The Thomas A. Edison Papers Digital Edition

Transcription

Letterhead of “From Mr. William Lynd, Popular Science Lecturer, Late Head Master, West London College of Electrical Engineering, Author of “The Practical Telegraphist,” “The Electric Telegraph in Theory and Practice,” “Guide to the Postal Telegraph Service,” Editor of “The Telegraphist,” &c, &c.  
Edison House, Tunbridge Wells, July 16th, 1892 
Dear Sir:- 
Owing to the disgraceful treatment I have received at the hands of the “Foreign Committee of the Edison United Phonograph Co” I am induced to write you to lay the facts before you, and to ask for your assistance.  
I will briefly state my case. I had a splendid reputation in the United Kingdom as a Popular Science Lecturer, and in March 1889, I entered into an arrangement with Colonel George Gouraud (the gentleman who tells the British Public that he found you in obscurity and through an invention of his you gained notoriety) to lecture on your latest Phonograph.  
Pilled with enthusiasm over your beautiful machine I gave up EVERYTHING ad devoted the whole of my time and attention to lecturing, and advertising the Phonograph at my own expense for Colonel Gouraud would neither share in the expenses nor take the least responsibility. There were two lecturers at that time, Professor Douglas Archibald and myself. I was not paid a fixed salary but I had to be satisfied with 80% of the receipts. The first year I paid Colonel Gouraud SIX HUNDRED AND EIGHTY POUNDS for the use of one machine. One week I sent him SEVENTY POUNDS.  
I WILL NOT TAKE UP YOUR TIME WITH THE STORY OF THE CHAOTIC STATE OF AFFAIRS AT Edison House London. Never in the whole course of my experience have I known anything to equal it.  
Novices, boys who might have managed a mangle were sent out as “experts” to exhibit the beautiful machine; and the history of the fiascos would fill many pages. Such lamentable displays of incompetency are almost beyond belief, when one considers the importance of the subject: and the great reputation of the Inventor. It was nothing unusual for the so called experts when they had started the machine before a first class audience to discover that old solution had been given to them by the person in charge at Edison House. One day I called for something, and a telegram had just arrived from a [Mr. Steytler?] who had been sent to exhibit the Machine before the Head Master and he students of Elon College. The telegram was something like the following “For Heaven’s sake send me some good solution, you have given me old stuff.” A roar of laughter greeted the reading of this gram. It would be impossible to exaggerate my experience of the Phonograph “management.” 
I have repeatedly sent wires to Col Gouraud telling him that your reputation as well as his own was at stake, and I firmly believe that the present treatment I am receiving is payment for the truths I have told the Edison House people from time to time. You must have heard something about it from Mr. Hamilton who because he was faithful to you led a miserable life while he was in London. He knows me well enough. He was the only man who seemed to care for your reputation.  
The second year of my tour was a success, and I sent in a lot of money to Colonel Gouraud. I never had a single failure. I have books filled with Press Notices of the very best kind. One journal said that “Edison must have invented the Lecturer as well as the Machine.”  
This, the third year, has been bad. I got thoroughly knocked up with hard work, and at last I collapsed, and was laid up for six weeks with a serious illness.  
Then the real nature of your colleague became apparent. I received a notice that in future I must pay two guineas every time the machine was exhibited. It did not matter whether I lost money or not.  
Directly after I was convalescent, as the interest was failing and I could not get guaranteed engagements I began to speculate with the little I had made out of my share. I put out tons of printing about you and the Phonograph and I lost every penny. I appealed to the Committee and candidly told them that I could not pay upon losses: and begged them to take into consideration the large sums they had had through my working and advertising. I found them like adamant. I declined to pay on losses, and then they began to issue threats: and finally instructed their Solicitors, Messrs. Bircham of 50 Old Broad Street to serve me with a writ, and to demand the return of the machine.  
I still refuse to pay their ideal claims, and I have not sent in the machine. The late Secretary Mr. J. L. Young will prove to you that in consideration of my services it was proposed nearly two years ago to present me with the machine I had in use.  
Surely you will not allow such an act of injustice to be committed? You must have some voice in the matter. No one in this country has advertised you and your inventions so much as the writer of this letter. I am an old Telegraph man, and I must have [10?] tured in SIX HUNDRED towns on Edison and his Inventions. I have told Colonel Gouraud that if he allows the Committee to carry out their threats I shall defend myself by placing in the hands of the Press and the Public years, also the story of the “Eminent voice Factory” presided over by the Colonel. The Gladstone records given to the Lecturers and the Exhibitors and by means of which the British Public have been humbugged were all manufactured by the Colonel. Will you kindly send me a Cable stating whether I can have a machine from America or retain the one I have used so long? I am well known all over the Kingdom, and I have introduced the Phonograph to the very best people in this country.  
Hundreds of machines might have been sold two or three years ago, but I am afraid that there are poor prospects now of forming an English Company. You may get further information about me from Mr. George Ward of the Commercial Cable Co.  
A Cable from you on receipt of this letter will be anxiously expected by.  
Your Faithful and enthusiastic Admirer,  
[Signed] William Lynd  
Thomas Alva Edison Esq.,  
Menlo Park, New Jersey, U.S.A. 
<“Mr. LYND has delivered 750 Lectures on Edison’s latest Phonograph in Great Britain and Ireland between March, 1889, and May, 1892.”> [Written on bottom of first page] 
<Write & say that I have no connection with Gouraud & that his actions as will as the United Phono Co are unaccountable to me on any theory of [-------?] that sooner or later it will get into the hands of [------?] me. Say I am sorry I cannot help him but my hands are tied> [Edison Marginalia at the bottom of last page]