[D8960AAE], Letter from Everett Frazar to Thomas Alva Edison, January 19th, 1889

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Title

[D8960AAE], Letter from Everett Frazar to Thomas Alva Edison, January 19th, 1889

Editor's Notes

Enclosed I hand you special letter received from Yokohama this morning in regard to the exhibition of the American Graphophone at the U.S. Legation, Tokio, on the above date. This certainly will interest you and shows the quiet but complete action taken by the Company’s agent, Mr. Austin Hery, who arrived in Japan Dec. 19th from San Francisco, registering himself at the hotel as from Washington. I shall be pleased to learn whether you know this gentleman and if formerly in your employ, also whether he is a man of larger experience in the Graphophone or Phonograph than would likely be the case with the young gentleman with whom you propose to furnish us to exploit the phonograph in Japan and China. Kindly return the enclosed letter to me with your reply at early convenience. Also please state what will be the earliest date that we can advise our expert being ready to leave for Japan. Our Feb. steamer from Vancouver leaves on the 19th, requiring a passenger to leave N.Y. Feb. 10th. The March Str. Leaves on the 19th, requiring to leave N.Y. March 10th . Will it be necessary to delay to a later date or could he leave earlier via San Francisco? If via Vancouver, there is a saving to use in passage money, but this does not compensate for the loss of very valuable time, knowing that the Phonograph is already of us with its representative in Japan. I am very anxious to know that we are sending out a really competent person, particularly for the phonograph, but with a fair knowledge of incandescent lighting and installing also. This, I understand from you and Mr. Insull, can be combined in the same person.### Mr. Tate is to send me a rough memo. Of agreement to be executed between us for the conduct of this specialty. I have told him I will leave the matter to him and your good self to make this initial memo., asking you to form same upon a liberal terms as possible for us, considering the expense to which we will be put with certain competition, reducing the prospect of margins of profit materially. I regret, first, that the graphaphone is in existence at all, as you no doubt do also, and still more to find that it is being exploited through our own territory. If you will briefly state to me in a letter, in triplicate, the commercial and social uses to which the phonograph can be put and its advantages over the graphaphone I shall feel greatly obliged and will forward some to our friends in the East, who will make use of it with both the foreign and native press as well as by circular. I would like our expert to take with him at least half a dozen phonographs, if some can be got ready; if not, even two, that he may not be delayed in leaving."

Date

1889-01-19

Type

Folder/Volume ID

D8960-F

Microfilm ID

127:1027

Document ID

D8960AAE

Publisher

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