[D8959ACN], Letter from George Edward Gouraud to Thomas Alva Edison, July 20th, 1889
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Title
[D8959ACN], Letter from George Edward Gouraud to Thomas Alva Edison, July 20th, 1889
Editor's Notes
[from typed "translation" of nearly unreadable Gouraud autograph letter from London] My Dear Edison,-- Tate has arrived and communicated your views, by which I shall be truly guided. I am afraid that we shall now be too late for this season, so far as "bringing out a Public Company" is concerned. ## You never took any notice of my letter regarding 'Moriarty.' He now says that Insull negotiated with him in New York, under your authority contained in a letter signed by you, and that he offered the whole of the phonograph rights represented by the contract between you and me for $600,000, saything that it was 'only the asking price.' He (Moriarty) repeated this in Tate presence. Moriarty now offers $200,00 for the same. I have declined his offer with thanks. He has apparently dropped the negotiations, as he has not reappeared since Thursday last, four days ago. His alternative to purchasing the phonograph rights is to annihilate the phonograph patents and equally so the phonograph itself with a new form of graphophone costing only $20 to manufacture and superior in every way to the phonograph. ## Moriarty says Lippincott told him that phonographs are being returned on every hand and graphophones being sent out in their places---7 graphophones in use to 3 phonographs. Tate denies all this and says he knows nothing about the 'improved and $20 graphophones.' My reply to Insull's alleged offer is that there must be some mistake……" You must have meant your share in our contract, but Insull insists there's no mistake. Can I claim that you did not authorize such an offer as Insull made? "one of the Seligmanns is with Moriarty. They make no proposals of amalgamation, except in the above form of buying us out for a small figure as an alternative to brushing us out. They candidly declare they 'would not make a phonographs if the had the rights!'…" Cabled denial from Insull about the alleged offer would help negotiations. Send me favorable reports of phonos in use, also the number of machines in hands of public each week. "Phono. Is exciting great interest in Italy and Belgium. Am sending it next week to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and Brazil."
Author
Recipient
Mentioned
Date
1889-07-20
Type
Subject
Folder/Volume ID
D8959-F
Microfilm ID
127:769
Document ID
D8959ACN
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University