[D8535I], Letter from Charles Dreydel to Joshua Franklin Bailey, Thomas Alva Edison, February 20th, 1885
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Title
[D8535I], Letter from Charles Dreydel to Joshua Franklin Bailey, Thomas Alva Edison, February 20th, 1885
Editor's Notes
[from Stockholm] On the 24th Dec last, I wrote Bailey of your address and trust that letter will have come to hand. ##Edison Incandescent Light: does not appear to succeed as [-----] as we expected. The arc light appears on account of its cheapness to be the preference. I have nevertheless succeeded in getting a few orders, for instance the King's Palace, Queens [---], Royal Telegraph Works, Forsello[?] Factory, and just in hand the Central Railway station and Royal Post Office. ##Consumers, especially shopkeepers, hotels, restaurants, and private houses are very much infatuated with the incandescent lights. I would have secured plenty of customers for small installations (such as 10 to 25 16 c.p.) if it weren't for certain drawbacks: 1. Landlords will not permit steam engines in houses; 2. Central Stations can't be erected. The City owns the Gasworks and does not want competition, so they refuse permission to take up pavement to lay cables; 3. Neither are overhead wires permitted. ##[Suggests designing and constructing smaller machines and dynamos driven by water power to create small installations, adaptable to use in private houses/shops/etc., and gives specifics as to why he thinks it would work). ##Our competition is great here [lists some competitors, including Electric Co. of Stockholm]. Let me know ASAP whether you can make "combined" machines, as I am sure I could sell at least 1000 if the price is not too high. ##My partners and I have invested 2000 in the Edison incandescent light without deriving one cent profit, but we all have great confidence in the Turbine[?--referring to water-powered]] Dynamo.
Author
Recipient
Date
1885-02-20
Type
Subject
Folder/Volume ID
D8535-F
Microfilm ID
78:80
Document ID
D8535I
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University