[D8734AAJ], Letter from Francis Robbins Upton to Thomas Alva Edison, April 18th, 1887
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Title
[D8734AAJ], Letter from Francis Robbins Upton to Thomas Alva Edison, April 18th, 1887
Editor's Notes
"I enclose a report by [Dyer & Seel--?] on making clamps by depositing carbon on them. I know you made a numberr of experiments, I think in the spring of 1880 on deposited barbon, but I do not recollect the exact nature of those experiments. Kindly return the enclosed opinion. I think that the carbon clamps are very much superior to the copper clamps and very much cheaper in the fact that there is so many savings effected in other processes. The fibre without shanks which is lower first cost and much easier to carbonize. Then on the pumps much less blue, and quicker working. ## There is today a hard sleet storm and we have all spoken of you and envied your being in a warm country. ## Dyer has moved into better quarters in Antwerp and hopes to do a larger business this year. Bergmann has cut the price on his sockets so as to meet competition with the German Co. and it looks as if he could hold the trade. ## We have been through our C[-----] accounts and find that we shall lose, possibly $2000 before we are through with the plant if we are paid our contract. We have more than this amount in extras there but hardly expect to accomplish anything in selling them now McKay is dead. ## You will remember that we felt that we would make this a model plant for the sake of future business, and we now find that we have had a large expense and this with bad luck will make a loss. There is no loss in the aggregate to the Edison shops as there is a large profit on the goods sent. There is $3,600 to come on the contract still and out total bills will be about $5,500 over the $10,000 received. ## We shall not lose in the end I think as we shall have a first class plant and this with the one in the Mikado's Palace in Japan will be the only first class plants in the East. ## McKay was to give particular attention to calling the Chinese attribution to this plant, for we are in hopes that in a few years we may get a plant into Peking[?]. ## Though it is disagreeable to lose money it is always a consolation to know that there are some other gains to offset the loss, which are not shown on the ledger. ## Our order this month continue light but I think will pick up some. We are now putting about 2500 lamps a day into stock and will soon have a surplus to start a stock in Chicago. ## There will be business enough in the fall or all signs fails. ## Holzer showed me a letter from you regarding Martin's curves. I do not think that we are running lamps too high. Howell says that only a short time since he went over all our standards and everything checked out right. He is giong to make another examination." Enclosure: D8734AAK
Author
Recipient
Mentioned
Date
1887-04-18
Type
Folder/Volume ID
D8734-F
Microfilm ID
119:969
Document ID
D8734AAJ
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University