The Thomas A. Edison Papers Digital Edition

Transcription

The Edison Electric Light Co. of Philadelphia, PA. 
Philadelphia 
May 30th, 1892 
Mr. Thomas A. Edison, 
Orange, N.J. 
My dear Sir:- 
In looking over old papers in order to destroy them I have come across a letter to our Board of Directors, dated July 10th, 1889, in which I urge upon them putting the electric light at the price named by you, ¾ of a cent per lamp hour. We have over $40,000 in bank to-day; we have paid a three per cent semi-annual dividend; we have no debts whatever, beyond stock and bones, and we are steadily making money at the price named by you. Perhaps you will be pleased to see the letter [illegible words] a letter of June 17th, 1889, page 3, in which I express my opinion of the merit of your invention. I trust that you will not feed me obtrusive in calling your attention to it. I wish that I could have had a chance, at a time when I was prepared to give all there was in me to the service of the Edison General Electric Co. 
 
Yours very truly, 
Hamilton McKown Twombly 
Enclosures.                                                               President. 
 
{Twombly- 
Phila is a great field- there is a chance to invest over five million I have for years urged our people to get control of present Co= The city owns the gas works hence there will be no gas competition & the gas works will be always poorly managed- 
Edison} [illegible word] 
July 10th, 1889 
To the President and Board of Directors 
Edison Electric Light Co., 
Philadelphia, Penn. 
Gentlemen- 
I have Mr. Edison’s approval in bringing before you the matter of the price of light. Mr. Edison says that the Philadelphia Station, as constructed, can make more money with the price of light at $1.50 per thousand, than the New York Station can at $2. per thousand. I have his entire approval in suggesting to you that after Oct. 1st the price of the electric light be reduced to $1.50 per thousand in gas, or ¾ of a cent per lamp hour for each [illegible words]. To produce this light in the Pearl St. Station in New York costs about [illegible word] per lamp hour, when we take [illegible word] total expense of a year and divide it by the lamp hours. It will cost less in Philadelphia than it costs in Pearl St., or than it costs in 25th St. or 39th St. when they are [illegible lines].  
At present we are selling to our large [illegible lines]. [illegible word] become sufficient to cover our payroll, the increases in cost of [illegible word] light to us means increases only in coal bill and in lamp bill. If we can secure the of constant charges against them. I think we will ensure a number of small consumers who will use a larger percentage of the lamps they put in, and [illegible words] more profitable than it is with the present larger consumers. 
[illegible word] urge upon the Board a reduction in price of [illegible word] per lamp hour, redoubled [illegible words], and in advertising the fact that the electric light costs [illegible words] possesses many sanitary advantages, and for all practical purposes [illegible words] the light. 
I am very respectfully and truly yours, 
Supervising Engineer & General Manager