ready to proceed with.

It may perhaps be of value to add that the reports circulating in some quarters to the effect that “the whole thing is a hoax” must have emenated from interested parties as there is no doubt whatever that Mr Edison has made the “alleged” discovery in question.

It shall be my very great pleasure Mr Editor to extend to yourself together with the other Editors of the leading journals the first invitation to witness the practical operations of “The Edison Electric light.” Yours faithfully

Menlo Park Oct 16, 1878

Electric Light Caveat No 5¹

The object of this invention is to subdivide the Electric Light by causing Etc Etc

Fig 1 shows a method whereby as the current increases in strength the foil A Expands and rotates the lever B around the disc C by means of the shaft m and string or cord n. The spring s serves to keep the foil A stretched X [-]^a is a flat foil on the face of the chalk disc C, this foil is included in the circuit when A expands the arm B moves to the left and cuts more of the foil X in circuit hence as the current strength increases more foil is thrown in circuit reducing the temperature of A hence A cannot rise in temperature to the melting point

Fig 2 shows a method to decreasing the resistance of the incandescent foil A when its temperature rises hence the temperature cannot rise above a certain degree. Upon the expansion of A the lever B is brought in contact with A and a portion of the circuit passes through B. S. is a spring to keep the foil A stretched Page 610

Fig 3 shows the regulation of the temperature of the foil A by stretching short circuiting^b it. a second but smaller strip B forming a part of the short circuit

Fig 4 shows the usual short circuiting method with the addition of and extra device for throwing the incandescent conductor of out circuit when it is not to be used & throwing in circuit a resistance equal to it, so as to keep the resistance of the line perfectly constant. C & D are contact points seperated by the disc n upon the upward movement of the screw g— when they are seperated the foil A is cut of circuit & the resistance R thrown in Page 611

Fig 5 shews a method of throwing more or less foil in circuit by means of an axial magnet. X is the axial magnet C a pulley on which a long strip of foil is wound, n is a weight to keep the foil stretched B is a rod dipping in mercury through which the connection is made, when the current strength increases the core is attracted within the magnet spool to a certain distance & this^c give rotation to the drum C and the weight n uncoils more foil Page 612

Fig 6 is a similar arrangement a spring X gives the downward motion. C is the drum carrying the foil and a an extra foil whose expansion allows C to rotate and more foils unwinds

Fig 7 shows a variable short circuit around the incandescent foil A. C is a block on which is wound fine wire a spring n when A expands flattens out and short circuits more or less of the wire on c & thus shortens the shunt around A Page 613

Fig 8 shows a similar device X is a spiral spring which acts as a resistance a downward movement of the lever on the expansion of a brings all the spirals together and forms the short circuit thus preventing any spark

Fig 9 is a similar device the rotation of the cylinder short circuits more or less of the springs upon the metal peices B thus shortening the shunt Page 614

Fig 10 shows a shunt formed by a Carbon button

Fig 11 is another modification of the carbon button principle

Fig 12 shows a sliding contact Point X being the platina Page 615

Fig 13 shows the sliding contact point which in this case does not short circuit¹ the foil A but closes a local circuit containing a battery and magnet the lever of the magnet short circuits the foil A

Fig 14 is a similar device but the magnet is worked by a current from a derived circuit

Fig 15 the magnet does not make a platina contact short circuit but one by pressure thus preventing sparks Page 616

Fig 16 shews a rotating wheel with a peice of Carbon in it more or less of this Carbon is thrown in the shunt as the foil a expands or contracts

Fig 17 shows a device whereby an increase in the current puts in an increased length of foil A in expanding rotates d and this having a large surface ie^d being a larger wheel allow more of the foil B to unfold. C is a spring to keep the foil stretched Page 617

Fig 18 shows an increased length of foil placed in circuit by means of axial magnetism

Fig 19 shows a coiled shunt whose resistance is increased or decreased by more or less contact with mercury

Page 618

Fig 20 shows two revolving contact wheels to insure clean contact points

Fig 21 & 22 shows gradually diminishing resistance^c of shunt by means of several springs arranged so that with a slight expansion of the spiral one spring comes in contact with its point and shortens the shunt and so on

Fig 23 & 24 show devices for giving increased length of foil when the current strength is increased Page 619

Fig 25 shows is^c similar to 23 & 24 except the movement of the foil is obtained by mercury

New York, Oct 17” 1878¹

My Dear Edison:

I have received your enclosure from the ex-Mexican Consul.¹ Page 620

Decidedly I should think it best to take out patents in Mexico, and in others of the Central and South American States— wherever there is patent law, and to get Government concessions where there is not. You remember that upon Mr Edson’s suggestion you consented that these should go into the arrangement with the Edison Electric Light Company, subject however to a different provision as to royalty; that is to say, as I understood it, your royalty for those Southern Countries is not to be counted in the $30 000 to which you are limited for the United States and Canada.

Mr Soren² is now going over the contract carefully, and I will have a provision put in fixing a similar limit for South America, say $30,000 for those countries. That, I think will be fair. After a conversation with Mr Banker this morning I think it right to suggest that you should not answer, for the present, any enquiries which may be put to you by parties recently in negotiation with you as to the progress you are making. After reflection it is our opinion that those parties have not been actuated by the most elevated sentiments, and we see no reason why they should be favored with the means of judging whether to come in or not within the fortnight which I gave. The answer which was made to me on the day when we parted, in your presence & in that of Mr Edson and Mr Banker, was such as to make me regret that I had suggested keeping the thing open. I think, therefore, as that gentleman³ is for the moment out, he is not entitled to have any information as to how you are getting on.

In respect to your letter of the 18th to your Paris Agent I should like to see you, and then we will draft a letter suitable to go to him.⁴

I am fully of opinion that the very best thing you can do is to interest J. S. Morgan & Co, of London, with you directly, so that they will be interested in enhancing the price instead of being interested in reducing it. I have mentioned this to Mr Fabbri,⁵ who has again complimented me upon getting to be too much of a Banker; but added, “of course that is the very wisest thing that Mr Edison could do, because then you may be sure that all the money there is in Europe to be got out of this thing will be got.” and I will add fairly accounted for.^b

The rights and interests of Col Goreau and of your Paris Agent, of course, are to be protected. If these gentlemen are intelligent they will at once see that by enlisting the services of such a house as Morgan & Co their own interests will be very greatly enhanced. Page 621

I should like to know when you are coming in, and will telegraph to find that out today.⁶ Yours Very truly

Menlo Park, N.J.^a Oct 17, 1878¹

Dear Sir

I cabled you on the 15th inst as follows

“Puskas. Paris. Dont commit yourself on light without consulting me.” Edison²

Since I communicated with you last some friends [of]^b mine in this country have engaged with me for the purpose of developing and perfecting in the highest degree the electric light, and with that in view have provided the requisite capital for that purpose as I have already informed you. By this means I hope before concluding any definite arrangements with any persons in Europe for the use of the light to be able to exhibit precisely what it can do and for that reason I am desirous that nothing should be consummated for the present, or until I have given you definite instructions on the subject. In the meantime my friends Messrs Drexel Morgan & Co of this city (being among the parties who have interested themselves here) have mentioned to me that Mr Harjes³ of their house in Paris would at the proper time be willing to confer with you in respect to what shall be done with the light in Europe. I shall be glad if you will put yourself in communication with Mr Harjes upon this subject, and meantime do nothing tending to commit either yourself [or]^b me until we have completed entirely our demonstrations of the light here and until [I]^b have given you further instructions. Yours Very Truly

Menlo Park, N.J., Oct 17 1878^a

Caveat No. 6.¹

regulating the total current.²

Regulating the speed of the magneto also its current.³

Dublin Oct 19, 1878

Dear Mr Edison

I wrote to you yesterday¹ & today brings your letter of the 7th I am very glad to have your version of the Preece-Hughes affair if you will allow me I will at once publish the principal part of your letter; moreover, though Mr Preece is a personal friend of mine I prefer² offending him to the suppression of what is true, and so far as I can judge with Preece’s Hughes & your letters before me—you appear to have been wholly justified in the statements you made. I will let Sir Wm Thomson see your letter & write [soon]^b to him^c on the question. Lord Rosse² whose name is of considerable influence in scientific circles was here yesterday³ I regret that your letter was not before me then but I will show it to him on his return to town in a few days— I propose incorporating the facts you give me in an article in Nature and coming from an independent source I trust the English & New York papers will see your claims is justified. As to Clerac’s resistance tubes I am glad to have your confirmation of my own opinion that no mere variation in pressure—would suffice for Telegraph work— These are obviously afterthoughts just as in my own Page 624 case after my discovery of-flames there was an attempt made (by an eminent Scientific man to whom I had shown my early expts after suppressing my name & virtually claiming the discovery for himself) to refer the whole thing to some one else who happened long prior to have made an incidental and forgotten observation remotely related to it. Leaving these matters let me congratulate you on your new triumph. I hope your discoveries are in good hands The Carbon telephone is likely to be a much better speculation to the companies working it than it was for you. Have you tried recording the signals sent— An idea suggested by one of Varleys patents might be useful. A wire in a coil vibrating under the action of the current & its vibrations [revealed]⁴—by its movements in front of a chintz with a light behind.

With the Tasimeter I would suggest a cylindrical silvered mirror behind the strip, this gives a line of light falling^d on the strip— Do you wish these made by an special firm? I suppose it is patented & a royalty might be paid by the makers—I will go to London next week purposely to try some expts with your telephone on a 110 miles wire (Norwich to London) Mr——M. P. has lent me for the purpose. I send you a Dublin paper today with a short paragraph I sent them on your Telephone Perhaps something may be got out of the new expts I send you by with^e this by book post— I will give Adams one of the instruments for you though they are hardly worth sending— I want electro’s of some of your things shown in Prescotts book for “Nature” & can they be got to save fresh wood cuts⁵ Yrs &c

Newark, N.J., Oct. 19 1878^a

Dr Sir

We shipped you to day N.J. Exfpress] the 12 in machine,’ this is our usual plating machine² and of medium E[lectro]. M[otive]. Force³ Mr. Weston⁴ requests us to write you that in case you prefer one with greater El. M. force we will exchange for this, and that if you require any assistance in adjusting brushes⁵ &c beyond directions sent we shall be happy to send some one fr. factory⁶ Yours truly

NY Oct 19 [1878]

My Dr E.

I saw Lowrey and made an appointment with him for middle of next week. Meantime you will no doubt see him and by letting slip a remark indicative of your preference to have the Phono control in Other hands than the Bell Co. you will facilitate my programme He asked me for my opinion of your progress in Electric Light I gave it him in my usual “sattelite” style Yours

[New York, c. October 19, 1878]¹

Dear T.A.

How about the Canada Patents?²

London Oct 20th/78

T. A Edison

I reed your two letters to day’ will send by next mail the desired information.² I go to Paris on the 22d but will not be able to stay very long as I have got my hands full here, but shall divide my time up between the two places as best I can Puskas was here the other day, and wants to know how soon I can go to Italy, but it will be impossable for me to go for a month yet. Bell people is rather softening than otherways I dont think they will trouble, us just yet. Blakey & Co.³ is going ahead making our telephones independent of them I think they would rather come to some kind of terms with us than go to law, however it remains to be seen what they will do. The fire department will be the first, to have our telephones in. there wires is mostly underground & very hard wires to work. I could put in any number of them if I only had them. I have got a first rate place in Gouraud’s office for Experimenting, it look quite a small laboratory I got in to day 112 fuller Bat-terys⁴ I have had him experimenting on his batterys for some time back, & he says that they will last eight months, or he will charge nothing for them, and very cheap and makes very nice looking boxes two cells in a case. I like the Western Union form better than any I ever seen and they take every-ones fancy here, that is the stile I will make in the future, only I put two receivers in place of one. You speak about deprecating Puskas actions I tell you everything I hear how and where from and you can be your own judge expecting to hear from you soon I am yours truly

Philadelphia Oct. 20th 1878^a

My dear Edison:—

The papers you placed in my hands have all been sent to the printers and I shall have some proofs to send you soon.¹

I am quite surprised at the attitude Morton took the other night in regard to electric illumination.² If he hadn’t seen your light, he might at least have believed your statements about it. I am waiting to see how astonished he will be when the thing comes out. By the way how much longer before you are to make the thing public? Let me know when the seal of secrecy is removed, please. I notice in the papers of Friday a list of incorporators of an Electric Light Co. with a capital of $300,000. Is this a Company formed for New York state only, or does this Company control the whole thing? I sent a note of introduction to you the other day by a Mr. Davis, a prominent gas man.³ I was introduced to him by Dr. Genth & dont know him at all, though he seemed a gentlemen & represents a large capital. The gas people seem inclined, at least the more intelligent of them, to take up electric lighting. Has any move been made toward your light in Philadelphia? If there should be, I should like a chance there. My brother-in-law Mr. Thompson of St. Louis at whose house we were, you remember, is Sec. & Treas. of the Laclede Gas Light Co.⁴ He writes me to know if he can do anything to secure the right for your new light for Missouri. If there is a chance, I would be glad if you will favor him, if you can as well as not. There seems to be a great panic among the gas people in Europe too. By the way did you see Sir Wm. Thomson’s statement “The electric light, if there are a sufficient number of lamps can be produced with equal economy at a great and a small distance.”

You know I am depending on you for my lecture of Nov. 14th. I am expecting Bachelor to come with you & to stay with you at my house. Come over Wednesday if you can so that we can experiment all day Thursday. I expect to have two of Wallace’s machines, my own Gramme, a Siemens and a Brush machine; so there will be a grand chance to try your new light with the different currents. I would like to have you loan me for the lecture at least twenty burners, as I want to put a dozen on a chandelier on the stage and turn them on and off as you would gas. Then as you suggested a few on stands would be a good thing beside. I expect too, to drive all my machines on the stage with the new Otto gas engine⁵ which you saw at Wallace’s. I think now I shall have a four horse and a seven horse Page 630 power engine on the stage. I want to do a good thing and to give the Edison light a fine scientific send off.

If Bachelor is not too busy will you ask him to send me the things I gave him a memorandum of, particularly the automatic apparatus. I have sent my article on the tuning fork method ⁶ to the printers without having made the experiments I wanted to with that apparatus. How about the phonograph you said you would loan me? I notice you have two or three capital ones lying round your place and rusting. You might just as well let one lie round my place, where I will keep it from rusting and keep it for my own private use. Do send me one if only for a short time. When can you send me one of your new lamps to experiment with on my Gramme machine?

Have you seen Draper since he got back? He got 13 tons of game. He wants you to come & see him some day in N.Y. The Nat. Academy meets in N.Y. Nov. 5. Cordially yrs

New York Oct 20 1878

Friend Edison

I notice with regret that some of the papers envious of your well earned fame are doing all in their power to detract from the same and belittle you. I know that so far as you are personally Page 631 concerned you don’t care what they say but it none the less pains your friends. As one of the latter therefore I speak in the hope that the suggestion I offer may have a tendency to spike their fears. The interview with you in Sundays Sun is of the character that does you harm. ¹ It makes you do too much talking. My friendly advice to you is not to talk to any more reporters. Let them write all they please about your inventions, let them if they desire confab with every employee in the laboratory, but keep yourself aloof and reserved. Your works speak fro for^a themselves. In all that I have written about you I have sought to keep you on a high pedestal. Holding you out to the world as a chewer of tobacco² and all such trash as does^b the Sun in the interview published is really too bad. Knowing your natural reserve and silence about your great works I am all the more pained to see you represented in the character of a person talking ad libitum about them.

Gen Grants great fame is due more to his reserve and silence than to anything else.³ Every word that you utter for publication should be to accord with your reputation like thunderbolts.

I trust my dear fellow that you will take these few suggestions in the spirit in which I write them. They are the emanations of a friend who is honestly desirous of seeing you mount still higher on the ladder of undying greatness Truly Yours

[Menlo Park,] Oct 20 1878

Electric Light.

I propose to use two or more induction coils arranged with commutators on a small quantity magneto machine. This commutator throws the current from the magneto first into one primary & thence to the others, without breaking the continuity of the magneto circuit. The same commutator also throws the secondary in circuit of a main wire jus simultaneously with the thr taking off of the primary & so on = ¹ I hope by this means to get a current which may be opened and closed without interfering with the magneto machine, 2 also to conveniently obtain any tension required,³ and to prevent loss Page 633 of power by dispensing with a great amount of dead magnet wire, weight etc on a magneto machine.

Menlo Park NJ Oct 21, 1878^a

Dear Sir

Perhaps you may remember in the matter of the Quadruplex suit a claim of Mr E B. Welch,¹ of Boston to some interest in that invention. His letters and the contract on which he based his claim I think appear in the records of the above named suit.² He has been sending me threatening letters, copies of the two last received of which I send you herewith.³ The experiments in which he claims to be interested were relative to Duplex telegraphy and were not successful. The expenses were all borne by me. Of course you understand the W. U. Co own all of that class of inventions with which my name has been connected. Will you please look into the matter and see if Mr Welch has a valid claim against me and greatly oblige,⁴ Very Truly,

New York, Octo2i” 1878^a

Dear Sir,

There has been constant complaint with regard to the fragility of the carbon buttons; a new instance coming to my knowledge this morning leads me to address you speceially on the subject—¹ Last week we sent twelve carbon buttons to Mr Merrihew at Philadelphia; they were packed with great care but when they reached him they were reduced to a state of powder. We have had similar experiences from other quarters. Is there not some method by which these buttons can be made more tenacious?—if not, can not you suggest any mode of packing which would be liable to the least objection? It occurs to me that a pill box, capable of holding six buttons, might be made just large enough to receive them, separating them perhaps with paste board buttons and putting cotton at the top and bottom to receive a slight pressure.

As we are likely to have a great many of these to send, and as the inconvenience resulting from their breakage is greater than the cost of replacing them, some method should be devised Page 635 at once to avoid the difficulty. Please suggest one. Yours very truly,

[Menlo Park,] Oct 22a [18738

Dear Sirs

I am in receipt of your favor of the 9th inst— The suggestion made by you meets my approval—² As soon as the details are worked out I will write a pamphlet on the Electric light and send you the manuscript in advance of publication here—³ Very Truly,

[Menlo Park,] Oct. 23d [187$

Dear Sir

Your favor of” the 21st with introductory letter from Mr Reiff was duly rec’d.² I am at present working nights and sleeping during the day and am so busily engaged that for the present I cannot make an appointment. And besides I have transferred my interests in the Electric Light to a Co in New York. It is not my intention to meet the public in a business way with this invention. Very Truly

Philada. Oct. 23d. 1878.

My dear Dr. Edison:— (Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur)¹

Your letter of the 21st I received this morning.² I am glad to know what you write concerning the business management of the Electric Light since now I can refer all who apply to me to Mr. Lowrey. I gave my card a day or two ago to Prof. Chauvenet³ of St Louis, who came to me seeking just this information.

What you say about the use of your new light for my lecture quite upsets me. You will remember that before I consented to give the lecture, I came to Menlo and saw you about it. And Page 637 that it was upon your promise to let me exhibit the new light at my lecture, that I agreed to give it. We not only talked about my having it, but we discussed the different forms in which it would be best to put it, and you offered me six of those cast iron stands with the lamp on them. Not only therefore have I promised several of my friends here that I would exhibit the new light at my lecture, but it has been advertised in the papers. I am anxious to make a complete demonstration on the electric light side of the question, and I have been counting on you to help me. As to the Company, I cannot conceive of their having any objection to its exhibition in a public lecture. On the contrary it would be an endorsiment of it which would be of the highest value to them. No, if that is the real reason and you yourself are all right and are anxious for me to have it, I will go to New York myself & with such letters as I can get, I think I could get their permission. Not to have one of your lights there at my lecture after all I have promised, places me in a position before this community which I would rather lose my right hand than occupy. Only two weeks ago and you wrote that you would try and come over to the lecture. Now you dont know whether you can loan me even a light for the occasion. I beg of you not to desert me now. Do let me show something that represents your new invention.

You will find the reasoning of Dr. Siemens⁴ upon which Sir. Wm. Thomson reasons so well, upon transmission of electricity, in the discussion which took place in the Institution of Civil Engineers, London, on the evenings of Jan. 22 & 29, and Feb. 5, 1878. It is published in their Proceedings, vol. lii, part 2. I have it in a separate pamphlet & will have it copied, if you care for it. Thomson says “with an exceedingly moderate amount of copper it would be possible to carry the electric energy for one hundred, or two hundred, or one thousand electric lights, to a distance of several hundred miles.” Houston & Thompson’s electric lamp of which Morton speaks so approvingly, proposes to use vibrating carbons producing a secondary spark at each separation, generated from a large coil in circuit. They think as this secondary spark is so bright they can get a bright light with very little battery power! Trying to lift themselves by their boot straps again!

Thanks for the things you promise to send me. I shall look for the phonograph tomorrow. Don’t let my lecture fail will you? Cordially yrs

New York, October 23d 1878^a

My dear Edison

There is an important meeting of the Board of Directors to-morrow and you ought to attend— The agreement will be ready to sign¹

I think too for various reasons that we ought now, before the thing gets larger to have a talk with Drexel Morgan & Co in respect to matters on the other side; & for this purpose I wish you would bring in any papers or correspondence with Goureau or Puskas which wd enable me to judge more accurately of what is due to them

Much reflection confirms me in the belief that the Electric Light, if it is or is to be what we suppose, requires to be represented by sober business men of the highest commercial standing; and they must make just provision for any claims either defined or undefined,—legal, or moral only, which Mr Puskas or others may assert— The dignity, & importance of the invention to the world, demand that it shall be introduced by men possessing a comparative strength & power in the financial world—

But these men too are to be dealt with carefully; & if you could stay down to-morrow evening, I also would stay in town & we would have a clear talk with Mr Fabbri

The applications come pouring in— I have to-day an urgent application from Wheeler & Wilson² to put the thing at once in their great factory at Bridgeport. Page 639

How would this suit you for an experiment. It is eleven hundred feet long, & has no light at present because of the risk from fire Yr Trly

[Menlo Park,] Oct 23d [187]8^a

Dear Sir

Mr Edison has been confined to his bed all day,¹ is suffering from neuralgia in the facial nerves— He had great difficulty in reading your communication.² He requested me to say that it is doubtful if he will be able to go to N.Y. tomorrow but he will do so if possible.³

Regarding [—]^b the Wheeler and Wilson application he says he very much prefers making his first exhibit of the light at Menlo Park. Very Truly

London 24 Octr 1878.^a

T. A. Edison Esq.

Electric Light

I trust long before you receive this that the enclosed cable will have been replied to and that the Electro Bonanza will be born. I have been visited by a great number of influential people amongst the very first in the City who are all of one opinion that there never was a time so favorable to the launching of a large Company than the present for the Edison Electric Light Company. All conditions are anomalous. There are two hundred and seventy millions of Pounds Sterling ($1, 360,000,000) trembling in the balance on the actualities of your—as they call it—”alleged” discovery. The whole scientific world is as busy as a bee in trying to find out how you have done it and the danger of delay comes from this rather than anything else. Besides now we have a universal free advertising such as cannot be bought for money under any circumstances. Every paper throughout the Kingdom has something in it. I have endeavoured to keep you supplied with a fair assortment. It would have been folly to send you all as they naturally say much the same thing.

I am fully of opinion that my friends and advisers are right that now is the time to come out with a Company and that the Capital would be subscribed possibly several times over.

The long Cable concerning Reed and the Rapieff light is the result of several interviews which originated at their request and I have been for several days confined several hours each with Reed and some of his associates who are amongst the leading Bankers here. The result reached with them is expressed in the annexed cable so fully as to make further explanations unnecessary. They began naturally enough by proposing joint interests profits and that sort of thing but I would listen to nothing except upon the basis, if at all, of having Royalties on their thing only where it was used and so they finally expressed themselves as very satisfied. They were frank enough to say that although they were on the point of bringing out their Company when your discovery was announced that in the face of public expectations concerning you and what you probably ha4ve done that they had no chance to hope successfully Page 641 to float a Company on anybody’s light and so I think the terms as finally agreed to will be found to have no disadvantages to us and indeed have the very important advantage of enabling us to at once proceed with the Company by reason of the fact of our being able immediately to furnish some kind of Electric Light.

October 25, 1878^a

New York 7 p.m.

S. L. Griffin or Chas Batchelor

Please telegraph me for publication Edisons condition tonight ¹ If Dr Ward there² will you oblige Herald by getting from him statement of diagnosis and prospect Answer quick

Menlo Park, N.J., 8:54 [a.m.] Oct 26 1878 ¹

G. P. Lowrey

No particular change in Mr Edisons condition Dr Ward here all night. Called in Dr Dailey of Rahway this morning on account of Mrs Edisons whose^b condition which is not favorable.¹ Dr Ward says he will certainly let me know if Mr Edison gets worse and approves of your suggestion to have physicians from NY if necessary²

Menlo Park, N.J., 11:15 am Oct 26 1878^a

Edwin M Fox¹

Drs Ward and Dailey We have the pleasure to announce that Mr Edison is the Father of a twelve pound boy² which came at nine oclock this morning Mother doing well ditto the Father

Menlo Park, N.j., 5:09 p.m. Oct 26 1878^a

G P Lowrey

Been up and dressed this afternoon feeling better got a twelve pound boy all doing nicely¹

[Menlo Park,] Oct 26 1878

Telephone^a

Kruesi:—

Make a telephone this pattern and put a clockwork inside to run the “chalk” and make the switch stop and start it. Design the chalk to be turned by a worm as it will not be strong enough without, as there is a strong pressure on the chalk^b Page 645

I think you had better drive from the second shaft and have only a few teeth in the worm wheel B[atchelor]

[Menlo Park,] Oct 27 78

Fundamental experiments

Paint the platina with”

Asphaltum

white lead paint

all the pigment paints—^b

Mould platinum Black¹ under great pressure in split mould^b

Make a Carbon of a mixture of ½ Carbon ½ Rutile=^b Make a cylinder of ²/2 platina black ¹/3 of precipitated chalk, use for incandescence.^c

[Menlo Park,] Oct 27th 1878

Telephone^a New Receiver

Discs made to receive on of =

42 grain Hg acet^lb 30 min[ims] Na solution Not very low buf diaphragm squeaks^d Page 646

32 grain Hg 30 min Na caustic very low & diaph. squeaks^d

44 grains Hg. 30 min Na pretty good & loud no squeak^e 530 grains Hg 530 50^b min Na 50 min Na^d loud, needs a good deal of pressure though very good call it standard at present^c

6 grains Mercury 30 soda sol No good Black^d

42 grains Mercury 50 Min Na loud, needs a good deal of pressure though very good—good as standard^c

30 grains Mercury 40 Soda Excellent good³ but squeaks best yest = Have to turn quick^c

3 grains Mercury 30 Soda excellent good have to turn slow not quite so loud but clearer than previous one^f

36 grains Acetat Hg and 40 min Soda Solution too low to be of use—no good—^d

3 grains Acet Hg and 40 min Soda Sol. pretty fair but not up to Standard”¹

42 grains Mercury 40 Soda Solution Beroke^d

18 grains Mercury 40 Soda Solution very good when turned slow—diaph. squeaks^c

36 grains Mercury 20 Soda Solution middling fair articulation—makes considerable noise⁶

24 grains Mercury 20 Soda Solution pretty^c good, seems to want Stiffer diaphragm^c

36 Mercury Acet 30 Soda Solution Bang up good best yet!!! loud & clear Broke after^h

12 grains Mercury 30 gmin Soda Solution not very loud but works with light pressure

= 30 grains Acet. Mercury. 20 minims Soda Solution very poor, makes squeaking noise and when you turn fast it almost entirely disappears Broke taking out’

= 6 grains Acet Mercury. 40 minims Soda Solution”¹ This is an elegant one, gives the natural voice and requires no pressure so being good for clockwork, very loud: squeaks a little¹

= 42 grains Acet. Mercury 20 minims Soda Solution Not good enough = fair artic. but too low^d

12 grains Act Merc. 20 minims Soda Solution poor not loud enough^d

24 grains Acet. Mercury 40 min. Soda Solution no good^d

18 grains Acet Mercury 20 min Soda Solution No good 3 grains Acet. Mercury 20 Soda Solution Fair but low^d 18 grains Acet. Mercury 30 Soda Solution This is the Boss of the heap very loud and clear but it shake the diaphragm so that it rattles.^k Page 647

12 grains Acet. Mercury 340 Soda Solution No good, not loud.^d

Set the two best in the instruments and left them.

New York, Oct. 28, 1878^a

My Dear Edison:— (Batchelor, Griffin, et al.)

Telegraph me just as soon as you are willing to have that Page 648 lamp & new telephone fully described. Don’t let Cummings get ahead of me!

A photographer will come down with me to see if your light can be applied to photo-lithography.

Kiss the baby for me. Yours Very Truly

October 28, 1878^a

NY 10:50 am

Griffin

How are Mr & Mrs Edison today

Menlo Park, N.J.^a Oct 29, 1878

Dear Sir^b

Referring to the power of attorney which I have given to you under date Oct 17—1878¹ to sell all my interests in my inventions for Electric light for Great Britain, and to conversations in which you have informed me of your proposition to interest an important banking house of New York and their correspondents in Europe to sell those rights in England I now have to say that I approve the policy adopted by you which I understand to be as follows substantially; you are to select a suitable banking house and induce them to undertake]^c sale of these patents in partnership with me in order that I may have the utmost benefit of their skill, judgment and facilities without having occasion to fear that they may have some ulterior interest different from my own— Leaving you Page 650 to secure the arrange[ment]^c properly according to this principle I hereby authorize you to retain one half the net pro[fits]^c of all compensation which may be paid for said patents whether in the form of royalties or present compensation or otherwise, and [?]° of this you are to satisfy the claims of [this?]^c banking house and all their agents so as to leave me after the payment of the exp[enses]° of taking out patents and bringing out, exhibiting, and disposing of the inventions in receipt of one half the net result. In short the Banking house which you may choose, is to be made strictly a partner with me in all respects and to the fullest extent with all the advantages & mutual obligations resulting from that relation.

I shall expect you through your friends to satisfy any reasonable claim made by Col. Gouraud for any services which he may have rendered, desiring you to be not only just to him but to save me from any fair cause of complaint by him; this to be treated as one of the expenses/ For the purpose of making this arrangement secure against my death or any accidental cause which might (after the Banking house on the other side shall have announced to the public that they are authorized to bring out this invention) occur to put it out of their power to keep this promise I will execute such further papers or conveyances to yourself and Mr Egisto P. Fabri in trust to sell and deliver the same in accordance with the engagements of your substituted attorney on this other side as may be required.^c I leave you to negotiate the minor details of which we have spoken including the mafjter of advances for expenses and for my journey to England to superintend the setting up of the light. I will make the same conveyance to the English Compy that I have to the Edison Electric light Company of New York ie all inventions made within five years to be conveyed without further compensation than that to be at present agreed upon and the Company or [purchaser?]^c to have the first option at a price to be fixed by arbitration to take any inventions or improvements made after the expiration of the five years and during the continuance of the first patent granted to me and which will be in Great Britain fifteen years. Yours Truly

Philadelphia, Oct 29 1878^a

Dr Sir =

We have started in and are now making the Voltameters Thermoscopes and Tasimeters,¹ and we propose at once to send out a circular to every college in the country = We propose to sell the Tasimeter alone without Galvanometer, please let us know what you think a fair price to charge for them, also for Voltameters & Thermoscopes. please send us a rough sketch^b of the kind of circular, and also send us your letter giving us the authority to manufacture and sell them, which we will publish on the circular and will no doubt aid the sale of them much. = ² We think you are treating us rather bad in way of money as we manufactured them for cash as we supposed, and as there was no profit in it, we think you might send us a check after waiting so long =³ please reply also about the Slit in Tasimeter to be used for spectroscope⁴

please reply with check And oblige

October 30, 1876^a [New York,] 10:00 am

S. L. Griffin

How are the three patients— See “world” this morning—¹

New York, Oct 30th 1878^a

My Dear Edison:

I enclose a letter which has been written by my suggestion. Dr Tucker ¹ seems a very intelligent, gentlemanly man who says what he wishes to see is yourself rather than the light. He has been waiting here for a week, and I think it would be well to appoint an interview with them for Saturday. You can fix the time and let them know at the Astor House² about the trains so that they will take but little of your time, probably.

I am going to have Johnson³ go through all the Sawyer, and Sawyer-Man patents tomorrow. Mr Man,⁴ who says he he has contributed the mechanical part is a very highly respectable person and of good social standing, whom I am sure would not consciously engage in anything in the nature of a swindle.

Mr Sawyer⁵ seemed a good talking man, and they both said that the publication showing that you had an electric light with the claims stated in the “Scientific American”⁶ for them was like a thunder clap to them in as much as they consider everything which has been described as being used as being also covered by their patents.

I asked their attorney’s name but Sawyer declined to give it; he said however it was not Dickerson.⁷ We have already retained Dickerson some days ago.

I am going to start a journal of all the foreign business so that whoever goes abroad shall have a complete history of it. I have therefore asked Mr Goddard,⁸ the Secretary of the domestic company, to go over on Friday and make copies of everything in your letter books or on your files relating to foreign matters. Very Truly

N York Oct 30th 78

Dr Sir

The following is the a/c of Phonograph receipts, up to date—as furnished me by Mr Smith—

Enclosed please find my check for the amount $31.50 which please acknowledge— Mr Smith says if he had a Phonograph which would give 50 or even 30% better hresults he could triple the receipts— I spoke to you some time since in regard to one of the new ones and you promised to let me have one for $75 net—³ Please therefore pick me out the best working Inst you have on hand & advise me when I can have it & where I can get it—if from Bergmann please give me an order—but if at Menlo Park can you have it securely packed in a convenient box which will do for Transhipment— I should also like to have some information in regard to selling them throughout South & Central America— Can you help me in regard to terms—for how much can I get the $125.00 Instrument (as agent) will it be the same price that I pay you for the one for ourselves personally? Smith asks in regard to the Phonomotor—has it been perfected yet or when is it likely to be?

I applied to Mr Bergmann for 12 Telephones complete— he says he can let me have them if you dont want them— ⁴ I have today rec’d a telegram from Smith urging their shipment at once & I hope you will be able to let me have the whole dozen— vessels sails about Nov 9th & they should be shipped on the 6th or 7th Subject to your approval Mr Bergmann will I think allow me 30 to 60 days time—although I may not need that much as I expect a considerable remittance in the course of two weeks proceeds of 1 Doz Electric Pens & several Telephones sold in Costa Rica— I shall probably be able to pay for them in 2 weeks time & hope you will be able to accomodate me & inform Mr Bergmann to that effect—he seems Page 656 to think that he would have to pay you your share at once although I understood that you were willing to wait if he was— Smith is endeavoring to Introduce the Telephones into the railroad systems down there & from his despatch of this morning urging their shipment for that purpose I judge he has every prospect of success & hence I am very anxious to get these 12 asked for at once— There are parties down there in Colombia & Central America who are endeavoring to get ahead of us by acquiring from their Govts the exclusive permit to put up Telephones One Robinson is trying this in Colombia—in view of this fact can you not give us the exclusive agency for the Telephone in Central & South America?⁵ This will enable us to cut those fellows off—advertise ourselves as exclusive agents for your Telephone—& also to apply in each state for these permits to introduce them— You know that Smith is energetic & reliable & likely to do very well in that country—much more so than any one else— we have already ordered 22 Telephones from you—10 of which we have & we would have had more had we been able to get them— I am satisfied that Mr Smith will be able to make a better show for you as the exclusive agent for the region in question than if you sold to any one who applied as their order is ultimately bound to reach you through us— If you decide to let us have this agency will you please notify your selling—”Foreign Agents” here to refer all Central & South American ag enquiries to me— I enclose slip from the Herald relative to Bells patent in Colombia⁶—the exclusive privilege in question is of more value & is more of a protection to him than half a dozen patents— Hoping to have an early & favorable reply I remain Yours very Truly

New York, Oct a 30th 1878^a

Dear Sir:

Mr. Lowrey directs me to send you a few hurried notes of a conversation had with Mr Sawyer this morning Yrs Very Respy

[Menlo Park,] Oct 31 [18738

Dear Sir

Please make out a list of all US patents from the earliest ages to the present time on Electric light and send for them for me Want them right off. Also on magneto machines Charge to Edison Electric light Co—

I would like at once official Gazette Sept nth 1877 Sawyers E light No 195 174 July 16. 77— Very Truly