[D8855ABM], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to Edison United Manufacturing Co, August 31st, 1888

https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/D8855ABM

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Title

[D8855ABM], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to Edison United Manufacturing Co, August 31st, 1888

Editor's Notes

"For many months your men have been off and on, fixing the insullation in the residence of my friend and neighbor Mr. Burke. He has frequently complained of the inconsistency of expecting him to use his parlor and Reception-room for workshops for your men. The trouble on our lines have been very frequent lately, and we have always traced them from our catch-box to that part of the system which feeds Mr. Burke's house. A few days ago Mr. Burke came to me and told me that he was now thoroughly disgusted, and that he could not allow his place to be made a work-shop of any longer and begged me to take the matter in hand myself and see that he could get a permanent and good light. I thereupon instructed Mr. Batchelor to have it fixed satisfactory to Mr. burke. He immediately found two bad grounds in the land cable system, one of which he has cut out and will send to you. If you will investigate this matter you will see that for some reason or other a joint was put in the cable, and that the only insullation put there to keep the joint from grounding was two or three layers of black tape. My opinion is that your workman know absolutely nothing about this style of work, and your inspector, whoever he is, must know less--to instruct a man to making such a joint as this. If he did not instruct him to make the joint so, he must certainly have seen a joing made he should have asked the man how he made this joint. If he was satisfied with the explanation, he is not fit for this business. Undoubtedly there are many more joints in that lead cable system, all of which we presume are made in this way. If so you may be sure we will have to cut every one of them out as they give us trouble. When we took out these two, our lines were perfectly clear, but this morning again, which is only 48 hours, we have a ground on both sides, which we are now investigating." Very truly yours, TAE per CB "Enclosed firm report of our electrician CB"

Date

1888-08-31

Type

Folder/Volume ID

D8855-F

Microfilm ID

124:1030

Document ID

D8855ABM

Publisher

Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University
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