Q £dU»oru VojpeM)
A SELECTIVE MICROFILM EDITION
PART IV (1899-1910)
Thomas E. Jeffrey LisaGitelman Gregory Jankunis David W. Hutchings Leslie Fields
Editors
Theresa M. Collins Gregory Field Aldo E. Salerno Karen A. Detig Lorie Stock
Robert Rosenberg Director and Editor
Sponsors
Rutgers, The State University Of New Jersey National Park Service, Edison National Historic Site New Jersey Historical Commission Smithsonian Institution
University Publications of America Bethesda, MD 1999
Edison signature used with permission ofMcGraw-Edlson Company
Rutgers, The State University endorsed by
National Historical Publications and Records Commission 18 June 1981
Copyright © 1999 by Rutgers, The State University ■ • •
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The original documents hi this edition are from the archives at the Edison National Historic Site at West Orange, New Jersey.
THOMAS A. EDISON PAPERS
Robert A. Rosenberg Director and Editor
Thomas E. Jeffrey Associate Director and Coeditor
Paul B. Israel
Managing Editor, Book Edition Helen Endick
Assistant Director for Administration
Associate Editors Assistant Editors
Theresa M. Collins Louis Carlat
Lisa Gitelman Aldo E. Salerno
Keith A. Nier
Research Associates Secretary
Gregory Jankunis Grace Kurkowski
Lorie Stock
Student Assistants
Amy Cohen Jessica Rosenberg
Bethany Jankunis Stacey Saelg
Laura Konrad Wojtek Szymkowiak
Vishal Nayak Matthew Wosniak
BOARD OF SPONSORS
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Francis L. Lawrence Joseph J. Seneca Richard F. Foley David M. Osliinsky New Jersey Historical Commission Howard L. Green
National Park Service John Maounis Maryanne Gerbauckas Roger Durham George Tselos Smithsonian Institution Bernard Finn Arthur P.Moiella
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
James Brittain, Georgia Institute of Technology R. Frank Colson, University of Southampton Louis Goiambos, Johns Hopkins University Susan Hockey, University of Alberta Thomas Parke Hughes, University of Pennsylvania Peter Robinson, Oxford University
Philip Scranton, Georgia Institute of Technology/Hagley Museum and Library Merritt Roe Smith, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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National Historical Publications and Records Commission
PRIVATE CORPORATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS
Alabama Power Company
Anonymous
AT&T
Atlantic Electric
Association of Edison Illuminating Companies
Battelle Memorial Institute The Boston Edison Foundation Cabot Corporation Foundation, Inc. Carolina Power & Light Company Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.
Consumers Power Company Cooper Industries Corning Incorporated Duke Power Company Entergy Corporation (Middle South Electric System)
Exxon Corporation
Florida Power & Light Company
General Electric Foundation
Gould Inc. Foundation
Gulf States Utilities Company
David and Nina Heitz
Hess Foundation, Inc.
Idaho Power Company
IMO Industries
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley H. Katz Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Midwest Resources, Inc.
Minnesota Power New Jersey Beil New York State Electric & Gas Corporation
North Americau Philips Corporation Philadelphia Electric Company Philips Lighting B.V.
Public Service Electric and Gas Company
RCA Corporation
Robert Bosch GmbH
Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation
San Diego Gas and Electric
Savaimoh Electric and Power Company
Schering-Plough Foundation
Texas Utilities Company
Thomas & Betts Corporation
Thomson Grand Public
Transamerica Delavol Inc.
Westinghouse Foundation Wisconsin Public Service Corporation
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1909. Battery - Storage - General (D-09-03)
This folder contains correspondence and other documents relating to the commercial and technical development of Edison's alkaline storage battery. Included are items pertaining to Ralph H. Beach's proposed use of Edison batteries in streetcars; and inquiries about battery availability, use, and performance.
Approximately 50 percent of the documents have been selected. The items not selected include unsolicited letters requesting information about the batteries, two letters regarding bismuth metal for battery use, and a report by the Altoona Railroad Club of the Pennsylvania Railroad comparing electric and steam traction.
S n
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Stew York, January 9, 1909.
Mr. Thoms A. Mdison,
Orange, M . ,T.
Dear Mr. Misoju-
X have received your favor of the Oth enolosiriG letter of the 7th. from the South Shore Traction Company, and enclose you herewith copy of my reply.
X have also received copy of photograph of the first ■Electric car which 1 will hand to the Brill people.
Yours very truly,
[ENCLOSURE]
New York, January 9, 1909.
South Shore Traction Co,,
Times Building,
42nd Street and Broadway,
New York, City,
Gentlemen:- Jkt'nntion of Nr. Harold B. Weaver, Assistant, Mngr.
Your favor of the 7th inst . to Mr- .Bdison has been hand¬ ed to w« for reply, as I :lja handling the Battery for Mr . Edison.
I should be glad to meet you «ij th thi view of going - fully into the matter frojii an engineering point of view, and will advise you fully as to the capacity of the Battery and as to its relia¬ bility for your services.
In order^o save time it might be well if you would write me some of, the details 4s to your proposed road. The o weight of car; the number of cars;' the speed you desire t,o make — ^both schedule and maximum; the grades and curves in general.
Upon receipt/ of th^is will prepare for you an estimate, and there¬ by be prepared- \yhen we meet to discuss th%.:iijp$£$3 of the battery versus ot^ar plan's of operation.
Yours respectfully,
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[ENCLOSURE]
My efforts are directed towards providing a more intimate connection between the active material and the electrolyte, and to increase the conductivity of the active material • at the same time and by the same means. And in accomplishing this I believe the cakes of active matter may be made much larger, which of course has obvious advantages.
I have conclude^ that the wasteful and excessive gassing of this style of battery is due to the great resistence offered to the charging current, owing to the small amount of electrolyte contained in the active material. As the. active material 1b compressed with a pressure of many tons it follows that it becomes an almost solid cake, leaving but little room wthin itself for the electrolyte. As now made, the active material is in very thin plates .thereby obviating this ob-‘ jection to a certain extent. Of course, I fully realize that the action of K. 0. H. in this battery is entirely different from that of 0^ in the lead batteries. ■ Of course, it
is obvious that the caustic solution should touch everyl particle of active material, and 1 am strongly of the opinion that if a practical method of placing more electrolyte within t'Q active mass could be found, much better results could be obtained..
I realize that nothing should be added to the active v ~ . mass., that would not conform itself to the various swellings and contractions due to charging and discharging, or. anything that woilid eventually tend to weaken or disintegrate it.
The material Iuse to insert in active masB is pre¬ pared as follows;
[ENCLOSURE]
2 —
A shoot of suitable paper, say 6 inches square, is
moistened with a strong solution of caustic potash, over
)
which on both sideB is dusted very fine, dry, powdered potash. This paper is then laid' between <two sheets of,.,/ nickel foil', very ;thin and very porous, and the same, tightly comprooBod. Jrhe nickel foil may be made porous by placing it between a slioot of fine emery paper and a sheet of ordinary paper, and tightly compressing it, after which it myy be treated as described in the accompanying specif 1 cat Ion*} In these sheets (only slightly adhesivj^ are punchod holes about l/l6 to & inches in diameter, in parallel rows, after . which the same is placed in a corrugating mould and crimped in such a manner, that the holes do not come at the apexes, of the corrugations, but half way between, as shown in figure 1, greatly enlarged.
The sheets are now put into a suitable mould and heated up to a low carbonizing temperature. The product we have now is reprsented by figure 2, being simply two corrugated, nickel films, separated from each other by the carbonized remains of the paper, mixed with the partly fused potash, that was dusted over it, the latter holding the sheets together for the time being. These carbonized, corrugated sheets cut into suit able,- sizes can now be placed in the partly formed perforated pocketB, described in many of your specifications, and in the manner as shown in figure 3.
However, thesen^ioets maybe placed in the pocketB, te object is alwayB to have the appexes of the sheets in connection or contact, or near contact , with the plated steel faces, forming the covers of the pockets. . The sole object of the series of holes in the sheets is to avoid having
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[ENCLOSURE]
the active mass when packed around it, spparat.od into separate oakes.
The sheets having been properly laid in the pockets, the active material is then carefully sifted in and around them. The remaining face of the pocket is placed in position and the pressure applied. The pressure of course, distorts the oorrugaions of the nickle sheets somewhat and compresses the fragile carbonised remains of the paper.,- and the potash into a solid mass. However, when the finished plates are placed in a solution of the electrolyte the dry potash is finally disolved, leaving the space in between the hickle sheets porous ■ to the extent of the space occupied by the dry potash, which of course , was not compressed out of existence.
The carbonized remains of the paper act as a porous- mass for absorbing and retaining the electrolyte, if there were empty spaces between the sheets, they would more than likely become the receptacal > for gas instead of liquid.
In short, I have a more or less porous ' nicklo film the
net-work permeating t ; entire active mass, touching the nickle steel cover at many points , and thus presumably in¬ suring good conduction for the current, both for charging and discharging and particularly affording the opportunity for the electrolyte to permeate the whole maBB, much more effectively than has hitherto been accomplished.
I think that even if the pressure should (considerably disrupt the continuity of the sheets their broken edges would not be far apart, and as the intervening material is both porous! and conductive to a certain extent, the benefit of the sheet would only be slightly lessened, which line of
[ENCLOSURE]
4 —
reasoning would apply to the appexes of the corrugations and the steel oovers of the pockets.
I feel that crimped sheets of nickel foil with about a sixth of their area Punched away, as round holes, as above described, would not weaken the cake of active matter contained in the pocket, nor do I believe that the swellings and contractions would tend to separate the active matter from the foil, as the foil would have within itself elasticity sufficient to follow the movements of the active mass parallel to the plane of the nickle foil, while the movements of the same which might be perpendicular to the plane of the niokle foil would on account of the double sheets of nickle simply pull them one way, or slightly more apart, thus presumably not weakening the hold of the active mass on the nic*& foil in the least.
And in closing 1 will say, that if it had already been proved practical to incorporate nickle films in flakes in the active matter why not do practically the same thing only in a regular system, with the addition of the above described charcoal, porous system, permeat¬ ing the active mass for the benefit of the electrolyte. Certain, it must be also that if in addition to this, nickle films in small flakes be also incorporated in the active mass, as also described in the accompanying .specifications, there would he no lack of conduc¬ tivity.
//. kKip
[ENCLOSURE]
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[ENCLOSURE]
general electbic company
SCHENECTADY, N. Y.
In Reply Refer to
New York Office, SO Church Street February 2, 1909
Mr. C. T. Hughes,
32 Horth Arlington Ave . ,
• East orange, H.J.
My dear Mr. Hughes
The present situation concerning the Edison battery car is that we have agreed to supply a trial equipment to Beach on condition that he deal with no other electrical manufacturer. He has agreed to thiB and stated that he would notify the Jeffery Company not to proceed further with their equipment.
Concerning, your controller it is true that our patent arrangements are not consistent but the obstacles to uniform arrangements still continue as they were when you presided over the destinieB of this office. We believe they emanate mainly from the person of one S.W.
Yours very truly.
. Fred Millar
My dear Miller;
Orange N J
A few day 8 ago Mr Holland sent me a print showing the characteristics of the A-4 cell.
This print shows the varlouB features of the cell when discharged at 30 ampers.
The engineers of the General Electric Co think that in order to get the best possible design of the motors and controllers for the car we are building that we should in addition to this print above refered to have other* showing curves at 50, 70 , JIO , & 110 and 120 ampere.
Kindly have these prints made and forwarded to me at your earliest convenience and oblige.
I am today writing Mr Edison at Ft!Myer Fla Inclosing him a copy of this letter also I am asking him to request you to forward to Schenectady five cells of the battery.
FLINT & CO.
CiL.
NEW YORK.
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»<.r Mr . M .on:- « ^ **~*t ~Mk ^
In case that you have a storage battery perfected that 3s mater- 3 ally better than the batter3es at present 3n use In submarines, I have an opportun3 ty for explo3t3ng the submarine rights for such a battery, and 3n the event of your hav3ng parted wi th certa3n r3ghts I would take up the matter with whomever you m3ght name, but would not care to move 3n the matter unless your battery is a demonstrated improvement over existing batteries for that particular purpose.
Ydurs very truly,
S'"
Thomas A. Edison, Esq., Orange, Nev/ Jersey.
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[FROM FRANK L. DYER]
Mr, George W. Howe ,
Port Huron, Hick.
My dear Sir:
Your favor of the 17th inot. ha a keen received on the auk jo ot of operating street oar linos by ice an a of storage kattofries. The Edison kattery i3 not yet in a condition to be, used commercially for this purpose, but the time my come when it will have very general use. In the caae you refer to, however, it v/ould probably be more economical to put in the overhead trol¬ ley, because the manufacturers are able to ml® installations of this kind at low cost; and batteries, however, perfect their construction, are expensive . and require a great deal of attention.
Yours very t ruly,
PID/lVAV Vice-President.
Thos A Edison
22nd 09
I write this to let you know the t
e of the dovelopement of the
I have sooured from the Garwood Eleotrio Oo to be delivered this week one 20 H P , railway rating , interpolo motor . This motor runs at 800 R P li. It weighs 8S0 lbs. '7^ ^ */tC*c/‘P
I have bought and paid for this . By using this we shall have a combined weight ofl oar body and truok approximately 6000.00 lbs.
I have ordered sprookots and gears and ohainB for the drive of 4 in. This gives us a largo faotor of safoty in thiB ppiflt.
I have arranged for a Cutler - Hammer controller which is simply a switch and think it will be best to oumutate the battery. This wo oan deoide later when we get to it.
If we use 220 cells of A * battery out total weight Bhould be about 6 tons. Cn\ r
I have also, in addition to the above ,oontraoted with the Oommeroial Truok Oo of Philadelphia for one oomplete eleotrio equipment and truok for the 16 ft oar. They propose to furnish a four motor equipaaih , motor
They have taken the entire responsibility in this and agreo to furnish an equipment that will handle the oar on a ourrent consumption not greater than 50 watta per ton mile.
There is a feature in this street oar operation that I must oonfesB that I do not know all about and I am unable to find anyone who does.
That is geant differenoe in ourrent oomsumption in street railway and automobile praotioo. Some say that it is aooounted for in the more rapid aooeleration of street oars, others say that it is duo partly to this and
partly due to the two wheels o
a axle being oompolled to d
The advocates of this last olaim hold that the faot of the two wheels being , neoesaarily of different diametors one must slip , also that the slip is greater on ourvoa, the power for whioh movement must be furnished by the battery , it in a largo degree aooounts for the larger consumption. , found in street railway praotioe. /«»•£-« ( rv—rcow* rfceJ.
I am not muoh for running after false Gods but inasmuoh as the Commercial Truck Company are willing to furnish this equipment and take their pay for it after wo are satisfied as to is all around performano^I thought it good business to try it. It may have something in it.
They have agroed to have it ready in four weeks.
Our work on the materials for the one motor oar 1b progressing well and I did not take your time to further disouss the details as I tMr.Tr I have found all of the things i e Motor and parts that oome very near to what we deoided upon at our last interview.
Yours truly.
/7of
The a A ^dison
Orange H J.
My dear Edison;
It does beat the D— L hoir foolish we are . That double ohain drive ia wrong and will have the same effoot os to friotion Iobs due to urnvnn as the rigid whoelB, except the further loss on
travel of the wheels curves.
On this oar I will mount. the motor with one ohain and drive only from one wheel. I will set this motor on one side so as to leave room
for another like it to drive the other axle. In case I oannot at onoe get two 10 H P motors I will get another just the name as the one ooming forward . The Joss due to the added weight is very small about equal to three passengers. The effioienoy of the motors 1b the same.
The suggestion in your letter I had allrady antioipated and had ordered by telephone , the one wheel on eaoh axle made loose. I did not order
a brass sleeve , as I did not want to delay getting the job done, and I am not sure that it should be a brass sleeve any way as the movement is small.
I think it will be only the differcnoe in travel due to unequal diameter °f Z° Bma1^ acd '**9 unetlual travefon ourves , probably
more. In any event the atteai rate if rotation is very small, and the woar must be very little. So I fancy that oast iron running on steel w ill be good.
If not wo oan oorreot it later.
matter of the controller I thought we would rig up a temporary board with knife switohes to oomutate the battery and from this learn how many oomutations we need.
feJUv
t-v'
Mr Thos A Edison
Orange H J.
l<®te
My dear Mr Edison;
X am glad to be able to report that the materials for the light oar equipment^; 'finished.
The Garwood Co will ship the motor on Saturday, the Ramapo Foundry and Wheel Works havo shipped , today the wheels and axles, the Morso Chain Co will ship tomorrow the chains , sprookots and gears, the Maohine shop in Howark will deliver .Tomorrow the truok framos and bearings.
This will complete the materials neoessary except the controller whioh we will provide Aith simple switohoa temporary to find the combination we
In regard to the motor I beg to say that I havo but one ready, we can try with this but X fear that‘s only one wheel doing work we shall find that we have not sufficient traotion to properly handle the oar.
I have provided on the truok frame a suitable plaoe for the seoond motor whioh wo oan put on as soon as it is finished.
How in regard to the question of the particular motor; I have found muoh difficulty in securing a 10 H P motor that fits our conditions as to outside dimentions and speed. I think that to make our first trial with this
best plan for the moment is xr 2* if S’
motor and as soon as the second one is ready , whioh will be about two weeks, put it in f<|this will give us n fair trial with two , of the four oar wheels , doing work.
How a word about the probable plan wo should adopt as final >() in case wo do find that we have not sufficient traotive effort from two wheels, whioh I am disposed to think we shall find to be the case.
As I told you I made a diokor with the Comercial Truok Co of Philadelphia by whioh they undertook to furnish for a fixed prioe and under a guarantee of operation a four motor drive.
They have submitted their plans in detail and they are so ROTTEH that I will not take your time by showing them to you. They simply do not know what they are up against.
You will rooall that Iasi fall X told you of an engineer by the name of Frank Rae. I havo known him many years and know him to be a very well informed street railway engineer. Last fall he told me that ho had developed a motor and control that would accelerate a oar without a greater consumption of currentjthat required to run it. This statement was so extrordinary that I could not aooept it as true, however as I had firmly made up my mind to look at anything that even remotely promisod to save in ourrent or friotion loss, I went out to Detrict last Saturday and looked as oarefully as I.oould into the details of his scheme of motor and oontrol.
X found what seemed to be the best allaround method of vehicle drive I have ever seen.
He has an automobile whioh weighs about 3800 lbs, oquipped qith 40 cells of Exoide battery and his peouliar motor and oontrol^ . I spent the day riding in this oar, I had no facilities to make acourate tests , but I saw the following.
The oar accelerates from rest to 17 11 P H in 17 seconds on a maximum ourrent consumption not exceeding 40 Amperes. It is under splended oontrol, having 16 rates of acceleration. The ordinary running curreot at 20 M P H is about 26 Amps, i&l
He tells me that the oar is two years old, the battery the same, that it will now run on a single charge^ make 75 miles over an ordinary road , that it has made a total milage of approximately 15.000 miles.
Now , of course X have no means of knowing whether it has or not , but I Think that Rae is honest .
The way he aoomplishes this is;- He winds his motor, as to the armature, the same as others, it is an interpole motor, the fields are would in sections and so excessively over wound that he gets an immenoo^orquo . I , at first thought that he was trying to lift himslof by his boot straps, but it now looks as though he had at least partially sucocede^Ln doing it.
X have asked him to oome here with his cor and allow us to make a study of it. I think he will do so during tho week ooming. I think he has , by far, the best worked out motor I have soon, and if I am not mistaken we should build motors for Btroet oar drive along his line, alBo on automobilo work
it should be of value#
Ho olaims to bo in a position to control it from the patent side, I do not know , but should think it would bo diffioult.
However it looked so much more promising thh>I took the liberty of asking him to oome here with the entire maohine and promised him that you would look into it and that if it really was superior to other types of oonstruotion that I thought it was possible among us to do something with him in regard to its manufacture.
Frank is a nice fellow but is horribly afaaid if the G E People. I fanoy that they have swatted him a few in variola patent suits in the years past.
You must pardon me for writing suoh a long letter but the oocassion seemed to warrant it.
Yours truly.
_9_QJL
MEMORANDUM
September 29, 1909.
Mr. Westee:-
In reference to the matter of having Mr.
Beach pay rent for offices at Ko. 10 Fifth Avenue, I spoke to Mr. Edison about this, and he soys that for the present at least, he thinks Mr. Beach ought not to be required to pay any rent. Perhaps later on if the matter is brought up again he may take a different position.
ELD/ARK.
F.L.D.
My doar Mr Edison;
Thos A Edison
Orange H J.
out yesterday to show you the details of the 'VjL-iTTt
is I had to get to work X did not wait lafler 1 the 11.59
u \\a*£L> wrh‘
» — =r~ tUj*
to have
were not around and e
train. There is nothing of great oonsequenoe any how , J just the various details. I will bring them out s
There is a matter that I have thought over oarefully and youlif- your advioe .
You will remember that we decided to use two motors. The truok is constructed so that either two or four motors may be used. Supposing that we place the two motors on one axle and that axle happens to be in front, and the load comes heavy on the rear platform, which is a condition quite likely to arise, the question is , will wo have sufficient traotion ? I am afraid not. Again our motors are five H B each , this seems to be sufficient but how will it be in case the live load is double ? I am not sure whether we should not on this oar plaoe four motors.
The objootion is the added weight ( 610 lbs ) .1 *do not know what increase in ourrent consumption there will be due to the two more motors , but we oan find out, by trying at Orange before we send the oar over to Hew York.
In a general way I feel confident that this is not bo muoh at first a question of great economy as it is one of reliability. If we are faulty in traotive capacity wo shall be oritioised, if we are a little high in power cost, which we are not likely to be we shall not be criticised as no one expects us to do better than the trolley, whioh for equal passenger oapaoity is about 3 cents per oar mile. Our groat saving in truok .equipment and oar body weights, even though our battery loss is larger than the line loss, and even though our motor efficiency 1b not sb good sb the regular form, is bound to keep us near to or below the trolley oost per oar mile for ourrent. On the whole I think wo ought to put on the four motors or at least have them on hand and fry them out. If you think so kindly let me know and I will telegraph the works to send four instead of two.
Yours truly.
C> dr
THE BLUE RIDGE TRACTION COMPANY.
Thomas A. Edison, Esq.
Orange, H. J.
Dear Sir:-
■r! .-IS 1909.
''"(LUA top
Oct. 11,1909.
We are in the market for polo transformers) from 550 D.C. to
hr
110 D. C. ^ and" whereas all the different Electrical Conoarris that wo have addressed on this subject have nothing to offer in this line
wo address you— being you are the Blecti’ical Genius of the Globe -
®s to what you could recommend in this line. If ouch a transformer would bo in the market it would place electric lights into every house along a trolley road, and it seems to me would be a very-very profitable business We know that the A.C. is made out of the D.C. and then transformers placed on poles, but we are after Direot Current Transformers. Wo do not want a generator sot, nor a rotary converter, but a pole transformer as statod above. How would be pleased to hear from you as to what is the best plan to pursue to fdrniBh direct current for lights along our trolley road. How ,if it can not be transformed, could anything be done with Rheostats?
Thanking you in advance ,we are.
Yours very truly.
r
„-£c. ■
qL CTC^Zo
[ENCLOSURE]
[ENCLOSURE]
oomploted for tho Third Ave Ry Co of this oity a Gasoline Elootric Car. Tho G E engineers aro very ploaBOd with tho apearanoo and running of this oar. On Friday lait Mr Mahar and Mr Mullaney of the Third Avo Co went to Schenectady to inspect this oar and Mr Mullaney reports to me, of course confidential, that the oar does run very well. It? fuel consumption ho does not know. It has oost them about $30,000 to develops this oar.
The body wan made by &ill also the truck. Mullaney says that it is by far the most promising maohine of the type ho has seen, but ho has very little faith in its meeting the hard oity conditions for any length of time. It runs very quietly ard while being the best in the line of gasoline machines so far produoed, he, Mullaney, is of the opinion that it will ne be adopted on aooount of tho high oost of maintananoe.
The total noight with load is 86.000 lbs.
Everything is ooming along on our oar except tho Carnegie Steel Co mado a rotten job of the steal undorframe, and as I am in such a hurry I have decided to cut it out and use wood sills instead. Possibly I am better of by reason of this error of theirs as I can save about 200 pound? in the underframe in weight by using all wood.
I am putting in 3 by 6 in ash sills . Two longitudinal and 5 oross. This , with the steel battery box awght to give a car of great rigidity..
By the way I found a oonoorn who aro welding this girder structure for me and they do j(ine work. I am also welding all points of strain on the truck.
Field oalled to tell mo that he had made a diokor with you. I guess he don't realize what ho up against. I would hate to taokle that bus job. Rotten market.
Thos A Edison
Orange D J. _ _
My dear Mr Edison; \ H»— — ^ vwy^£*'
The oar is nearing ooftplotion and the one remaining problem is th&t
cf lighting. X wanted to light from the battery but I have not been able to find a voltage regulator that promisos anything like reliability unless I go into a very elaborate and expensive outfit. The socalled Chapman regulator , made by the G E Co is reputed to be the best thing made but it is o<| complicate^ that I am inolinod to think that it will not do for the purpose. Do you know of anything 1 I have thought of attempting to make a solenoid to pulll against an adjusting spring and moovo an arm over contact points to out in resistance as the voltage rises, and sensitive thst I am afraid that
J
visa versa. This might do but solenoids c
we should not be able to get very close adjustment . The necessary friotion would , I think , throw jtfus away out . If you have had jSome experienoein this line X would very muoh appreciate your advioe.
Not using the battery current for this purposi,we can use, very nicely, aoetylene gas. I have looked into this and find that X oan equip the oar for a cost of about §150.00 putting in four lights insidojrthe body, one in each costibulo, and two headlights, a tank to oarry 250 oubio feptT of gas, a daily consumption of about 12 feet or a run of 20 days on a single charge of gas. This is furnished by the Comeroial Acetylene Co and is eaCfonsively used by many railroads. The total weight is approximately 150 lbs. It has some advantages over eleotric lighting ,J(in that is is steady. On the oJh5r hand is in not so convenient to install.
The quality of light^is probably better.
I would very glad to have your opinion on this matter.
Tours very truly.
/ Cost pep-'fiay about 80.20 ) J
i / .
_ .... _ _ _ „n extra set of say ten oells.
for lighting only. Those low volt lamt will stand a greater variation of yoltage 'Without injury than high volt ones,
TJhat do you say to ten A-4 oells and use 12 volt lampB 1
\This last looks the best to me.
^ au? aldcc
-i Q-//TLI r
Suita 818-820,
42 Broadway,
New York City, December 22nd, 1909,
Ur. Thomas A, Edioon, Lakeside Avenue,
Weyt Orange, N. J,
Dear Sir:
PO. (. if. V «/ (mi- lci_ &*■
vJL tadwo* c,~«
cm Ur,l R. H. Beach, who was
„ - — ULa, i(UX «Kt*f
then located at 42 Broadway, Room 820, the authority to procure a purchason for
a one half interest in what ho claimed as hie Bol^selling ^rlght^ f ofc traction s of the Edison Storage Battery, of the said one half interest and Beach, v/ith my client, several mo: paid thereon. Since then, ho han Nov/, I would like to as) or verbal for the sole selling right!
Battery in January last?
I enclose copy of affadavit showing that my agreemont v/ith Ur. Beach
, _ _ _
contract jmn drawn and accepted by Ur. ,Trw*i» wct.il —•* ith more or less of the amount
«-v ’VWX" t*”
- . r—, the coromisBione agreed ueon.
Lf U «k-»'aX
if Mr. Beach J»ad a contract either written
hts*f$^tra
e of the Edison Storage
e
wae witnessed.
If it is truo, as I have been informed, that Ur. Beach has not an agreement covering the exclusive selling rights for your battery for traction use, then it becomes a matter of mutual interest, as Mr, Beach is using your name to procure money for his personal use and depositing the money in his wife's name, thus preventing the collection of just bills for labor, etc,, expended on your proposition.
Shortly after this, I found that Mr. Beach was not trustworthy, as he proposed to mo another deal to be conducted from the offices at 42 Broad¬ way, and which has just landed his associate, Carl de Fornaro into States Pri¬ son for one year.
Mow York City, Doc ember 22nd, 1909,
I did not look on the matter favorably, and upon consultation, after reporting thin matter Mr.- Beach was requested to look for othor office quarters Sinco then he has tried to defraud myself and associates out of our just dues; therefore, I believe you will see that in all fairness, I may expect an early reply as to whether or not Mr, Beach had a contract with you covering the sole selling rights as stated heretofore.
Respoctfully yours,
[ENCLOSURE]
Hr. H. Sylveotor,
126 Adelphi Street,
Brooklyn, Kew York.
Nor/ York City, December 14th, 1909.
Dear Sid:
As per your roqueut for a sworn statement regarding the Edison Stor¬ age Battery proposition,
I, William Alexander, solemnly affirm, that on or about Folruary 10th, l was taken to Room 818, 42 Broadway, New York City, by E. B. Spaulding and thoro introduced to Mr. R. H. Beach, who stated in the presonce of said E. B. Spaulding and myself thnt he held a contract from Thomas A. Edison, for the solo selling rights of the Edison Battery for traction uses, and that he would ' dispose of a half interest in said contract; furthermore, he stated he had given B. B. Spaulding an exclusive option for tho sale of said half interest in the selling righto of tho Edison Storage Battery. And in consideration of my finding a purchaser for said half interest, the said R. H. Bench agreed to sell mo the half interest in the Storage Battory.
On June 18th, 1909, I was requested by R. H. Beach to withdraw tho contract that I then held, which entitlod me to a one-third interest of the one- half interest that he wished to sell, ami in consideration of my releasing Mr .
R. H. Bench from the said contract, he then agreed to divide the commission equally between myself and E. B. Spaulding.
Yours wory truly,
(Signed) Wm, Alexander.
" E. B, Spaulding.
Witness:
H. Sylveeter
Sworn to before me this 14th day of December 1909,
(Signed) Archibald L. Van Nese,
Notary Public, New York. Co.
Mr. E. B. Spaulding,
Room 813,
42 Broadway, N, Y.
Daar Sir: —
Yours of the 22d inst. to Mr. Edison, has Been referred to me, and in reply 1 beg to advise that Mr. Edison made no arrangement v/ith Mr. Beach whereby the latter was granted any exclusive rights for traction purposes or otherwise, in connection with the Edison Storage Battery, .
Yours very truly,
EDISON STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY.
LVR
Vice-President,
1909. Battery - Storage - Foreign (D-09-04)
This folder contains correspondence and other documents relating to the patenting, manufacture, and sale of Edison storage batteries in countries other than the United States. Among the correspondents are Sigmund Bergmann, Henry H. Harjes, H. F. Parshall, and Willis N. Stewart. Most of the documents concern relations among Edison, Bergmann, and Bergmann’s Deutsche Edison-Accumulatoren-Co. Included are items pertaining to supplies and equipment, Edison's newly developed cells, and European sales rights. Other documents relate to the competing Jungner Storage Battery Co. in Stockholm and possible British and French investors.
All of the the documents have been selected except for three items that duplicate information in selected material.
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'B-JA**- t*-'
“WOLFRAM’
^ ST E F F I C I
Machine Department
«* fucA
Berlin, ft _ January 25th 19 OU.
Thos . A. Edison, Esq., Llewellyn Park, New Jersey.
My dear Edison if
the bearer of this, Mr. Kammerhof f , with whom you are alre*d£ acquainted, is coming to you to discuss the steps that must h« taken in order to keep the factory and the husineso of the Deutsche Edison-Akkumulat oren Company running.
Matters have 'now arrived at such a stage that I am utterly unable to pacify the shareholders, the money; already lost being very large, as compared to the capital pf the Company, and in consequence thfc situation is a very critical one.
It is imperative that some radical changes should.be made in order to put the Company on a safe and sound basis, and I have every confidence that you will do everything you possibly can to ‘ assist us in this direction.
I most earnestly hope that a satisfactory understanding
BERGMANN ELECTRICAL WORKS (machine department).
-2 -
Thos. A. Edison, Esq., Llewellyn Park, IT.
will 1)6 arrived at and confirm herewith that any agreement cori- gerning the business of the company, which may be made by Mr. Kammhphoff and your goodself , will have my approval.
I intended to come over myself accompanied by Mr. Kammerhoff f but on rg^eiving your cablegram this morning, stating that you would leat^ for Florida on February 16th, I am compelled to send Mr. Kammar- hoff alofle, as I could not possibly manage to get away here so early. With bast regards
€dison
Bank-Canto:
Deutsche Dank, Berlin.
Ztlegramm-jddresse:
€disoncell.
J)eutsche
~ j/Ikkumu/atoren- Company
CJ'. m. b. Tj.
{Berlin JQ„ den...
J)rontheIme
Jan, 25th 1909.
fernspntch-JJnscftluss :
jfmt 2. Jfo. 873.
jt. B- C Cede (VI u. J<* edition) and Sitter's Code used.
Thos. A. Edison, Esq., Llewellyn Pari, New Jersey.
Dear Sir:
Por the last four years we have been striving to maie the manufacture of the Edison battery a success, both for yourselves and our shareholders, hut in spite of our most strenuous efforts, invol¬ ving the expenditures of large sums of money, we regret to say that up to the present the results achieved have been, from a commercial point of view, unsatisfactory in the extreme arid in consequence hereof the situation has now developed such a grave aspect that we are com¬
pelled to approach you on the subject.
In connection herewith might we venture to explain briefly the different causes why the results obtained have been contrary ■ in every respect to the expectations which our Company had the right
to assume and lias all along been
assuming.
-tation of the Edison Storage Bat:
In your two letters of September 30th 1904 and October 1st 1904 respectively, addressed to our Director General, Mr. Bergmann, it was suggested that within seven mpnths a company for the exploi-
ery in Germany, Austria and Hungary
should be flflrmed, based on the stipulations mentioned in these two letters.
- 1 -
J)eutsche €dison- j7kkumu!atoren- Company g. m. b. n.
- 2 -
Thos. A. Edison , Esq., Llewellyn Park. N. J.
The profits which you figured out , that our Company in all probability would arrive at, were based on the supposition that the type H 18 cell could be manufactured for $ 6.-- and sold for $ 10.— the latter being your selling price in America. The active material of this type of cell was to be supplied at a price of about $ 1.30, but you expressed the view that you would be able, in a short time, to reduce this price materially. Your statement of October 1st 1904 then being found to be in every way satisfactory, our shareholders decided to form a Company.
After the formation of our Company and the starting up of our plant on March 1st 1905, you deemed it necessary to advise us not to commence manufacturing, but to wait until the important im¬ provements you were than making on the cells, had been brought to a satisfactory conclusion. In order to prevent us getting bad results with the type H cell, you then decided not to supply us with active material.
Not having received sufficient encouragement from you to Atart operations in .our nearly finished plant up to the beginning of 1906, our Mr. Bergmann made a trip to America in February of that year for the purpose of investigating the whole situation, and as a result, you then gave your oonsefat to finish the tools for the type H cell and also to supply us with active material. The price, however, which we had to pay for the nickel and iron material was about 100 ft more tha.n that mentioned in your letter of Sept. 30th 1904.
J)eufsche €dison - jftkkumulatoren - Company g. m. b. T>.
-3 -
Thos. A. Edison, Esq., Ilewellyn Park, E. J.
in spite of this fact, however, we decided, in order to test our tools and to at last commence operations, to start manufacturing about the fall of 1906. Owing, however, to the prohibitive price of the active material, we were, of course, not in a position to put the cells on the market in quantities , but had to run our plant merely on an experimental scale.
We delayed commercial operations until May 1907 in the hope that your experiments with the tube cell would show the desired re¬ sults, but after the elapse of this time, our shareholders insisted on knowing the exact situation and whether the expenditure of further capital would be justified or not. In consequence hereof, our Mr. Bergmann was compelled to again go over to America, in order to ex¬ plain to you that something must be done to pacify the shareholders.
Mr. Bergmann suggested that you Bhould give your consent to our Company taking up the manufacture of electric cars or other thingfc , with a view to stopping the continually growing financial loss. To this proposal you did not agree, but stated that you were absolutely convino- «ed that the manufacture of the tube cell could be taken up in a corner-, -oial way within a very short time.
Thereupon we studied in your Works the best methods for making; the tools for the tube cell, the nickel flakes and the active material. After having made the necessary tools, based on new drawings furnjs'hei. by ybU, for. the tube cell A 6, and also a small plant for nickel and/ ftotiv* material , we sent two of our men over last fall ( 1908 ) ^rt-th A ViAW it learning yoUr latest fifooesBes for making the iron and hjl^kel?
J)euische €dison - jQkkumulatoren - Company g. m. b.Ij.
- 4 -
Thoo. A. Edison, Esq.-) Llewellyn Park, H. J.
material. Prom a. report which, we have received from our men, we, however, see that matters are still not sufficiently advanced to enable us to start in manufacturing ..the tube cell..
Under these circumstances we are, therefore, compelled to continue the manufacture of the type H cell with flat pockets and place same on the market. Of this type of cell we have also developed several small types. As a result of the tests and experience we have had up to the present with the type H cell, we have come to the con¬ clusion that thj,s cell is, from a technical point of view, quite satis¬ factory and that we can compete with the lead battery as far as prac¬ tical operation is concerned. As regards price, however, it is an abso,. lute impossibility to meet competition, our customers, in fact, On ac¬ count of the larger space required for your battery, refusing to ppy any more than they pay for the lead battery.
The argument that the useful life of the Edison battery is very much longet4 than that of the lead battery is of no assistance to us in justifying our prices* inasmuch as the lead batteryrpeople are pre¬ pared to maintain the upkeep of their cells at an exceedingly low figure
Every time we tried to sell Edison batteries for elect romobilefs we found this to be impossible, as your battery is considerably higher and takes up more room than the lead batteries, for the instalment of which latter all the electric vehicles over on this side are designed and constructed.
How in order to make use of your battery in, practical service,
J)eutsche €dison - JJkkumulaioren-Company g. m. b. Jj.
- 5 -
Thoe. A. Edison, Bag. , 'Llewellyn Park, If. J.
Mr. Bergmann was compelled to. construct cars, which, were specially developed to taka up the Edison battery and we are handing you here¬ with literature, pricelists and photographs, illustrating our Mr. Bergmann's efforts in this direction.
The following statement will clearly show the precarious position we are in, regarding the sale of our batteries as compared to lead cells- We figured throughout on type H 27 containing 27. plates, as this is the size we chiefly make, as it has the right capacity for trucks and cabs used in Europe. Without taking general expanses into account at all, the actual manufacturing cost to us for ond cell* type H 27, is $ 7.50, as per attached sheet. Eor a truokf capable of carrying a load of 2 tons, or for a cab, we generally use a battery consisting of 64 cells, type H 27, the actual manufacturing cost of these to us being 9 480. — . This battery we now sell at a nett price of $ 50$*«», and a lead battery whioh could be used for the same purpose, ^onsi*ting of 44 cells, having a capacity of 235 ampere-hours, is sold at $ 400**- This lead battery, the manufacturers guarantee to keep in good working order and maintain at a charge of l£ / per oar mile* As we are not able to maintain our battery and keep it in service at such a low figure, if we wish to effect sales at all, we are compelled to sell the Edison batteries for the price of $ 500.— as above mentioned and even lower*
As soon as we are in a position to make our own active material here, we fully expect to be able to turn it out at about $ 1.— cheaper per cell, H 27, than the price which we now pay you. Taking this into account, the actual cost for one cell, type H 27, would thus be* not in eluding general expenses, $ 6.50, or for one complete battery of 64 cell
J)eutsche ■Edison- Jikkumulatoren-Company g. m. b.Tj.
- 6 -
Thos. A. Edison, Esq., Ilewillyn Park, B. J.
3 416.—
As long as wa are compelled to employ active material manu¬ factured lay you, our profit on a complete battery of 64 cells, type H 27, works out at about 3 20.— , or 31 / per cell. On tbe other hand* i
if we could use for cell H 27 active material costing $ 1.— less in
price than we now have to pay, the- profit for one oell would then be
3 1.31, or for a complete battery of 64 cells 3 84.—. Our profit
would, however, in reality not work out so high, because we have to sell it at a still lower price.
Our calculation of the manufacturing cost is based on the experience we have gathered during a period of about two years and is correct, provided 75 - 100 cells a day are turned out. The cost per oell is, of course, at present somewhat higher and will remain so aslong as we are unable to turn out the above mentioned number of cellsu
In your letter of September 30th 1904 addressed to our Mr. Bergmann, based on which the money was subscribed and the Com¬ pany inaugurated, you estimated the cost for active material for one cell H 18 at $ 1.30 and for cell H 27 3 1.95, up to the fall of 1908, however, we had to pay you $ 3.90, the price, however, for H 27 now being 3 2.75.
Prom our above remarks it is self-evident that it is an absolute impossibility to make money on the Edison battery, unless tiB cost of manufacturing is reduced and in consequence hereof,
j)eutsc/ie Sdisort - jtfkkumulatoren - Compart y g. m. b.tj.
- 7 -
Thos. A. Edison, Esq- ,Liawerllyn Park, H. J,
as a commercial proposition we cannot possibly accept the responsibi¬ lity of proceeding in the present fashion, without making a serious effort to have the prevailing, very unsatisfactory state of affairs remedied- We feel that it is imperative to come to some understanding in order to put a stop to the present, continual strain on our re¬ sources and the heavy financial losses, which we have up to data,. in¬ curred.
On the other hand, we consider it essential that we should continue manufacturing the Edison battery, in view of itB valuable, technical properties , and our conviction is, thftt wa shall, with your assistance, in the course of time, be able to make it a full success, providing only we are placed in a position to manufacture and Bell j(.t at a price low enough to compete with the lead batteries at present on the market. Hot only in our, but also in your own interests, every possible step should be taken to prevent the dissolution of our Company and the corresponding grave injury that would b$ inflicted on JSur respective reputations thereby, and we have not the slightest doubt that you will, without hesitation, afford us every Assistance in ythjC power to prevent such a calamity, and with this end in view, we now approach you, to obtain your consent , that the terns of our mutual agreement, dated September 28th 1906, be amended in the following manner.
1.) That our Company shall not be under the obligation to pay any further royalty per cell, as long as we are not in a position to piat the improved cell on
J)eutsche €dison - JJkkumulatoren-Company
g. m. b. I}.
- 8 -
Thoa. A. Edison, Esq., Llewellyn Park, N. J.
the market in a commercial way ;
2. ) That we have permission to manufacture not only
the Edison batteries, hut in addition any other articles, which we may deem advisable, in order to improve the financial conditions of the Com¬ pany and thus avoid further losses ;
3. ) That we have permission to sell Edison batteries
in all European countries , with the exception of England, <Juring such time, as the Edison battery is not actually manufactured in any of such coun¬ tries.
If our proposal meats with your approval, we intend to sell the cells at such a prioe, as will not only increase our output considerably , but besides will enable us to stop further losses and also regain that amount which has already been lost. Up to the time of writing, we should have to reckon with a loss of practically about $ 200.000.- incurred during a period of four years.
Recapitulating briefly, we would say, that the present state of affairs is an absolutely impossible one. Our shareholders refuse to grant any more capital, or sanction any further expenditure,, unless they are finally convinced, to their own satisfaction, that the manu¬ facture and sale of the Edison battery is possible on a commercial basis.
In conclusion we would once more impress upon you out con-
j)eutsche €dison - Jikkumulatoren-Company
g. m. b.
- 9 -
Th.00. A. Edison, Esq., Llewellyn Park, H. J .
viction that your battery will ultimately he a success in every way. Both our factory equipment and "business organisation, from a technical point of view, have "been developed on most modern lines and leave no¬ thing to he desired, so that all that remains to hring the business to a commercially successful issue is, your acceptance of our propo¬ sitions, and we sincerely trust, in view of the extreme gravity of the situation, that we shall not have appealed to you in vain*.
Thanking you in anticipation of a favorable reply in due course, we are
Yours very truly,
(3>cJlW) - c\^~~
JOHN O. ROOS
February l:st 1909.
Thomas A. Edison, E*
TVUj iDSa* fit*
'%■
West Orange. H.Y.
V^o &sst~e-o^+
U.S.A.
• /%
~fcZ> cLcr
! J Dear Mr. Easons- ' * £>
With my apprentioetime in your Laboratory the years 1901-03, and with your kind regards to me during that time still in bright memory, I take the liberty to write to you in the following matter.
When I went to Sweden it was to take a position in our offioial Institute for testing materials ana I am now since about two years the director of that institution.
In this property I have^Jooasion to learn some of the work of the new Jungner Storage Battery C:o. This company, that suc¬ ceeded the old one, was formed in 1906, and with a board and management of respectable and good people, it has persistently worked on the develop¬ ment of the storage battery of the iron-niokel type.
How, there has been put in a tremendous amount of work on this problem on both sides of the Atlantic, but as far as I know the great inventions on this thing have been of small practical value.’
, 1 beli9^9 to be right when I say, that this state
of things is greatiy caused by the long and rather fruitless patent - fights and I think it is a pity, that the practical results should be blocked in that way.
Being in a friendly way oonneotea with both parties I propose to you as I have proposed to the leading men of the Jungner Cso, that the holders of the Edison and the Jungner rights should try to come to an understanding that would put an end to this fight. I have reason to Know, that the Jungner people would like to partake in such an arrangement.
If you consider conditions to he proper that suoh preliminaries should he opened, you will kindly let me know ana I would be very pleased if I couia he of any use in this case.
Hoping of still being friendly remembered by you 1 send you my respectful and faithful regards.
Electrical World
February 10, 1909.
T. A. Edison, Esq.,
Edison Laboratory,
Orange, N. J. ffrj jj <yyy
Dear Mr. Edison:
While I was with you yesterday afternoon a cable message was received at my offioo from Sir Olifton Robinson with re¬ gard to your battery, about nliioh we were then talking. I inolose a oopy of this oablo mo'aaaga, which I should like to answer if there is anything new or further to be said. Sir Clifton RobinBon is evidently very muoh in earnest about this matter, from the way he stioks to it.
Wishing you raan^ happy returns of the day, believe me, with warmest regards, ” ~ ’
Tours truly.
Inolosure.
Editor.
[ENCLOSURE]
WESTERN
UNION
COPY
CABLE MESSAGE
\T0l-
WESTERN
UNION
1 ~u III liJud
Martin 339 West 39th Street, N.Y.
Ho communication from Edison have you learned anything definite matter urgent please cable tubonays
131PM
ScLt^eJ
(Le
<~-to A-C-C- I P SWoC
Uj>. «*■"
Deutsche "Edison Akkumul&torori Co., Drontheimeratr. 35-38,
Gentlemen:
Berlin, II., Goraiany.
Your favor of January 25, 1909, la recoived, and under the circumstances I hereby consent to tho following temporary modi¬ fications of the conditions of our. contract dated September 28, 1905 i’irst. During tho period from March. 1, 1909, until six months after the date on which my ..American company ("Edison Storage Battery Co.) commences the commercial manufacture of the new type «A» battery with tube colls, payment of royalties under the contract is waived, but immediately upon the oonclusion of such period, royalties shall bo payable on butteries thereafter manufactured, ae provided in the oontraot. I will duly advise you in writing when aotuai manufacture, of new batteries iB- commenced conmmroially by the Edison Storage Battery Co. This temporary waiver of royalty payments is made upon the express condition that you are to immedi¬ ately proceed with the construction of the necessary devioes and machinery to manufacture the new "A" type tube cell, in order that it may be put out as soon aa possible, ae I am now satisfied with it. - ' ". ,
• Second, During the period in which you are preparing the "
. _ , MWilOMVr bHOMOGUVbH OOHbVIli '
necessary. special' tools, for manufacturing the hew type nA» battery and in' whioh your general machinery io not ocoupled, I consent to
(2)
a further modification of our contract to the extent that you may manufacture, for the account of the Bergmans Electric Voxkff, such apparatus, parts or devices for which your machinery may he adapted, hut it is to he expressly understood that such manufactured products are not to he publicly sold by the Deutsche Edison Ahkumulatoren Co., and the fact that such products aro manufactured by tho Deutsche Edison Aldsumulatoren Co. is not to be publicly adver¬ tised or announced. This permission is also subject to the express condition that the manufacture of 3uch other apparatus, parts or devices shall he discontinued at tho end of- six months from the date when the npw type "A" battery is first commercially manufactured by tho Edison Storage Battery Co. (the American company). In other words, the distinct understanding is that six months from the date the now type "A" battery is first. made by the Edison Storage , Battery Co. (the American company), oil of tho terms and conditions of the contract of September 28, 1905, shall again go into full force and effect. -
Yours very truly.
MVJ.tOMVr bHOHOCUVbH COWbVMA .
fc-5.
//y C>//yyy/M:r'
=^o/u/rm'
-Sy<r/ir/r>/yy. ,£\ a
Q
/k.
: 5221/6' 5230/6
Karch 1st, 1909. lw j-JTC
Thomas A. Edison. Esq., .
Oran go
KEW .TJ3RSEY . ^ ,
. „*3( K
Lfe-dcST . tt A «* 6
c owmuni^
, Sir Ja.‘:
r.imes Clifton •C.iw'v.
Hy dear Sir,
I have had £
Robinson regarding the appliea£jjon^o?' y|u -^batteries to a tramway system. You will probably rehash er that ^investigated thin matter very fully and reported to you some most ago that once the business hail advanced so far tnat factories could be established in the different countries, there were some important tramway projects to be considered. I very particular¬ ly went into the situation in Paris, where a considerable numbe'- of tramways are being operated by lead batteries, and from the figures obtainable it seemed pretty clear that the Edison battery could profitably supersede the lead battery.
Even if the patent situation were favourable, it does not appear to me practicable to supply batteries for the working of tramways until there is a proper organisation to see that the batteries are suitably installed and properly looked
Thomas A. Edison, Esq. - .2 - March lot 1JO?.
after. I do not know whether you are informed an to the recent action taken by the Controller of Patents here in Enel and. He annulled t.-ie Bremer Are lamp Patent owned by the Westi ngliouse Company on the ground that it wan not sufficiently manufactured in Great Britain. it appears that some thousands of these lamps are in use, but not moro than a thousand or so have been ::ia; ufaotiired by the Wepti nghouse Company. The same line of action was taken in respect to another patent. Apparently trie general policy of the Controller will bo to annul all patents on articles largely used but not largely manufactured in tue country. This in itself would naturally delay the sale of your battery in England until it in being manufactured here.
I wrote you some time ago regarding the batteries Bergmann had sent over hero for trial. They did not prove a success, and I am informed that the motor cars sent over by Bergmann at the same time failed to give, satisfaction. I trust Bergmann is having bettor luck on the Continent.
With kindest regards, I remain,
( Memorandum. /
Under the contract between Mr. Edison and the German Storage lattery Co. the German Company agreed to carry on manufacturing opera¬ tions in Germany, Austria and Hungary and to pay Edison royalties on all batteries manufactured. The German Company has now spent so much money in getting the battery going in Germany that it becomes necessary to form a separate Austrian Company with additional capital. Mr. Edison agrees that a separate Austrian Corap aiy can be formed and take over for Austria and Hungary the rights which have been granted to the German Company. The Austrian Company will be subject to all the conditions that have been imposed on the German Company, especially with regard to Mr. Edison's royalties. The German Company will guarantee the faithful carrying out of the obligations of the Austrain Company and the payment of Edison's ■royalties. Draw up a contract on these lines and submit to Mr. Edison for approval before sending it over to the German Com¬ pany.
3/12/09 .
V
S£n^7£
cr ST&tZc/e???/. E C.
March 2Jrd 1909.
Thomas A. Edison, Esq.,
Orange,
NEW JERSEY.
My dear Sir,
in times past .when reporting to you as to the results obtained with various classes of electric cars and batteries,
I have made mention of Mr. a. K. Baylor, who has been making a special study of thiB subject for some years past. He has also carried out tests on the different Edison batteries that you have sent over here for trial. (Further, he made trials on the cars and batteries made by Bergmann. Eor the above reason I have suggested to Mr. Baylor that you would very likely be pleased to meet him and hear what he has to say on the subject.
I rernin
YourB very truly,
\ T)eutsche
€dison~ jQkkumulatoren-Company
Q. m. b. Tj.
| Deutsche Dank, Berlin.
Berlin H., May 4 th 09
. J>- £■ <? Code ('*'1 U. edition)
My dear Mr. Dyer,
You will remember, that you dictated a letter to Mr. Edi= son on the 12th of March regarding the battery-business in Austria and Hungary, Mr. Kainmerhoff, who returned some weeks ago from New-York, told you, that I think it advisable, to start now a
factory in Austria i
l that 1 want to put up for this purpoi
i special Company. Mr. Kamraerhoff told i
that I might expect an
answer from you in short time, but did not get until today any in= formations from you. It is very difficult, to sell batteries from here to Austria, because the duty for .batteries is prohibitive.
On the other hand, in starting a new Company in Austria I could improve the position of the Deutsche Edison-Akkumulatoren-Co.., which is at the present time, as you know, a very bad one. Will you please therefore be good enough to let me know as soon as
possible, what Mr. Edisc
thinks of this matter and whether I <
expect, that Edison will give his consent to my proposal.
1 -
i7,i9Q9.
Stffoxatu/mwiufirrtff (<£■*
Frank L. Dyer,
0
Dear Sir:*
I only now have had opportunity to discuss with Mr. Kammerhof of the German Edison Storage Battery Company the question of work¬ ing the battery patents of Mr. Edison in Austria and Hungary. We have found it impossible for the German Company to make arrangements for actual manufacturing storage batteries in Hungary because the market in Hungary would be too small in order to allow actual manufacturing. However Mr. Kammerhof is entirely willing to take steps to secure actual manufacturing in Austria. Mr. Kammerhof is in the moment not in the position to exactly state in what manner the manufacturing could be made. However he thinkB that the most reasonable way of securing manufacturing of the Austrian patents would be to form a Company for controlling the market in Austria witH a factory in Austria. I think that this course would be high¬ ly advisable and would also be sufficient to protect the patent interests, because it would bs impossible for other parties to start a manufacture for the sell in Hungary even if the Hungarian patents would not be valid if the validity of the Austrian patents is secured by actual manufacture in Austria in the same wqy as the validity of the German patents by manufacture in German,,
I think that you should make Borne arrangements with the German.
Comjbahy
range.
Company in order to start the manufacture in Austria to in view of the modification of the Austrian law relating to the working of patents.
Yours truly
[FROM FRANK L. DYER]
Juno 1, 1909.
S. Bergmann, Esq.,
Drontheimerstr . 35-38,
Berlin, H., Germany. •
My dear Mr. Bergmann :
Your favor of the 4th ult., has been re¬ ceived, in reference to the formation of a separate Battery Company in Austria and Hungary. Kr. Kauraerhoff mentioned this propositipn to me and it seemed to be entirely satisfactory to Mr. Edison, but after I had prepared the necessary contract 'ho told me that’
he would not sign it until he knew exactly what you proposed to do, oo that the entire arrangement can be embodied in the . contract , X .under stand in a general way that you wish to organise a separate company for Xustria and Hungary having the same rights as the,
German Company and subject to the same limitations, and with the further understanding that if the new company defaults in any respeot the German company will make good. Mr. Edison wants to know who the men are that intend to furnish capital for the, ; Austrian company, what oapital is to bo furnished, what interest, if any, the German company will have in the. Austrian company and the exact . relations whioh will exist between the two concerns.’ In other words, will the Austrian company manufacture and sell batteries in Austria and Hungary as an absolutely independent concern, or will it work in dose relations with the German ocApany?
what will’
I’ expect to be in Europi
ip. Bergmann.\^' (2) 6/l/09.
perhaps go to Berlin, and if so,, we can discuss the -general batter, y, situation, including the present natter, if you do not write me fully concerning it before I sail.
Believe me always, with kind regards,
Yours -very truly.
KCB/iW Vice-President.
x
June 1, 1909.
Dr. L. Soil,
Alexandrinenstr. 137, ,
Berlin, S. W. , Germany.
My dear Dr. Sell:
• favor of ' the 17th ult. lias been reoeived, pointing out the de air ability of forming a separate Storage Battery Company in Austria-Hungary, and I mu writing llr. Bergman: to-day in reference to this matter. Mr. Edison la quite willin tliat tills 3hould be done, provided the matter can be handled in way that will not prejudice hi a righto.
Mrs., Dyer and I expect to be in Bur ope this Summer, and if wo are in Berlin v/e hope to. have the pleasure of again seeing , you. -
Believe me,
Yours very truly,
BLD/lWW
Vice-President.
/ , *v 4 j)eutsche
> Edison -jrfkkumulatoren - Company
7 S’, m. b. fj.
Bank-Coma: _ _ ' _
Deutsche ^ank, Der/fn.
Ztltgramm-Jldrtsst:
€disoncell.
{Berlin 32., d,« 15th 09
Brcnlhtlmtrslr. ‘35-31.
ftmspreeh-JInsetiluss:
Jlmt 2, Jfo. 873.
B- C Cade (*'± u. J« edition) and Xitbtr's Codr ustd.
100-
ffrank 1. D y e r , Esq.. ,
c/o. Edison Storage Battery Co., Oran g e H.J.
Dear Sir,
We herewith hsg to acknowledge receipt of your favor of the 1st inst., written to Mr. Bergmann, who at the present time is out of town on a business-trip and will probably return at the end of thin month. Mr. Bergmann will than leave the second week of July for his recreation and intends to be back about first week of August. We therefore beg you to arrange if possible your Journey to Germany in that way, that you arrive in Berlin middle of August in order to meet Mr. Bergmann at that time here. We think it ad=
visable, that you di scuss the battery-situation and the matter about a new Company for Austria and Hungary personally with Mr.
/
June 28, 1909
Deutsche Edison Akkumulatoren Co,,
Dr on the imeratr. 35-28,
Berlin, If. , Germany,
Gentlemen:
Yours of the 15th inot. Jiao ho cm received, and I note that Ur. Bcrgmarm totes liis vacation from the second wo ok of
the first week of AU(.jcst, I hope to bo atple to im in Berlin some come around the middle of August and will tlien sec Kr. Boscmaiui in order to disftuos these mat tors with him.
Yours very truly, '
otj-i/iw •
Vice-President .
3L
(/%/?£) . 29th June . 3.909 ♦
n'^h
My dear Mr. Edison,
The enclosed cutting from the "Daily Telegraph" has been handed to us hy a good friend of ours, Mr .Durand, who is a stockbroker and Managing Director of an’Electroraobile company here. I also enclose you a letter of Mr .Durand addressed to us asking for certain information in regard to the nev/ battery, and I should be much obliged if you would enable ns to reply.
I take this opportunity of asking you whether you have yet taken into consideration the exploitation of the new battery in France, and we should be very glad to have your views on the subject. /'■’
fiiM' - !
T)eutsche
Cdison-jGkkumulatoren- Company
Q. m. b. 7).
2ertw 32., den ...S.e.Et.«....lst. 1909
J)ronfhe!merstr. 35~3B.
Thomas A. E d i a o n Esq., Iaewellyn Park,
Orange Hew Jersey
My dear Edison,
The Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Deutsche Edison Akkumulatoren-Company G.m.b.H. is arranged for September 14th or 15th. I should therefore be glad if you would let me know by cable on receipt of this letter whether you wish me to attend the meeting on your behalf.
We have of course under the present circumstances not beei able to make any money, but hope that conditions will now begin to improve, owing to your kind permission to manufacture our type H without having to pay any royalty on same according to your letter of February 11th. The lead people are doing everything in their power to prevent us from coming to the surface, but I think we shall soon be able to show them that we are in a position to put
lead cells out of businei
last Autumn and at the beginning of this year I sent you )ur small cells for sparking batteries, mining lamps, etc., in order to show you that we are continually striving to come into
1 -
j)eutsche Edison- j7kkumulaioren-Company
g. m. b. T).
- 2 -
Thomas A. I d i s on, Esq., 0 ran g e New Jersey
closer contact with our customers, and to find a way to make some money.
Considering the present state of manufacture I think it would he desirable for Rogers to come over here to look after our new tools for the many small cells and accessories. He could probably give us some good advice, and may, on the other hand, find some improvemente, which could be of value for you. As far as I know, Rogers needs a vacation anyhow, and 1 therefore propose that he should make this trip over here, and X am willing to pay half the expense for his journey.
Hoping to receive a favourable reply from you and trusting that you are in good health, I am, with kindest regards,
S. Bergmann, Esq. ,
Drontheimerstr . 35-38,
Berlin, N., Germany.
Dear Mr. Bergmann; -
llx. Edison haB been informed that . a man living in the neighborhood of "RapperBwil" Switzerland, is making automobiles and advertising Edison batteries in connection iwith them. Of course, it is possible that these batteries ore made by you, but at the same time I wish you would look into the matter and advise me if there is anything in it.
Yours very truly.
ELD/ ARK.
Vioe-President.
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916
MEMORANDUM
Oot. 11, 1909.
OCT ±2 1909
Mr. Edieon:-
Regarding the ctiAaohed memorandum from Mr. Meadoworoft, as I told you, alu of our patents in Canada on the battery are taken out or applied for under the new law, which relieves the patentee of the necessity of working the invention in Canada, hut makes it possible for any manufacturer to demand a license under such equit¬ able terms as the Patent Office may decide should be grant¬ ed.
In view of the limited market in Canada, I cannot believe that any one would select that country to start a factory, but ir it is done and they infringe, we can require them to psy royalties.
P.X.D.
eld/ark.
Berlin.^.- _5.th..Kovem,ber., . 1509 *
Machine Department
Thomas A. Edison Esq.,
1 am sending you enclosed a translation of a reprint from ^ '^S^ctrotechnische Zeitachi'ift" , which is very interesting. Al- writ ten entirely in our favour, it merely deals with absolute ^ and. we expect to do quite a good husiness in these locomotives
GUc
We are now working on a larger hatt-erywith a capacity of ^j^pand six plates in one, and I will send you a report within the Mat fflw weeks. So far, we have had very good results.
I have just received your telegram, sayij}£ that you are ship¬ ping the drawings and new cells this WBek, and hope you have already cS^ES so, as it is of vital importance that we should! start on the new
. - ■ /• ' ' "
BERQMANN ELECTRICAL WORKS (machine department).
ffhffimas A. Edison Esq., Orange.
I take this opportunity of thanking you very much for the good reception and the courtesy you accorded our Technical Director, Mr. Hissink. Mr. Hissink, who was at first quite a pessimist with i%ard to the Edison Battery, is now, I am almost Vdf raid, rather too much of an optimist. However, his judgment is, as you no doubt tttajd out, worth something, as he is a thorough electrical technical BxfiirU It really looks, therefore, as if we were going to get out
•teC the wood and all our troubles before very long.
I am also sending you enclosed a poster, which I think may interest you, with regard to experiments to be carried out In public by Wfi*. Stanhope.
Hoping that you are enjoying good health, I am, with best
y^tshes,
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[ATTACHMENT]
1909. Cement (D-09-05)
This folder contains correspondence and other documents relating to the business of the Edison Portland Cement Co. and to the manufacture, composition, and sale of cement. Included are letters concerning the indebtedness of the company and the efforts to organize a pool of cement manufacturers. Many of the letters are by Walter S. Mallory, vice president of the company.
Approximately 80 percent of the documents have been selected. The items not selected include meeting announcements and letters of acknowledgment and transmittal.
(t^/VLe^tdir
*> Jan. 7, 1909.
Mallory , TCaq., Vico-Preoidont,
Bdison Portland Conr-nt Co.,
StewartDvillo, ii. J.
My dear Mr. Mallory:
Your favor of December 19th to Hr. Wioon hao he on referred- to ms relating '.to the roe.olutiojj* of the Direc- : tore of the Portland Cement Co. on the subjeot' of making improve¬ ments to cost approximately $112,000.00, the money to be advanced by Mr. "Edison and secured by the company1 a notes, "to run for one yasir, with the privilege to the company .to renew name in whole or in part twice thereafter for a similar period"..
7,?r. "Edison seemed to. have some doubt wrhether, if this were done and anything should .happen to. the • company, the '-new notes would have the same standing as the company's notes now hold as collateral by tho banks. . I have- submitted this latter' question to Messrs. McCarter & English, who confirm my own opinion, that all tho notos would stand on. the oame footing. To make tho new notes for ono year, with the privilege of renewing them in whole or in part for ^wfljtfhhbher. periods of- a year eaoh could be fully covered by contract with'Mr. Bdison, but in case of his death the arrangement would not havb to be carried out' by his estate.
What objection would tft^Ve'-W^a.yi'hgo^^notes run for three i years , giving -the company the option to take thbm up in whole or.
in part at the end of the first, second or third year after their date? This it Beems to mo would fully secure the end you have in. mind.
Regarding the suggestion made by the Directors, that the same arrangement should be adopted in reference to the other notes now held by Mr. 'Edison, that is a matter for adjustment by- him, but if you wish mo to I will take up the specif io question with him and ascertain his views.
Yours very truly,
JTjD/tW General Counsel.
[ATTACHMENT]
'5~ '■ ^
■ MEMORAHDUM. -
Mr. IJyerJ
December 30, 1908.
Relative to the attached letter from Mr. Mallory to Mr. Edison, it eeems from what Mr. Harry Miller tells me that the "four months bank notes" referred to by Mr. Edison are ordinary commercial notes of the Cement Company, and that the owners of these notes are not in any way secured creditors of the Cement Company, and the amounts due thereon have no prefer¬ ence over any other secured claim. The term of the notes should not in any wise affect proof of claim, and as between any one year notes made to Mr. Edison and any unsecured debts evidenced by notes of a shorter term, there would be no priority or preferment, and in caee of abnkruptoy, both would come in
on the same footing.
As to the matter raised by the resolution of the Directors of the Cement Company, it seems to me that the pre¬ ferable thing to do, if Mr. Edison is willing, is to make the notes to him payable on or before three years from date. This would cover the whole matter, and if it should turn out that ultimate payment would have to be made to his estate, the face of the notes would show that payment could not be enforced until the expiration of three yearB from the time the notes were made. It would not do, of course, to have it appear upon the face of the notes that they could be renewed for a second or third year, because this uncertainty of time would take away their negotiable quality. My suggestion, therefore, in order to meet both phases of the question, is that the notes to Mr. Edison be made payable on or before three years from
[ATTACHMENT]
Mr. Dye r. #2.
date. This will not affect his right to prove his claim and stand on the same footing as holders of shorter time notes, should the Company become insolvent, and the Company will obtain the time which' it. seems to feel that it needs to meet this in¬ debtedness, and this time would not be affected by anything which might happen to Mr. Edison.
H. H. D.
j^<yj 14#*1 f/kw QoUv Wt£'C jA/a^ fruity
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[FROM WALTER S. MALLORY]
January 14, 1009.
Er, Thoms A. Edison,
Orange, W.J.
Boar tfr, Mia on: -
At the meeting held in few York yesterday the supplementary ^ioenee agreement wan r» Agned by the Atlas, Lehigh, Alpha, American, Lawrence, Vulcanite , oomponAng tho North American Portland Cement Company, tho Lioenncr, and all tho companion of tho Lehigh Valley except three - tho Copluy, tho Bath and tho ‘Phoenix. We had advioeo yesterday that tho atpprtP' would undoubtedly sign hut on account of some .Important mooting they »/ero unable to bo with u», Tho Phoenix, who arc a very email mill, having a capacity of about 20,000 bbls. a month may possibly not sign, although every effort will be made to get them in. Tho third Lehigh oomp&ny not to Blgn was the Coplay and it is a (mention whether wc will be able to got ■’ them or not. They make about 60,000 to ?0,000 barrels per month and personally X believe that the agreement would be effective even if wo a re unable to got thorn to sign,
It was agreed to maintain in our Eastern territory pronont prloes of 78 and 80/ to dealers and consumers and to in¬ crease our prices in tho Western markets to 78 and the Western people also agreeing to increase their prices likewise.
-3-
Kr. Hagor, representing t.ho Vo a torn mills, was th0 iQO0tlna unci go *ao thoroughly posted a8 t0 what
'mfl dono' and that the ’“oa tern Association had been form-
«d, ita sovon dir ao t ora eleotod and that tha Western companies Wl,rn Mad-V to take out tin license just as noon as the pap ore could ho prepared, in all prohahiUty it will take a couple of mentho to get all the Vo a torn companion tied up, hut I have reason to bolisve that they will practically all come in and take a license.
The understanding among the Astern manufacturers who signed the agreement wan that in caso the Western people did not come to time that we will avail ourselves of the clause in the contract which permits ua to wlth-rtraw from it any time before April 30th, 1909. If there are no with-drawols and the Western people* come in, the contract will thon be effective for two (2) years and any oompuny can wlth-draw every two years.
As to prices, it was thought wise not to make any ohango in existing prloos until shipments materially increased.
We did not want to make the mistake of making an increase in prices before conditions warranted it. it was agreed yester¬ day that the new contract wan to go into effect immediately and it will now be necessary for us to make reports to the arbitrator and any company who shades any prices will be liable to forfeit some of his deposit.
-3-
I belie vo that thi«s lo the turning point In our in¬ dustry and tua very hopeful that from now on m will he nhlo to raato) t,ho industry very much mere stable for evoryhody concern¬ ed..
Yours very truly,
wsu-sbr
v. ?,
Jan. 15, 1909.
V/. S. Mallory, TJs'q., Vice -Presidents,
1 / ' \
jEdlson Portland Cement Co.,
\. Stewartsviile/lT. J.
My dear Mr, Mallory": - - —
I have received a copy of your letter of the 14th inst. to Mr. fldinon informing him of the suooossf.ul termina¬ tion of your efforts to sign up the Portland Cemont people, and I wish to sincerely congratulate you and to express the hope that the resulta will more than merit your expectations .
Believe me always ,
Youi-b very truly.
5TJ)/lWW
General Counsel.
-rv-JUCt~-
Jan. 25,1909,
W. S. Mallory, Esq . , Vice-Proaident,
Edison Portland Cement Co.,
Stev/artBville , N. J.
My dear Mr. Mallory:
Your letter of the l,-.th Inst, was duly re¬ ceived in reference to the noteo of the Edison Portland Cement Co. now held hy Mr. Edison for advanced already mdo aa well as additional notea for the $112,000.00 to ho advanced to cover im¬ provements. I have presented the matter to him and find that he is ent irely willing 'to have the notes drawn for three years , aB X BuggeBt, giving the company the option to take them up in whole in whole or in part at the end of the firat and second years.
This applies to new. notes to he given ao well as thoBe which Mr. Edison already hold a.
I -return ail the correspondence herewith for your informa¬ tion.
Yours very truly,
IXh/lWW
General Counsel.
TRe Edison Portland Cement Co.
' Telegraph, Freight and Passenger Station. NEW VILLAGE. N. J.
p. o. address, STEWARTSVILLE, N. J.
” 8t.CdamesUBulldt Unlsn'Butfdlnc Netlonel°BanV Du
Sir. yrank 1. Iyer,
Edison Lahoratoity Orange, N. J Dear Mr. Dyer:
February, 1, 1909.
FEb a-
Nuy
I heg herewith to enalOBe a carhon copy of a letter to Mr. Edison relative to Mr. Stephens, which ex¬ plains itself.
Yours very truly,
"'VsJVvv'-
[ENCLOSURE]
February 1, 1909.
Dear Mr. Edison:
After very careful consideration by Mason and myself, we have decided to dispense with the services of Stephens, so have given him thirty days' notice today. In the meantime we have made an .arrangement with Howard Williams to take up the work' so that vie will not allow it to suffer.
Mason was at Tomkins Cove on Saturday and met all the Tomkins Cove people and learned that while they are very much interested in the proposition they do not plan to do anything this year other. than get their general plans out, decide on the type of machinery and be roady to install it next fall and winter, so do not think that letting Stephens go will in any way affect this prospect.
As I told you the other day, Stephens has reached the point whore he absolutely pays no attention to instructions given him by Mason or myself, and in view of certain recent developments, wo have concluded it. was unwise to go on with him any longer.
Yours very truly,
WSM-RBS
V. P.
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Mar oh 10, 1009.
^'V '■
Mr. E. Mayor,
Mgr. of Sales,
Mow York, )T. Y.
Dear Sir:
* ... ^ r°Port f°r «19 building permits of tho twenty-
two cities to whioh I have frequently referred haB Juet cone in for tho month of February, and I find that the total amount for building panaita in January and February of 1909 is tho lament on record. -
The following figures covering October, November December, January and February for the past five yenra gives an indication as to tho increase in building:
1904 - 1905 $120,000,000.00
1905 - 1906 174,000,000.00
1906 - 1907 144,000,000.00
1907 - 1900 104,000,000,00
1900 - 1909 109,000,000.00
. „ *ou will note that the past five months beat the
record of 1905 - 1906, whloh up to that time had beon the ruoord.
. , Ao . this increase in building has boon constant
since tho firBt of October of last your, it indicates very strongly to me a much, mors active demand starting in later on I? ibe season, as you will remember I have. already stated to you t*** ** B88®8 t0 take about six months from the time a movement of this sort iB well started before we feel the effecte of It.
80 1 lock for a verv active hnninnsn aa.r <>*>*■<... ...i.!.
i very active business Buy after t Yours very truly.
ip 1st of July .
Hie Edison Portland Cement Co.
Telegraph, Freight and Paaaenger Station. HEW VILLAGE, N. J.
Zil*" P. o, address. STEWARTSVILLE. N. J, H
i!
Machesne^Bullding Pott Office Square Bjdfi
Haroh IS, 1909.
Mr. P. L. dyer.
Mr. R. Mayor, _
Mgr. of Salas,
Mew York, if. Y.
Dear Sir:
I have received the report for the February shipments of all tho Companies and find the shipments for February, 1909, as compared with tho shipments for tho sumo month in 1908, to bo as follows;
minon 1642>
Alpha 14S&
Atlas 13k?
Lehigh 1S2S'
Vulcanite Lawrence Amorican Doxter
Shis is on improvement for the Edison Company over the January shipments, when our inoroaoo was 41%
Z happen to know that ths Atlas C onpupy made considerable shipments to the Panama Canal during February and that also tho Lehigh Co. made large Shipments to their stooko on the Qulf of Mexico and Southern ports, so that their increase really is not as largo as that shown by our Company.,, as our shipments are practically all to dealers and' consumers.
I trust that you willbeable to kaap the good work up and. that March will. Show as large on increase as did February.
Yours vary truly^ . ?
■‘■'A 1:M
* !'A8
101%
60£
Q7%
W3U-RBB
CP jsfL
SLva^- n^o-uj \kkaAU h&^ JL.A44 _
TKe Edison Portland Cement Co.
nmnxNT n°A"° Telegraph, Freight and Passenger Station, NEW VILLAGE, N. J.
ZT p. o. address. STEWARTSVILLE, N. J.
»; NatlonlflaiSlc'Sulldir
March 29, 1909.
This morning Harry Miller cal^ida up and stated that he had heard from Mr. Gilmore, who had advised him that he would like to have us pay the two notes which he holds, as follows: April 14, $5075.00; May 21, $5100.00. He Bays nothing about the note due on June 21st of $5100.00, hut I suppose he will want this paid also.
Not having had a talk with Mr. Gilmore, I do not know whether or not we could get him to extend the notes for another period. It is going to he very inconvenient for us to pay them, in view of the extra money we are spending for reservoir in some other directions. What do you advise doing
in the matter?
YourB very truly,
WSM-KBS
JU.
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[FROM FRANK L. DYER?]
Bersonal
W. S. Mallory, 'Esq., Vice-President,
Udison Portland Cement Co.,
Stewarts ville, if. j.
My dear Mr. Mallory:
April 7, 1909.
Your favor of the 29th ult. to Mr. Edison has been received, in reference to the two Cemont notes endorsed by Mr. Edison for money advanced by Mr. Gilmore. In arranging to take care of the settlement of the Hew York Phonograph and other looal company oases I did not have to go to the Germania Bank, so that the extra $10,000.00 may still be available there. Possibly they may object, because for some time they have complained of the amount of our balance, but we have simply not been able to help the situation.
I hope to close up the Hew York matter tomorrow, and, although we axe paying out an enoimous sun, I think under all the oiroum- stanoes a settlement is the best course for us to take. in this ' way we effectively remove a black oloud that has been hanging over. us for years.
Yours very truly,
TEe Edison Portland Cement Co.
sursiasr
o. address. STEWARTSVILLE, N. J. SXSXitfKz tSSSSS&SO1
April 16, 1909.
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f REanm^TS I APR J7190S ; J
Mr. E. Meyer, .-BANK 1, DY£R.
Mgr. of Sales,
New York, N. Y.
APR -.1.7 1903
I have just received the report of the shipments of the various mills for the month of March and find that the percentages of shipments as compared with March of 1900, are as follows: -
EDISON 16$
Alpha 12$
AtlaB 11$
Lehigh lOOjg
Dexter 99%
Vulcanite 90^
Lawrence 9$
American 8$
Showing that for the third month we Btlll continue to lead in the percentage of shipments. Keep the good work up.
Yours very truly.
V. P,
[FROM FRANK L. DYER?]
s'ci
April 17, 1909.
W. S. Mallory, Esq., . ..
■Edison Portland Cement Co., j
. Stewartsville, N. J.
My dear Mr. Malloiy: ’ |
I am very much pleased to note from your let- ter of the 16th ins t. to Mir. Meyer that the percentage of increase of shipments of the Edison Company as oompared with March of last 1
year was so satisfactory, and 1 congratulate you on this result.
Yours very truly,
TKe Edison Portland Cement Co.
Jh, Freight and Passenger Station. NEW VILLAGE. N. J. nSw Y°o'nLK,HN.’ Y et'diSiMBiil KEJa’S.W" U nlsn'Bulfdini
o. ADDRESS. STEW ARTSVILLE, N. J. SSSbSVt: WSSTSSS
June 29, 1909.
Mr. Xhomaa A. Edison, . I Y ;Q()g *
Orange, N. J. /\ )J ***« 1. DYER.
Dear Ur. EdiBon:-
I he oituation in the Prenoh matter io covered hy a clipping published in the Philadelphia Hews Bureau, which is as follows and whioh was published June 28th:-
"At the office of William C, Preach, the G amden attorney, who contemplates a suit against the Edison Portland Cement Co. to compel the payment of dividends on the preferred stock whioh is cumula¬ tive, it is stated today that no bill has been filed in Court today, and probably none will be filed be¬ fore next week, Hr. Prenoh having a case in Phila¬ delphia whioh requires his attention. Last week Mr. .French said he would begin his proceedings against the Edison C ement Company today."
While in Philadelphia yesterday I talked with Messrs. Sholmerdine and Hiller, also Hr. Harlan Pago, and none of them know of any stockholder who would be liable to be connected with such proceedings. Hr. Page has made quite Borne little inquiry through one of his men but is unable to get at anything definite or got any information from Mr. branch's office. It looks to me very much like an attaok in the newspapers without any thought of starting the suit.
I discussed the matter thoroughly yesterday with Mr. Henry P.. Brown, and ho says the only thing for us to do is to wait until a bill is filed and sorvioe has been
-2-
made and then meot it. In the meantime, wo have notified tho mercantile agenoiee and auch other of our creditors who have inquired as to the oituation, and do not expect that wo will have any particular trouble except that an attaok of tills sort naturally thrown diatruot upon our credit.
If there ie anything new develops, 1 will advice
you promptly.
Yours very truly,
Y/SH-KBB
V. V.
TKe Edison Portland Cement
Telegraph, Freight and Passenger Station, NEW VILLAGE* N. J. Pjiuom.
P. o. address, STEWARTSVILLE, N. J. &SS&
June 29, 1909.
Mr. Thomas A. Edison,
Orange, II. J. M*. ERANK L. DYER.
Dear Mr. Edison:-
I havo just returned from tho 0 ement Con¬ vention which was held at Atlantic City, and beg to state that while there X mat a Committee from the North American Portland Cement Co. consisting of Messrs. Lesley, of tho American Cement Co., Car stall, of the Alpha Portland Cement Co., and Young, of the Lehigh Portland Cement Co. We had a three or four hours session, and the matter of representation of the licensees’ Companies with the North Amcrioan Co. waB fully disoussed, and I believo that tho North American Committee will make favorable recommendations in this regard .
The matter of selling price was also thoroughly disoussed and for the first time oinoo May 1st, at whioh time the selling prices were lowered, we were able to get Mr. Young of the Lehigh Co. to enter into arguments. I understand there is to be a meeting of the North American Co* some time after July 4th at whioh these matters will bo considered, and my im¬ pression 1b that some time between how and August 1st the Belling price of cement will bo advanced. The matter still stands as heretofore, every Company in the Association being
-2-
anxiouo for an advance, and it in the Lehigh Company that is holding tho matter up.
The requeot made that the Lioencoe C ompanieo shall have representation in the proceedings of tho Worth Amor loan Co, in due to the fact that wo fool that the Worth American Co. has advanced knowledge aa to in
freight rates, prices, etc., so the Licensee Companies wioh this same knov/ledge while the matter io being discussed in the committee before formal action is taken.
Youra very truly,
WOM-HHO
V. V,
J. W. SYliSWOBTH
Technical^ Chemical Expert.
EAST orange, n. J.,<
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Octoben 18, 1909,
Mr, Bond i'homas ,
35 Y/est 32nd Street,
liew York, M.Y.
My dear Mr. YhomaB
Your favor of the 11th inet. has been received and in reply I beg to hand you herewith a copy of a letter from Mr. Aylsworth on the subject of porous cement. 1 am sorry this matter mas overlooked. If there is any other information that you wish I will see that you have it.
„ Youfs very truly,
myAiu; .
Knc.
[FROM ISAAC W. WALKER?]
October 21, 1909.
Mr. Mallory saw Mr. Ingres of the Public Service Corporation about the horse-power. — Owr oost at the Cement plant is so low that it would not be worth while considering any proposition.
WlLLIAMSBURGH TRUST COM PAN Y. 391 FULTON STREET,
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1909. Cement House (D-09-06)
This folder contains correspondence relating to the widely publicized development of Edison's poured concrete house. Much of the material consists of unsolicited inquiries regarding the unique nature, quick construction, and low cost of the projected house. Also included are letters concerning designs for the house, sample blueprints, and requests to view Edison’s one-quarter scale model. Many of the unsolicited letters contain Edison marginalia, usually indicating that a circular be sent in response.
Less than 10 percent of the documents have been selected. With the exception of a few samples, unsolicited inquiries have not been selected.
Related material can be found in D-09-22 (Edison, T.A. - Unsolicited Correspondence - Business - Cement House).
In Re #SI.
Jan. 2, 1909.
ffe are in receipt of your note asking us to come t< the laboratory to consult with you about changes in the roof of the concrete house.
On account of jury duty it is impossible for us to tell ahead of time what day we can come, but we will improve our first opportunity, telephoning first to the laboratory to make sure that the time is convenient to you.
Yours very truly,
~/\ANNG?MACNEILLE— ARCHITECTS*
Jan. 8, 1909
Thomas A. Edison, Esq.., .
Edison Laboratory,
Orange, IT. J.
Lear Sir:
Mr. Mann and Mr. Mac*feille can come out to your laboratory Saturday afternoon to consult with you about the change in the roof of the concrete house.
Would it be convenient for you to see them that afternoon at two o'clock’ If so will you please telephone to that effect Saturday morning. Our number is 4494 Madison Square.
Yours truly,
tfzL*.
dy^ tyy-c^J? fAL*.
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Mr. Thomas A. Edisoi (
Dear Sir:-
Jan. 25, 1909.
I was advised by yoi hoped to pour a concrete ’ * advised of the facts
that way.
I regret tt^SyH^Sat Tfhave not In regard to your concrete plans from in California six weeks^nd suppo^S^-
My sister and n&fce otsliged to make at once. I, therefore, am troubling you again and let me know about your houses at once. It would b< if I could build a concrete home instead of a f: self-addressed, stamped envelope for reply.
Very truiy yours{
plane for ourselves ’ you to kindly ]reat boon to me I enclose
and I had in mind too, the fact that the copy of the book that preceded it-irhe Voice of The Machines which mas sent you, elicited no response, and I thought you would be merely bothered.
I have wondered if you would be willing, in¬ stead of throwing your invention of the oheap conW orete house open to Hnr-iiiiiiiibii Vial the scramblers --to put your invention" into the hands "of ' trustees who would conduct it as a monopoly for public servi.
. .vice ?. I have" thoughr^Chat if-TO 'couid'-hiVb'one"' '' single great new industry iiich could be free and could treat its employees and it s consumers
■ ; - - fcW., _ _ _ _ _
be one of the greatest events of moi would prove to be the beginning of
the freedom of the race.
After I wrote t» Voice of The Machines, which Ws R song of science and of inventors, ! was obliged to answer the accusation that the machines
. . • - /a*o/ieMj . . .
had enslaved the «aqg-inst«Ba ;«»r ~ - "
■\\A iKnunt 5tnm
I suppose you are too busy making a new world merely to read about one? But dif you wiil read the first Part of the" first chapter of my last book which I am sending you, to-day, and 8nd ‘4lf«Part t0gin'ling °“ PaEe 170 which deals
with^poBslbility o^vsntion and- i—gg . Hblni.il
and monopoly in partnershipjwith its references to you and to concrete, I would be very grateful for your point of view. Li the new edition of inspired Millionaires (and ini the Herman edition) I want to be sure I am right in my refrenco to you. I doubt not it would have boon weU to verify the newspaper interview and I would have written you before ,but I did not expect the book would assume an importance to make it worth your while.
over not only the evening but over th^shole after
But .
noon* ill thnt=jpm^f^wwe«i— over and over
again aa inventions have come up~the inventor has been betrayed into the hands of the millionaires.
.lit seems to me that the time has now come when free inventors might found free industries! end nhen we have not only the inventors but the million¬ aires *®r-the geniuses of organization, who afe
ready to do it# .
The man who takes advantage of his invention to foumd one sample industry in this way, I have eome to feeljvould free not merely the slaves of one country-like Uno'oln/ 'but would free 'the slaves of labor and drudgery' and "t:. hate and pdverty of all the nations around the world --and would start a movement by the side of which Ur Lincoln's
great achievement would be but a i stt beginning ,
As I have interpreted you, especially in these ~l*t- t*r years,! have seen the scope and motive of that
Mount Stan
freeing them. The common people simply have more machines to be tinder, every time a new one is invented.
That I have tri«d to show in Aspired M11I- ionaires is that it is not the inventrs or the machines that are to blame, but the% millionaires#
All great mechanical invention 'it ha s seemed !■, to me, logically results in making it possible for' men to Bpend three or gour hours a day in escning
their bread —in the necessary household work of
- - . ■ . . . £acX <^ay
the planet and the rest of ■His is bme should be sps
spent thmks to the machines, in avocations, for which they have orginai gifts, in invention, and. train- ing jm art and sconce, and the education of child!*
ren. Left to itself mechanical invention would I'Je* W 3/s.vw e-
. spread the night school —in its finest form
la the prophet to-day
"80 ifflain
m
si&titr* tTfUjilioiw, 55(i S'r&fi’*!'
SF«i>rr5tI< ,3i. PfUo •lltnl 'Jielnlf, 3«a«xjuitc, ^limits anil ^Hmriga$ts 313 (Court 3’iimma 43 & 4G
Olivouhlun, Zen n>rl; “ . 130
Mr. II. P. Miller Seoy eot Orange H.J.
Dear Sir:
Replying to your favor of Peb Gth, last, I teg to inquire whether you can inform me when I can call on MessrsHarms & Small to talk over the matter of concrete houses?
If they have any particular time, of time of the aay, I can make convenient to suit their time.
Yours very truly
pas)D(ol@§3?i5g
A/l key plates and' Their respactifrie keys most be
... bol.ted to-y ether when finishes:' \V w „
£>>j// holes m -flan yes to be. is djabneter;...fbr£ bolts. - ft. ■■ Holes in bosses to he as indicated on sJfetohe s. *•
(y " ""
H- ' AH faces marked rf. to be finished. - ■£>' All finished surfaces to be yiuen one coat of y cease. - f. " All plcrtes tobe marked with tho/r respoctwe piece marks as tabulated. f
7 * flarks to be p/ac'ad on upper r/yht band corner of plates. -
(pra2JU®®2^
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James I. Davis/OOD £w.y t/iW-'-
BOARD OF WATER SUPPLY
CITY OF NEW YORK
aj Subject: Qonorete T23.0
Prolonged Mixing.
Mr. Thomas A. Edison,
West Orange, W. J.
^ _ J iv^w York, Maroh 8, 1909. ‘*Ly
X-a L~ <U xtf - A'
Wtnl. v». ot-t. pi" of «j£U>-\U ei
£'^££S?r
v Enclosed herewith, for suoh interest as it may he to yon, is a report of tests we have made on oonorete to determine the effeot on strength of prolonged mixing. The ooarse aggre¬ gate is orushed hluestone from the same formation as the flag¬ stones sit extensively used in Hew York City. Bine aggregate is a mixture of the screenings from this crushed hluestone and a looal sand whioh is ohiefly from the same formation as the ooarse aggregate. The other conditions are pretty well ex¬ plained in the test report. You will note that very little in¬ crease in strength is shown from prolonged mixing.
If you oare to oritioise or oomment on these tests, or make suggestions for further tests, I shall he very glad to reoeive your oritloism or suggestions.
Very truly yours, *
Department Engineer,
(Enclosure)
My dear Sir,.
Two years ago at the Labosatory Mr. Edison showed me a mode1, cottage in concrete. Next Saturday, 13th, I expect Dr. J.tf. Rob¬ ertson, president of Macdonald College, Q,ue., Canada, to visit New York. He particularly wishes to see that model cottage. May he do so in VTest Orange, or is there a duplicate model anywhere in this city. Please telegraph a response at my expense. Please DO HOT TELEPHONE, as I may be in my room less than an hour of to-morrow.
For years X.have had the honor of personal acquaintance with Mr. Edison, and described his recent work in the CHAUTAUQJJAN shortly after my latest visit. .. l
Very, truly yours
Thos. A. Edison, Esq.,
Fort Myers, Florida.
Dear Mr. Edison:
Mr. Bachman is using the barn opposite Laboratory 'to store patterns of concrete house. Shall I cover the patterns with insurance?
PARK REALTY COMPANY
jamaioa, it. y. _ May....25.j.._19.Q9. » _ „ .
9
Edison Portland uement Co., Orange, N.J.
Dear Sirs:
Mi 26 3.'S
houses .
Will you kindly send us particulars of your portable cement
Yours truly.
PARK REALTY COMPANY
GwA V^ov sa_
2fl. JtVr*mittJmlIf
«Wgr
^ 'VVj*
„ .Ssstsfr^
■
*> a
Edison Portland cement company,^
Vest Orange, N. J. ^
Gentlemen:
I represent a company which, isy out a plan for the construction of a number of small
My
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Haileybury, Out., Oct 29th, 1909 The Laboratory, /fl
Thomas A. Edison, Esq. , ft ty/
Orange, H. J. /
Boar Sir:- J
I am in reoeipt of ycmr letter of October 25th, which I understand /except as to one point. Will the moulds cost Jrwenty-five Thousand ($25,000) Dollars for each hopse, that is to get six houses going, would it he necessary to have One Hundred and Sixty-five Thousand ($165,000)
Dollars in plant.
I nv ,d/be glad to hear from you on thi3 point and al af you would keep my name on your list, so that Whe he Experimental House is erected,
I will have an op -tunity of going into the matter
further with j
Yours ..truly.
JID/HH
ryiuu e^~r*
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<N
1909. Copyright (D-09-07)
This folder contains correspondence and other documents relating to copyright matters involving Edison and the Edison companies. Included are items pertaining to copyright legislation; the practice of obtaining copyrights on films, film scenarios, and recordings; and a copyright dispute involving an Edison film entitled The Star of Bethlehem.
Approximately 70 percent of the documents have been selected. The items not selected include correspondence with the U.S. Post Office regarding a registered letter to the Librarian of Congress and documents that duplicate information in selected material.
[FROM FRANK L. DYER]
Maxell 22, 1909.
ThorV&ld Solberg, Esq.,
Register of Copyrights,
Washington, I). C.
My dear Mr. Solherg:
I have not had time as yet to give the new copyright act very careful consideration, hut there are one or tv/o points on which 1 would lilce information. The act provides that the mechanical clause shall apply only to American composi¬ tions or to compositions of those composers whose home country grants similar rights to Americans. What provision will he made under the new act by which the nationality of the composer may he disclosed? YYill it not be possible for the Copyright Office to is sue a weekly bulletin similar to the Official Gazette of the Patent Office and hy means of which the phonograph companies may keep track of the registration of copyright rausio?
On the subject of the dramatic rlghtB, the hill seems to he broad enough to include representations hy moving picture appa¬ ratus; apparently, therefore, the moving picture manufacturers, hy copyrighting the scenarios of their pictures, may he able to seoure protection against so-oalled duplicates. Ib it your idea that these scenarios, which are the merest skeletons or plots, oan he made the subjeot of copjwight protection?
Yours very truly,
IXD/lWW
President
REGISTER OF OOPYRIOHT8
TS-W8H."
Sear Ur. Dyer:-
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS COPYRIGHT- OFFICE WASHINGTON
T beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday.
The Copyright Office now publishes in four parts a Catalogue of Copy¬ right Uhtriee, and this will be continued after the first of July with some possible modifications. 1 inclose a sample copy of the part of the catalogue dewoted to music. I should suppose that in this part of the cata¬ logue might be published a statement of the nationality. The notice of use or lioenae to use, or aoquiesenee in using music upon mechanical musi- oal instruments would also perhaps require to be published. T shall be glad if the manufacturers of sueh instruments will give any hints of what information will be of interest and.walue to the* and in what form it can best be supplied.
As regards ths extent of subject-matter of copyright no doubt the ktt. will give rise to some questions. I cannot positively answer the one raised in your letter, but would point out that in at least two prints ef the bill cinematographic productions were included in the subject-matter of copyright, and they were stricken out on the direct statement of the Chairman of the House Committee en Patents that it was not the 'intention to expressly include such articles in the subject-matter of copyright.
On the other hand, moving pictures are new registered as a single photo- y . graph, and I am not aware of anything in the 'Act' which would necessitate a change in the practice Xnclosurei - Copy of Catalogue.
Hr. Frank L. Dyer.
Orange. N.J,
the office in that particular.
R. WALTERS, Presldenl JOSEPH CANTELLO, V JOHN F. GROENE, Sea . JOHN CALORI, Asst. Se CHRISTOFORO BOSIO,
Incorporated with Capital Stock of $200,000
The iSTARof .BETHLEHEM
Theatrical company
709 L.A. Tj-ust Building,
adaxwxsKRas^^ L6s ^njjfeles^aT \
Edison Manufacturing Company,
./ 72 Lakeside Ave, Orange, N.J. ,
' 304 Wabash Ave , Chicago, Ill . ,
10 Fifth Ave, Sew York%Y.-,
March/ 2j
There is now on exhibition in thi3 city one ofyour films No. 6432, entitled "The Star of Bethelhem", at Mr. Tally's place, called "Broadway Theater".
This production is clearly an infringement upon the copyright of a Dramatic Composition, entitled "The Star of Bethlehem", by Joseph Cantello, of this city, being Class D XXc. ,No.9010, in the office of the Librarian of' Congress. •
All of the rights of said Joseph Cantello in this dramatic composition and copyright thereof are owned and held by The Star of Bethlehem Theatrical Company, a corporation.
No authority has ever been given to your company, or to any other person, to produce this composition by films- or otherwise
anywhere in this country, by this corporation, or its board of dir¬ ectors, the only constituted body authorized to grant such permis- . sion. No person, therefore, has any authority to contract to' pro¬ duce or ha|f||flbduced by films or otherwise the said composition, or any part thereof.
V/e therefore demand of you to cease at once the production or sale of said dramatic composition, entitled "The Star of Bethelhem", or any part thereof, whether produced in films or otherwise, upon the stag? of or in any theater, or other building or place, within the United States; and further demand that you recall and destroy any films of the same which have already been sent out; and v/e fur¬ ther demand that any and all royalties or income already derived from or that may be hereafter received from the production of said composition be paid over to "The Star of Bethlehem Theatrical Company", or to Christoforo Bosia, its Treasurer, at No. 709 L.A. Trust Building, Los Angeles, Cal. No person has any authority to collect ary moneys for said corporation except its treasurer.
Kindly give us the name of the person who presented this matter to you, so we may take the necessary steps.
Yours very truly.
THE STAR OP EETHEEHEM THEATRICAL COMPANY f Vice President and Author
Secretary.
MEMORANDUM
509
Hr. Scull: 3/26/09.
I hand- you herewith a letter from Mr. Solherg of the Copyright Office, together with the Copyright Bill and catalogue of Copyright 'Entries. I wish you would look over the "bill and report "briefly to me what information you think the Copyright Office should furnish the manufacturers in order that we may be fully advised as to the condition of the copyrights ; and also as to what we can and cannot use . After I receive your report I will write to Mr. Solberg.
eld/iw E. L. D.
Enc-
March 29, 1909.
Mr. Dyer:-
nVlnw +>, Your memo . 509: The copyright catalog should show the nationality o f the composer and whether or not is entitled to mechanical copyright. This^mi^oWiate the necessity for the manufacturer to keep posted on copyright treaties, conventions, etc. The notice of UBe for mechanical purposes must, of course he published. ’
The new law is not clear as to whether the use by the copyright proprietor of a part of a copyrighted composition brings the whole composition under the com¬ pulsory license clause or not. If it does not, the no¬ tice of mechanical use should indicate just what parts are so used.
The foregoing information, in addition to what is already published in the catalog, appears to me to be al the information .that the Copyright Office oon give us.
Please note that Mr. Solberg has not answered your question in regard to copyrighting moving pictures. Your query was in regard to whether copyrighting scenarios wouid prevent their reproduction by moving pictures, and Mr. Solberg apparently has in mind the copyrighting of the moving pictures themselves.
G.P. Scull.
[FROM HORACE G. PLIMPTON]
.A
EDISON MANUFAETURINE ED.
MAIN OFFICE AND FACTORY ORANGE, N.J.
EDISON PROJECTING KINETDSEDPES AND FILMS.
ply™ Edison Studio- Bedford Park, April 6th, 09.
Mr, Prank L, Dyer, Vice President,
Edison Mfg, Co,, Orange, IT, J,
Mr, George P. Scull, Asst,
Dear Sir:- .
"THE STAR OP BETHLEHEM. " -
Referring to your letter of the 2nd I have carefully in¬ vestigated the source of this plot, and find that it developed ! through an idea talked out between Mr. Dawley and Mr, Porter,
! some weeks ago. The idea as at that time outlined was to issue
in the course of a year or two, subjects bearing on the "Life of ChriBt", and as an initial plot his birth was taken as the first incident,- tiie season of Lent being thought an appropriate
r time to get out such an . idea. Mr. Dawley tells me that in work-
b;, dng - this up, he read a : number of books, ; and the plot as develop-
! ed in our picture is the result of this reading, !
S'L&v _ _ -So far as _the .title goes it seemed to have >oc cured natur¬
ally to Mrrj'DSwiS3p-a'n,fi1W'^K^oFterN,E'Witan appropriate title for
such a picture.
The picture was not taken from a manuscript submitted to us nor was it taken from any outside source except from the books mentioned above.
Very truly yours,
April 15,1909.
Star oX Bethlehem Theatrical Co.,
709 L.A. Trust Building,
Bo s Angeles, Cal.
Gentlemen :-
Kr* Dyer has looked into the matter of thesouroe of the Edison film entitled "The Stax of Beth¬ lehem", referred to in yours of the 25th ult., and finds that thiB film was produced from a scenario composed by employees of the Edison Studio from data obtained from the bible and books of Btories and legends. These em¬ ployees had no knowledge whatever of your composition, and their composition is entirely original with them.
Mr. Dyer feels that your rights have in no way been in¬ fringed.
Youtb very truly,
c-js/ark.
Assistant to Vice-President,
548
MEMORANDUM
I hand you herewith letter from Kr. Plimpton, together with copy of the new copyright act. .It .-was suggested that in purchasing scenarios from authors wo should have them sign an agreement to turn over all rights to us in order that we might secure copyright protection* also, that they should sako some 'acknowledgment that the scenario wa3 novel with them so that our good faith could not he questioned. This document could ho in the ioia of a brief contract, to he signed hy the author and to become effective when the consideration is paid. I wish you would get this up for mo. Also, lot me have a brief statement as to the present condition of the law on this subject and let ipe know whether you consider it advisable under the new law to proto ot the scenarios. Do this right away.
April 19, 1909.
Mr'. Thorvald Solbcrg,
Register of Copyrights,
7/aohington, !D. C.
Dear Mr. Solberg: ‘ 1
Yours of March 23rd wan duly received, hut I have not been able until now to look into tho copyright question.
I assume that the "Catalogue of Copyright ‘Entries" which you sent mo is a regular publication of your ‘Bureau, and I wish, therefore, that you would enter our name as a regular aubscriber. If you will lot me know what the coat of. subscription is I will send you a check.
It aecms to rae that for the protection of manufacturers the . Copyright Catalogue should show the nationality of the composer .in all oases where the right of mechanical reproduction is re¬ served. If possible, the Catalogue should also indicate whether, or not the homo country of the composer grants similar rights to Americans, in order that the manufacturers might' determine whether the reserved rights are to be recognized. Of course this might be obviated by the Copyright Bureau refusing to permit a reserva¬ tion in the case of oomposers whose home countries do not grant similar rights to Americans. Since the, new copyright aot will undoubtedly prove, to be an expensive tiling for the manufacturers,
2. 4/l9/09'fTIONA1- phonooraph company Thorvald Sorb erg.
I think it only fair that where the right of mechanical reproduc¬ tion is reserved, your Bureau should require an affidavit of the composer setting forth his nationality and alleging that to the best of his knowledge and belief the composition is novel.
Srom my present point of vieii( I believe that the suggestions above made, if they can be consistently carried out, would, in addition to the information at present given in the- oatalogue, be sufficient for our purpose.
On the subject of moving pictures, my question was not, v/hether the piotures themselves could be copyrighted, but v/hether the scenario giving the skeleton or plot of the picture could be copyrighted. Can you advise me on thin latter point?
Yours very truly,
HD/lMV
President .
A A
in re. your memo. Wo. 548: The present Copy¬ right haw as interpreted "by the Court of Appeals, and the new Copyright Lav:, taking effect July lot, Loth clearly indicate that the copyrighting of a scenario will fully protect motion pictures based thereon. The new; Copyright Law provides that if the copyrighted work be a drama or a dramatic work, the copyright proprietor has. the exclusive right "to make or to procure the making of' any transorip- tion or record thereof by or from which in whole or in part it may in any manner or by any method be exhibited, per¬ formed, represented, produced or reproduced." This olauBe is probably explicit enough in itself to warrant the hold¬ ing that a film is a "transcription or record" which en¬ ables the scenario to be performed, and it is certainly so when the interpretations of the present Law, given by the Court of Appeals in the "Ben Hur" case, is considered.
In order that there shall be no question that the soenario is a dramatic composition it will probably be well to file a coherent story, rather than the naked stage di¬ rections which are used in producing. In Daly vs. Palmer .
6, Fed. Cob. 1152. it is held that a written pla# oonsiBting of direction^ for its presentation by one without the use of spoken la nguage by the characters, is included in the term "dramatio composition". In view of this, it might be deemed a superabundance of caution to require something more than the skeleton stage directions to be filed, but I think this should be done to avoid any poseibledquestion.
The new Law does not require the filing of a claim of copy- ri$it before the publication. A publication with a notice reading "Copyright by ", and followed by the year in
which the copyright was first claimed by publication, ini¬ tiates the copyright. Before the copyright can be Bued on, however, it is neoessary that two copieB be filed, aB is done at present, together with a claim of copyrights The Law only provides that thiB shall be done "promptly".
When oopies of the work are not reproduced for sale, the copyright is obtained by depositing one complete copy, together with the claim of copyright, in the Copyright Off¬ ice, and this is the method which should be adopted in the case of scenarios, for the pictures which are based on thdBe scenarios are not themselves copies, and this is so especially in view of the rulingB iri the "Ben Hur" oase, according to which they are merely accessories to be used in producing a dramatic performance^'
-2-
In the case of scenarios, therefore, I would advise that after the play is reduoedto the skeleton form, it he added to, to the extent of translating the stage directions into the form of a ploy and that one copy he de¬ posited in the Copyright Office with the claim of copy¬ right thereon. This would preferably ho done before any pictures are sold. The pictures themselves should contain the copyright notice which they have at present. In the case of pictures which have no real dramatic basis, such for instance, aB industrial pictures, it will be-neoessary to continue our present plan of filing a number of photo¬ graphs, though there need ho no haste in filing these pho¬ tographs, before the release date of the pictures, provided the latter have the oopyri$it notioeB on them.
In oase of border line pictures, in which there may be a slight amount of dramatic interest, but which also consist largely of industrial scenes, it would probably be better to copyright them as photographs so as to avoid any question as to whether or not they are based on a dra¬ matic composition.
The special damages provided in the Civil Remedy clause of the Mew Act, apparently do not cover the making of the transcription or record of the drama, and in the case of a duper, it appears that he will hove to be sued for damages generally. Nickelodeons, however, which uses a dupe film fallB within a paragraph providing for damages of §100, for the first, and $50. for every subsequent in¬ fringing performance. It may be that some court will even¬ tually hold that the duper is a contributory infringer and may base the damages on those specifically provided Jn the Copyright Aot for infringing performances.
Any person who wilfully and for profit infringes any copyright secured by the New Act, or who shall knowing¬ ly aid or abet such infringement, is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be punished by imprisonment not to exoeed one year, and a fine not less than $100. or more than $1,000., or both. A duper would surely fall within thiB olause, but a nickelodeon proprietor would probably be able to show that he did not use the dupe film wilfully,
1 also hand you herewith a copy of an agreement which may be made with authors of scenarios.
CFG/ ARK/
G.F.S.
AGREEMENT made thiB day of
ISC , by and between the PHI SON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, corpor¬ ation of New Jersey and having an offioe at Orange, N.J., and 0f
(hereinafter referred to no "the Author") : WITNESSETH:
In oonaideration of the eum of One hollar, in hand paid to the said Author by the eaid Edison Manufacturing Company, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the said Author does hereby sell, assign and transfer to the said Edison Manufacturing Company, its assignees and successors, the manuscript of a certain dramatic composition entitled
", together with all of the right, title and interest in and. to the said dramatic composition, including the rigdit to copy, dramatize, produce and repro¬ duce, it in any manner whatsoever, and to obtain copyright thereof in the United States.
The said Author covenants that he has full right to convey the interest herein assigned and that he hgrr not executed and will not execute ary agreement in conflict therewith/11
"he said Author warranto that the said dramatic
compooition iD original v/ith him and that no inoident there¬ in described is the same as, or adopted from, any incident in any other copyrighted hook or play,/
V/ITNBBSEB:
S645S>» WASHINGTON April 2o, 19p.B
Bear, Mr. Pyer*
I bog to acknowledge your letter of yesterday and send you iqplftsnd a, sample copy of the Catalogue of Copyright Entries. This publication if issued in four parts. Tho first, appearing weekly, contains nil tho titlfte ot- book* proper and a sub-division of it, with Monthly alphabets, oontains tho. titles of paaphlets and newspaper contributions. This part as a whole is= supplied at two dollars a year. Then there is a second part of the cata¬ logue which deals only -with periodicals in monthly alphabets, at one dollar * yearr and a third part, which, deals only with musical compositions, in monthly alphabets with an index, the fubeeriptioh price for the yearly vol¬ ume-being two dollars including the index. The fourth part of the catalogue contains the entrie* for original works of art, angravlhge, ohromoe, litho¬ graph*, etc., and for this the yearly subscription price, is also one dollar. Am 1 suppose you would be- particularly interested in the music' catalogue,
1 send, you a sample of that part.
Questions concerning the new copyright JUv -will no dpubt ariee' from time to time, sad as this -office cannot authoritatively de terming thesis questions, Sotos of then may require to be eubmitted to the Department of Justice, I think, however, that I may eay that it hits been the poaitioa of tho Copyright Office heretofore that regie tratione cannot be made in -be* h»lf of pereone hot entitled under the copyright lawyujd the, international agreement*,
On the Dtheh hand, there would eeem to be nO authority on thVsjBi^t of the office itt J'eqOih* an df^deyit no4 *xpree*ly Squired by the etattOU, and the *nly kkkiiMtii fei> id thli lew ie iftdl ik tV-Jfcfca
r 2-
Aniar|can manufacture of t book,
You ask whether a scenario giving the ske^ton or plot pf a moving picture could bo copyrighted* If ypu imagine yoqrpelf ao applying for tl^o rogiotration of oucb an article, under w{i*t doeignafi.cn in tho l^or should you suppose it vrould fall! As you know, after the first of July copyright initiates upon publication with notice and all actions bofpro this office are then conditions subsequent, and not conditions precodoni aa under the present la*. Perhaps you would register euch a printed and published scenario as a"book." If so, would you suppose that protection would he secured thereby for the moving picturesl
May I refer to you one question raised here, vi*., what space will require to be provided for in the record books for musical compositions for tho notice of user or acquiescence in use referred to in sec. 1 (o) of the law, also for the notice of intention to use in etc. 85(e) t What do you think would be the form of such a notice! It is a little difficult to pre¬ pare in advance th* new record books required, and this is one of the diffi¬ cult. points. I shall be glad to hear what, in your mind, should be thw form these notices should take.
Ihelosurei
Catalogue Cop. Entries,
Music, March 1909.
Prank ti. Dyer, Esq.,
Prssidsnt National Phonograph Co.,
Orange, >1. J.
[ATTACHMENT!
SPECIAL NOTICE
In the case of any work not to be published until after July 1,1909, on which datb a new-copyright law goes into effect, application for registration in this office should he postponed until the printed copies of the work required by law can be deposited.
In the case of any work to be issued to the public before July 1, 1909, action should be taken under the old law, by depositing the required printed title and two printed copies of the work in this office, not later than the day of publication, with an application and fee for registration.
THORVALD SOLBERG
Library or Congress: Copyright Ofpioe ' Agister of Copyrights Washington, D. C.
Mi son Manufacturing Company, Orange, N.J., Gentlemen:
Your letter of 15th instant, to "Star of Bethlehem Theatric¬ al Company, signed by George F. Scull, Assistant to Vice-President, has been handed to me, and it is certainly a wonderful epistle to emanate from your office, knowing your familiarity with the copy¬ right and patent laws. It makes no difforence whether the compo¬ sition "is entirely original" with your employees or not, it can still be an infringement, although I believe you have been somewhat misled as to the authorship from information which I have at hand.
The book of Joseph Cantello has been copyrighted in the proper office, and you have no right under the law to use any portion of the play or the name in ary way.
My client are disposed to be fair in the matter, but they insist— as they have aright under the law— that you not only desist/ in the attempted production, but also pay them such royalty on the productions already out as may be just and equitable.
Kindly let me hear from you, and greatly oblige.
April 30, -1909.
Ur. Thorvald. Solberg ,
Register of Copyrights,
. Washington j n. G, . '
Dear Sir. Solb erg:
Your lettor of the 20th. Inst . has been received.. There, can ha no doubt, I think:, that mudioal compositions to he properly the -subject of copyright must he now. If should he the duty of the Copright Office,' as it is of tlio Patent'. Of fipe, to prevent tire issue of improper aid fraudulent grants. In the Patent Office an Examiner has the right to reject an application if tile alleged invention is not new, because, to permit a patent to- issue on an old invention is a fraud on the puhlio. Under the new law (Section 53) . "The Register- of Copyrights shall he authorised to. sate rules and regulations for the registration of claims to oopyright"., and it certainly ought to he the first . duty of. 'the Copyright Office 'to make' a reasonable attempt to proteot >. the ^puhlio from the issue of fraudulant claims . Of course tire new law does riot give, to the Copyright Office any machinery for investigating .the novelty of applications for registration, hut . it would certainly he a very simple matter to embody in the rule's remen t ' that the applicant should make oath that he believes himself to he the first and original composer. Uo honest man could object to such a requirement, and I hope you may he able to
2. 4/30/oBvj-iqnal phonograph oompany Thorvald Solborg,
do some thing along this line.
On the subject of copyrighting scenarios for moving pictures,
I think these properly come under the class of a dramatic work. These scenarios contain the dramatis personae and are divided up into Aots, giving all the stage business and directions for the pantomimic production. Very often they also include ociograms, letters and other printed matter which is projected on the screen aa a part of t,3ie play. In other words, they arc exactly like dramatic works except for the absence of wo rds, but later on it is very probable that the phonograph will be combined with the moving picture machine to include the words also. if a scenario could be' copyrighted as a dramatic work, then the moving picture film itself would undoubtedly- corns -within tho language of Section 1 (d) as a "record" thereof and the oxhi’biiioa of the film would certainly also come within this section. It would seam to me that, viewing these scenarios as dramatic compositions, there ought not to be any question as to tiie propriety of t)ieir being .copyrighted, but nevertheless if you would care to express yourself I would like to have your opinion.
In reference to your inquiry a.s to the form of notice of user or acquiescence in use or intention to use, I have not given this natter much thought. Apparently it is not necessai-y under the law f-or the copyright proprietor to go into specific details concerning tnis notice, but the effect in eve:qy case is merely to waive the right to .exclude mechanical reproduction. Therefore, it seems to me, viowlng the matter superficially, that the oxpres- . sion "All rights to the exclusion of mechanical reproduction waived" would substantially answer the purpose. Where the waiver accompanies the original application, it could be printed as a part
3. 4/30/09 national phonograph company Thorvald Solberg.
or the record of the registration; but when the waiver is made subsequent to the registration it would no doubt be nocoseary to include a separate heading, repeating the copyrights in connection with which the waiver has been made.
Yours very truly,
msi/vm
President.
/V.sz - ^7^*5-
April 30,1909.
Mr. Dyer:-
In re. your memorandum No. 577: The record made hy Kr . Stevens is unquestionably an in¬ fringement of claims 2 and 3 of the Wurth patent, v/hioh cover broadly a sound record having an in¬ scription beneath the surfaoe. Mr. Stevens' state¬ ments in regard to the copying of reoords are en¬ tirely erroneous. The new Copyright haw refers only to the use of copyrighted music by manufacturers, and as far as 1 can see the most that Mr. Stevens could do would be to use the same selections as we do on the payment of two cents a record, but his idea of actually copying the records is certainly unfair competition.
The only case which relates to this point is that of the Viotor Company against Armstrong,
132 F.R. 711. In this case. Judge Laoombe enjoined Armstrong from reproducing from original records the sound reoords of the Victor Company. Armstrong went further than merely reproducing the grooves, for he also added lettering and a red center similar to the Viotor reoords. Judge Lacombe side-stepped the. direct contention of the complainant that the defendant had no right to duplicate the complainants disks directly therefrom, but he cited the fact that "the reoords themselves, ijfe. , tae grooved lines through which the records 'of original sound waves are presented for reproduction to the 'talking ma¬ chine' are absolutely identical on both disks, where¬ as in eveiy original execution of a piece of music there are slight variances, which would be preserved in an original record thereof."
As an additional reason for holding that the defendant's dfcjgks were made in unfair competition, the deoision winds up with thiB statement:
"Complainant is entitled to a preliminary injunction against the 'manufacture and Bale of disk reoords, black or nearly black in color, with a red seal center inscribed with decoration and letters in gilt, when such reoords contain the shop numbers or catalogue numbers of complainant's disk records, or when the sound-recording grooves thereon are copies of the grooves on complainant' b disk reoordB.*"
Please note that the "or" would indicate that the Judge believed that the duplication of the sound recording groove was in itself unfair competition*
GPS/ ARK ,
G.F.S,
/sfc/?*-*-. /'✓cp’&'-c — C
April 30,1909
Ur. Jqhn P, Groene,
I 79 Trust Building,
Lob Angelos, Cal.
Bear Sir: -
7
YourB of the 22nd inst, , addressed to the Edison Manufacturing Company has been referred to Mr. Byer, who directs me to say that even if he should so ;v/ish, it v/ould be impossible to do anything in regard to the use of the film entitled "The Star of Bethlehem", since all of these films made by this company hcnre been cold long prior to the reoeipt of the original notioe from your client. Mr. l)yer believes, aB you were inform¬ ed before, that this ^6ilm in no wise infringes the copy¬ right of your client, and he is, therefore, not in any way disposed to make an accounting.
Yours very truly,
GEs/jAHK/ ' Assistant to Vice-President.
Herewith is a revised copy of the blank assignment of scenarios and copyright therein. Assign¬ ments of copyright muBt be recorded in the Copyright Office within three monthB to bar assignments to third parties, and I do not believe the accompanying copy amounts to a recordable assignment, since the Copyright Office will have no way of telling whether or not the consideration has been received.
In view of the fact that authors repeatedly submit scenarios to us in such a way that we could steal them if we were so inclined, I do not believe that any author would refuse to sign thiB agreement without the condition as to when it is to become effective, espe¬ cially if the letter accompanying the blank assignment sent to the author, would state that a check would be sent immediately upon receipt of the signed assign¬ ment. In case any author should refuse to do this, it seems to me that the simplest way would be for us to Bend the check to a bank or third party in the city in which the author lives, and have the check handed over on receipt of the signed assignment.
[ENCLOSURE]
IN CONSIDERATION of the sum of dollar?
*o.Jna. paid by the EDISON MANUFACTURING COMPANY of Orange, N.J., to (hereinafter
referred to as"the Author"), the said Author hereby sell?, assigns and transfers to the said Edison Manufacturing Com¬ pany, its assignees and successors,
an) the raanu- i certain dramatic composition entitled "
together with all of the right, title and interest in and to the said dramatic composition, including the right to copy, dramatize, produce and reproduce it in shy manner whatsoever, and to obtain copyright thereof in the United States.
—
The said Author warranto that he has full right to convey the interest herein assigned^aad- thattjhe has not executed and will not execute any agreement in conflict therewith, sad that the said dramatic composition is orig-
■» ~~a *V._* — <J'-* *•> - 4- Vi - ^-jd isjF^
3 and that no-incident therein described i
adapted -.frnm, the same as^ f-to tho hast of— the-Author 1-c k-now-ledge nnfl belief.) any incident in. any other copyrighted book or play.
Dated , _
61
■ME
EMORANDUM
Mr. Scull: 5/7/09.
Returning your memorandum of the 5th inst . herewith, I think your point is well taken, that the form of assignment suggested hy me would not he recordable, and I have therefore changed it so as to express the consideration in the paper. • Do you think it will he necessary for the author to acknowledge receipt of the consideration?
X have also changed thtf form of the warranty, since I do not think that, broadly speaking, the adaption of an idea would he necessarily prohibited, yet on this point you may he right, and if
you still think £
ixd/iot
■Enc-
X will reconsider i±.
1*1
Hew York, H.Y,
Dear Sirs-
I hand you proofs of the agreement^; to assign oopyright, whioh Mr, Dyer would like to have you' look over and approve or oritioise.
After some discussion, Mr. Dyer fihally decided to omit acknowledgement of reoeipt of payment, because much an acknowledgement in the way it waB previously worded, would not constitute an assignment in itself, proof of .the payment of the consideration being neossBary in every oase. In the form submitted herewith, it is unlikely that any j^^fel'will refuse to sign before payment, in view of the fact thfit their manuscripts are repeatedly submitted under conditions wk^oh would moke their theft veiy easy, and theor, therefore must rely on our honesty. In oase any author, 'however, should refuse to do this, it would be a simple raicttej* to send the oheok to some third party in the town whioh the author lived and have the cheok exohanged for ths signed agreement.
Yours very truly ^ \ \
OTS/ARK. Assistant' to Vioe-President
& flsrer
EDISON MANUFACTURING CD.
MAIN OFFICE AND FACTORY
ORANGE, N. J.
EDISON PROJECTING KINETDSCDPES AND FILMS.
vouRHtQjiaon Studio -Bedford park
May 17th, 1909
your -cjsaason sxuttio-ji
1&*. Geo, E. Scull, Asst. Vice President,
Edison Mfg. Co., Orange, N. 7.
Bear Sir:-
|X have you letter of the 15th, together with proofs of assign¬ ment of copyright, which I am returing herewith. In view of what you say, it seems to me that these cover the case completely, and I have no doubt that we can meet any possible objection authors may have, to signing them prior to actually getting the money. I assume that you will have these printed , and sent me, Wien I receive them I think it will be well o to have a short explanatory form sent , that authors may know just nhat to do:.
Of course, we will, fill i# all the blank spaces bo far as we can. ! , f
Very truly yours,
. ... Edison Mfg. Co. .......... .i
r.niMis .studio. ni-utoKK i-ahk. Kinetograph Bepartment,
Mgr. Negative ^Production
M/k.G.P.
Enc.
Me Tie*- ^
Itoy 22,1509.
Horace G. Plimpton, Hsq. ,
Edison Studio .Bedford Park,
New York, N.Y.
Dear Sir:-
In the matter of your query as to whether or not the placing on the title of a film of some Buch wording as "An incident suggested by Victor Hugo’s 'Toilers of the Sea'", it is my opinion that thiB will not be objectionable. This opinion io based, of c ourse^ on the supposition that the actual in oi dent portrayed will not be directly dramatized from "Toilers of the Sea". Moreover if, as I believe is the oase, the copyright on the original book has expired, there will be no objection at all, even if the incident v/ere token directly from the book.
YourB very truly.
GFS/AHK.
Assistant to Vice-President
MEMORANDUM / Q
nr. Scuii: / 6/3/09.
I hand you herewith "bromide print from a moving picture negative, which was handed me lasi/night by Hr. Plimpton. Do you see any reason why a photograph of this sort should not be made the basiB of a copyright ttra same as an enlarged print. If so, it might be better to ub4 this, because then we are Bure that the thing copyxighted/is the exaot photograph used. ped/tw 'S P. D. D.
"Eno-
/V, - /?2j/?2S7 ^s
Ur, Dyer:-
June 4,1909.
In re. your memo. No. 730: I "believe that the filing of the of a Btrip of film is superior to the method we are now pursuing. You will possibly recall that sometime ago I had considerable doubts as to the correctness of our present method, because the pictures were, in many cases, very different from the actual pictures which we were putting out, and the proposed method will obviate this entirely.
rJ'lty*
Li'. Plimpton: / 6/7 /o9.
I have carefully considorod tho proposition of using
a direot "broiiido print from each scene of a negative, instead of a kodak print \ f eSr purposes of copyright, and I v/ich hereafter that you would arrange to furnish us with these prints instead of kodak prints*for tins purpose.
IID/iOT i\ i. D.
June 11,1909
H.G. Plimpton, Esq. ,
Edison Studio-Bedford Park,
Hew York, N.Y.
tty dear Sirs- \
Mr. Farrell has jnist called ny attention to the faot that the bromide prints from negatives which you propose sending for copyright purposes, are made from pieoes of negatives clipped from the main negative, and that, therefore, the particular action Bhown in the pic¬ tures which we are copyrighting is, as a matter of fact, not reproduced in the positives which we put out on. the market. This method may be sufficient, but in order to put it beyond question, X would suggest th$t if possibly, prints be taloen of some portion of the negative which \ iB actually used. This may involve a special printing frame bo as not to bend the negative, but this special frame is a very unimportant thing and one easily devised.
Yours very truly, \ \
BFS/ABR^ . . Assistant to ViCefSeBident .
\
/y,*
EDISEIN MANUFACTURING CD.
EDISON PROJECTING KINETOSCDPES AND FILMS.
-A
T)
12th, 1909.
Mr. Geo. P. Scull, Asst. Vice President,
Edison Mfg. Co., Orange, N. J.
Pear Sir:-
^ RECEIVED ' JUN 141909
^ _ G. F. SCULL
! Replying to your favor of the 11th. rI do not quite 1
w|\y
understand how- Mr. Ihrrell should have told you that the proposed Bromide Prints were to he made from parts of the film not in the actual picture. It would seem a3 though there must have been a mis¬ understanding.
V/hen I showed the sample Bromide Prints to Mr. Dyer, I mentioned then, that as to the advantage of this method, it would show the absolute picture which went on the market, not some part of it which was not used, but the adtual reproduction. It never was contemplated to take a Bromide Print from ends which had been clip¬ ped off.
I hope the above information will clear up the situation.
KniK.x sti d'o. n.WrijW.N^oWoW;.
h/h.g.p.
EDISON MANUFACTURING CD.
' /Jf MAIN OFFICE AND FACTORY
ORANGE , N. J.
EDISON PROJECTING KINETD SCOPES AND FILMS.
^Hunnab & £d won. IO^tTFT>r*AvcN uc, NewYork
Aug. 6th, 1909.
to
Mr. George S’. Scull, Asat.. Vice-Pres. Edison Mfg. Co. ,
Orange, N. J.
Dear Sir:-
"REC^ivC.D
'AUG'. 'J
l G, F. ...
Replying to your letter of the 5th, I am sending enclosed six copies of the copyright sales agreement, as requested.
I meant to spealc to you Wednesday night about the matter of copyrighting pictures. I may he under the wrong impress!®} hut it seems to me that you said early in the summer that after July 1st. , it would he well to file a copy of each scenario as a copy¬ right. Nothing toWqrds this has heen done and- I wandered whether you still thought it the proper thing to do.
Very truly yours ,
Edison Mfg. Co. ,
Kinetograph Dept.
October 12, 1909.
Mr. Ryer:-
Your memorandum Ho. 912: So for as 1 can ascertain the Copyright law does not provide specifically for the marking of parte of instruments for mechanical musical reproduction. That such a marking is intended by the Statute, might he argued from the fact that under Section 9 it, is stated that notioe shall he affixed to each copy published or offered for sale hy authority of a copyright proprietor, and that under Section e of Section 1, it is stated that the copyright is made to cover any arrangement or setting of a musioal work in any gyato.m of notation, or any fora of record. Under this last , clause it might he easily reasoned that a phonograph, record is a copy of a musioal work within the meaning of this Statute.
G.Pj§B.
GFS/ARE.
/• I
I \
I
I
A?, /A —
vV
October 12* 1909 .
Mr* DyerJ-
The answer to the question which Mr; Miller asks depends, of course, on the nationality of the com¬ posers of the operette . From the way Mr. Miller puts the question X infer that they are Germans , and so far as 1 know* Germany does not grant mechanical oopyright and we Bhould therefore he free to use the work;
1 think your previous instructions to Mr* Miller that all of these oases he referred to the Legal Department for investigation of the nationality of the author* should he oarried 'out* The Copyright Office requires the nationality of the authors to be given whan tho claim of copyright is filed, and it is therefore always available.
G.F.B.
GFB/AHK.
Oot. 13, 1909.
Mr. Eyer:-
Confirming Information previous given you, the authors of the (s^^te<ef erred to in the letter here¬ with are British eu'bjeots, and their oompoBition, there¬ fore, is not entitled to mechanical copyright*
Cl’S/ ARK.
C.I’.S.
1909. Edison, T.A. - General (D-09-08)
This folder contains correspondence and other documents relating to a variety of subjects. Included are documents that deal with more than one subject or that do not fall under the main subject categories in the Document File. Among the items for 1 909 are weekly business reports sent to Edison while he was vacationing in Fort Myers, Florida; solicitations from the Essex County Republican Committee and other items concerning local and national politics; and correspondence pertaining to a settlement with John Tomlinson and others in litigation involving the National Phonograph Co. There are also letters from Booker T. Washington, Porfirio Diaz, and Emil Rathenau, as well as longtime Edison associates Herman E. Dick, William K. L. Dickson, Cornelius J. Field, Samuel Insull, Edward H. Johnson, Thomas C. Martin, and Francis Upton.
All of the documents have been selected except for duplicates.
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY ' SCHENECTADY, N. Y.
In Reolv Refer to
-e*-«^Ctew York Office, 30 Church Street
j^eXju^
-
Mr. Thomas A. Edison,
^ ’’’""January 6th, 1909.
L, — JL W ^
Gr<XU*. W**~'
I lea]
“~TL
,ey* •"r3^ / a,
t-^ v— — -«•
Orange,' Hew Jersey. _
My dear Mr. Edison:
\LkC- ^-*
i that it .iW;
.earn that
W*^oA vce*t i\JL» 7 \^-e_—
some water power near the Delaware Water H&b_o1bo that yon ^ _ ■
u^-crru
i of the underwriters to the proposition end there iB
something like 260,000 H. P. involved, ^^(shouldl 1
id 1:
he^
■e^Wy^
obliged to know if the information is correct and fi is any opportunity for the General Electric Company to seoure the eleotrioal apparatus for the installation.
Thanking you in advance for your reply, I am.
Fv-i«,v\^5 - Pi cM
W^K-L, . DICKS O N .
ELECTRICAL* MECHANICAL ENCINEER. TESTINC ... EXPE HI M ENTAL LABORATORY
4, DENMAN STREET, PICCADILLY CIRCUS,
LONDON, W.
January fi th , 3.90 9 .
Ehorans A. Ydison aso.,
dennont, Llewellyn Pur’-:, Orange . it* J.
Sear Hr. I'.diaoa,
I have been delaying purposely since receiving your letter lie .Co re answering sane, in the hope that' I could find 3 one way of disposing of wy business without too much loss, but so far I have been unsuccessful, however I feel that I must now drop you a line to let you 'mow progress. ■ *
I have as you Imov; a good business here hut if I could have passed it on I should have only been too glad to join you.
I may yet find a purchaser and will write as soon as I
Shanking you for all your kindness, believe ine ever' Your well-wisher and friend,
P.'L. HUBBARD GARWOOD & GARWOOD Attorneys and Counselors at Law 316 Tabor Opera House Block
Kr. Thomas A. Edison,
Henlo Park, IT. Ky Pear Kr. Edison:
In your last letter to mo somo years ago, you suid your memory of ut bonding my school at Fort Gratiot, Kicli. was a little liasy, hut such as you remembered wore pleasant. It is not so however with me for they are as of yesterday. ".Tien you woro thon experimenting in the telegraph office by mixing acids, and the poor old frame building was blown into a hundred pieces, and you and some of your assistants were severely burned, it was cullod mischief, but since tbon.it is cortain that it was the boginning of a great intellectual giant which has revolutionised the world, and now I honestly believe that you are the most useful man that ever lived, and to remember you and your works which I have watched closely, is a pleasure to mo us well as a duty, und your letter to mo is in my scrap book, and I read it and shov; it to my friends very often, as I sard to you before, I have boon reasonably successful in life. ...I went from ..Port Huron, Kich... In. 1861 as a . Lieutenant, and fought to save the honor of my country in. the great Peninsular
campaign, was confined in-Libby -prison and.. graduated as_a colonel, -and _
...afterwards became Judge in the Ilorthorn .District Court of Kansas, and decided the famous Hegis-Loisell ease which involved the title , under __ the ITapoloon. or ..Louisiana Purchaso. for. §15,000 , 000. to all.lands .west of ... the ..Mississippi Hiver.and is the most noted case over tried in the U.S. •
P. L. HUBBARD GARWOOD & GARWOOD .ttorneys and Counselors at La' 316 Tabor Opera House Block
I have done many other acts of which I may well 1‘eol thankful and few, I trust, to my injury, yet all of these are to me hut little compared with the fact that you once went to school whore I was your teacher. I only spool: of those incidents of my lifo, not egotistically but to show that I am worthy to call you my friend, and hope to got at. lease ono more letter from you.
lV.R.Stnbbins, a retired hanker, has desk room in my office. He is a sound and distinguished raun and formerly lived in Monroevillo , Ohio, and also at Milan, and reads and studies your groat works v.-ith much interest, and romomhors all of your family well, and he auks me to send you a heart greeting. His brother Charles 1.1. Stebbins learned telegraphing under J.H.Wado in Milan, Ohio. From there he went to Sandusky in 1848-9 during the severe cholera, and tlioro adopted solely from his own ability or cleverness, the taking of messages by sound. Hither Speed or O'Riley owned the Cleveland and Sandusky lines at the time. It was from this place that I saw an accoimt of ono of your great inventions that gave you a
world wide character. I am now reading one of your articles as .to. .the . .
composition of atoms &c. The one just now to which I am giving the most attention is your concrete houses. In fact I have long boon thinking of . ... .
the same .thing, and know that it- must soon come.. \Ve~havo just completed- .
the finest eight story block in our city, and we find that concrete is : -
cheaper and far bettor than stone or brick. I have.. a few cheap lots and .
am strongly inclined to build a few small and. cheap . housesof this kind. .
I was sorry I did not know you wore recently in our city as I should
certainly claimed at least a few nomonts of your valuable
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY rniNcirAi, ones SCHENECTADY, N. Y.
New York Office, SO Church Street January 11th, 19 G9 .
Mr. Thos . A. Edison,
Orange, H. J.
My dear Mr. Edison
Replying to your favor of the 7th inBt., would say that I have no great confidence in the orderly way in which the gentleman mentioned by you transacts business.
He has an attractive personality, has some ability as a salesman, but he has not been fortunate or success¬ ful.
Very truly yours , /
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THE TUSKEGEE
normal and industrial institute
COLORED YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN Tuskegee Institute, Alabama
Jan. 15,
1909.
Mrs, Thomas A. Edison,
Orange, U. J.
Bear Madam:
Your annual contribution to the Institute of $10.00 was received a few days ago. I hand ydu herewith receipt and beg to thank you most heartily for remembering us this year. This gift will be of very substantial help to us in our expenses.
Yours very truly,
SParJc jfcotel
Am sending you my photograph,
Am here on the Diamond Fields and Interested In a Corapa ny to get them.
We have splendid property and will j send you some literature- on the subjeot, so you oan incorporate it In "some more of my adventums
Wishing you a prosperous New j
Year . With more anon.
I an I
Yours Faithfully. J
IKU 3. Adam st-. . '
fJL-
it
Z BROADWAY
r°RK January 25th, 1909.
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My dear Edison:
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A few months ago .1 had a ^ughter-*^aTYy^and^Utki up her abode in Pittsburgh. &e is kept so busy with dinners, theatre parties and t]Wentertaini^\ts^ wl;jjl with young people in that situation of life i hardly find time to write her mother. It has occurred to me that this is one case whore your phonograph might be used to advantage. Please put me in touch with your representative here in New York so that I can find out just what to do in the matter.
I have been confined to my house for about four weeks, but that old over-taxed organ of mine seems now to be gaining a little strength, and I hope by next week to make an imitation of a man going downtown, if nothing else but to show my face. ,
Yours very truly,
Mr. Thomas A. Edison,
Orange, N. J.
[ON BACK OF PRECEDING PAGE]
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[FROM FRANK L. DYER]
'*v~ Jan. 29 j 1909.
Mr. J. 0. Barclay,
Webter n Union Telegraph Co., '
195 Broadway , Bow York.
My dear Sir:
Mr,; 'Bdison hao suggested' that 1 should bring to your attention the enclosed patent, Wo. 909,87?, dated January 19, 1909.
i road this patent over and advise me you think the invent ion its- one in which the We stern bo Interested. He -states that his experiments ion have turned out very ‘satisi'actorily arid he regai' do the uchcino as entirely conrnorcial . Should you desire extra copies oi’ this patent X will bo glad to let you have them.
Yours very truly,
Hr would like to have-’ whether
Union Co. would with the invent
. PLU/lY/W TBno-
Goneral Counsel.
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340.
MEMORANDUM
Mr. H. E. Miller: 2/l/09.
I return herewith the letter from Mrs. Martin, and, Mr. Edison roquests, have sent Ur. McCoy to investigate.
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[ENCLOSURE]
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NATIONAL PHONOGRAPH COMPANY
Ur. Joseph McCoy,
New York Office .
Pet>, i, 1909.
Dear Sir:
Por two or three years Mr. -Edison has been giving finan¬ cial help to an ol'd telegraph operator — Robert W. Martin, of No.
422. St. Nicholas Abe., New York. Mr. Martin is supposed to get a Carnegie pension on March 7th. His wife writes that they are very poor, tliat Mr. Martin is paralyzed and generally incapacitated and that their daughter is unable to find. work. I would like to have you look into the matter and Bee if their situation is as bad as they have represented it to be. You might call on them as coning from Mr. Edison and say that he was interested enough to send, you around to see if you could be of any help. Of oourso, if you find them to be entirely worthy people you must give no suspi* cion of the object of your call and must be as ' sympathetic as possi¬ ble. -
Yours very truly.
pxdAww
President .
'fc.r+U
Hotel Hesperia
BORDIGHERA
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Mrs. Martin said, her brother hoarded with them, which is a great help toward paying the expense; also, Mr. Martin's sister does what she can in helping them pay the rent and household expenses.
Mrs. Martin said that her daughter, who is 28 years of age, has just finished a course in stenography and typewriting, and for more than a month has been looking for a position; if she was able to get work it would be a great help to them.
She also said that when Mr. Phillips was in Mew York he was very kind to them, and sent them $20.00 a month toward the expenses, and came to visit Mr. Martin every Sunday evening. Mr. Phillips is the General Advertising man for the Columbia Phonograph Company, and had an office in the Tribune Building, N. Y. City.
He was transferred to the factory, Bridgeport, Conn., and from
there he sent $5.00 a month. Last year business was so dull with the Columbia people the worts were shut down the greater part of the Summer, and at times only working a day or two a week (only a few people being employed) so Mr. Phillips stopped this allowance, stating that he could not afford to continue same.
Mrs. Martin also said she was informed that business at the factory at -Bridgeport, Conn, was improving considerably, and they were doing quite a little work now. She said nr. Phillips was a friend of Mr. Martin, and that he v/as an "old time" telegraph operator.
Mr. Martin is one of sixty-two telegraph operators who are to receive a Carnegie pension of $114.00 a year. A bill was passed in Congress to pay the veteran operators $12.00 a month, with back pay to date. Mrs. Martin wrote letters to the Senators from Hew York; also the Congressmen, in regard to the bill, and expects it to be settled shortly, and expects to receive the money from the Carnegie Pension Fund the first part of March.
Mr. Martin is not able to do any work as his head is in a very bad condition, which is affected from a couple of nervous strokes, and at times he is hardly able to talk. He will never be able to work again as a telegraph operator. His health, otherwise, is good, and of a nice afternoon he walks out with his daughter for a couple of hours, she going with him for fear he would fall if by himself. He looks very well for a man of his age (he said he was 64 years old, but he does not look it).
I told Mrs. Martin that Mr. Edison wished me to call and see him when I was up town, and being in the neighborhood at
2.
that time I dropped in.
Mr. Martin wished me to thank Mr. Edison for all. he has done for him, and that both he and Mrs. Martin were pleased to think Mr. Edison had not forgotten them. They hope their daughte will be able to secure a position, as it will be of great assistanc
Very truly yours,
to them.
General Counsel, Legal Dept., Edison Co., Orange, N. J.
Dear Sir:
I thank you very much for bringing to my attention Hr. Edison's patent #909,877 dated January 19th, 1909, covering the application of the rectifier in connection with the operation of the quadruplex system.
This Company has owned for a number of years a patent for operating the neutral relay by straight currents commutated from the reversals in the main line. This principle, which is identical with that covered by Mr. Edison's patent, is a good one and if the reversals of magnetism in the neutral relay were the only disturbing factor in connection with the quadruplex sys¬ tem, the rectifier proposition would no doubt come near making a perfect working quad, but this "reversal" is only one of a number o^ elements tending to impair the efficiency of the operation and we still have to contend with the operating difficulty due to electro-static and mutual induction, as well as other detrimental properties of the circuit which the rectifying principle is not
ALLGEMEINE ELEKTRICITATS-GESELLSOHAFT
Direktiori- jjf'b Frleirloh KarMJfer 2-4.
J.No.s.215. Berlin nw d a»F«*>ruar 1909,
Sehr geahrter Harr Edison.
i
Ich hatte anlaselioh xnainaB 70. Ga- burtBtages Gelegenhait, auf dia Uranfange j unBarar GeBallschaft und damit auf die ersten geeohSf tliohan Beziahungan zu Ihnan I zuriickzukomman. In dar Mainung, dass as Sia !j ▼ielleioht intareBBiert, maina Aeusserungen j kannan zu larnan, gastatta ich mir, Ihnan die anliegenda Ueba rsetzung malner Rada zu iibersenden. Ich fiiga aufrichtige GrUasa bai und bleibe
IhT
ergebaner
2 Anlagan.
[TRANSLATION FOLLOWS]
dear Hr. Edison:
On the occasion rtf 70th birthday, I had an opportunity to £ivo sono rnminlsconcos of the early period of our company , and in that connection to refer to our first rela¬ tions with you. Believing that you may be interested, I take pleasure in sending you a translation of qy remarks.
.Dr. K. Hathenau.
[ENCLOSURE]
•***••.
TRANSLATION
SPEECH MADE BY OEHEIMRAT HATHENAU AT A BANQUET GIVEN
on Deo. li/08 ON THE 03CASION OP HIS 70th. BIRTHDAY.
I am bo deeply touched hy the honors of which I have to¬ day been the reoipient, that I cannot find adequate words to express my thanks. I cun conscious that these are directed less towards myself personally them towards my work and therefore I think it my duty to thank you in the name of the Company which I have the honor to represent.
It is ncit necessary for me to mention here who the Compan¬ ies are, nor their importance. What is less generally known than the modern history of the Company with its numerous off¬ shoots striving