[LB006501], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to William H Merrick, October 27th, 1880
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Title
[LB006501], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to William H Merrick, October 27th, 1880
Editor's Notes
From his visit to your works and conversation with your foreman, Mr. Batchelor gained the impression that the sole-plate and pillow-blicks are nearly completed and possibly can be shipped in a week. If this is so, if ou can accomodate me by pushing those parts on to completion and can ship them to us on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd, without fail, please let us know immediately and we will delay work upon the magnets so that they can be finished in place. If you cannot do this in the stated time we must resort to the old method of finishing on the lathe. Every little delay is embarrassing to us at this time and we cannot wait longer. I cannot comprehend why there should be such an unexplained delay in the completion of the engine, neither could Mr. Batchelor, judging from the superficial observations of a visit, excepting that no one seemed to be working upon the different parts, and to him it seemed a question of labor. As to that of course we cannot judge, and know not whether to ascribe it to that fact, or that some plans or proportioning of parts, which involve important principles essential to perfect success, may not be yet fully determined upon. Be that as it may, it has caused great uneasiness and irritation among the prominent members of the Electric Light Co. and a consequent state of nervousness and unrest on our part, placing us between two fires. Not only this, but the additional expense of delay amounts to thousands of dollars. Highly as we endorse your engines, believing them to be the best for workmanship, speed, reliability, and economy, we are nevertheless fearful that after the trial we shall be left in the lurch, without engines or any hope of getting them, and for self-protection and to advance our interests that we shall have to adapt the various forms of direct and indirect engines to our dynamos. I hear with pleasure that you have ordered a large number of fine tools and have taken measures to obtain them with the least delay. Will you please put all the pressure which you can possibly bring to bear towards completing the engine? Every week delayed increases the difficulties.
Author
Recipient
Mentioned
Date
1880-10-27
Type
Folder/Volume ID
LB006-F
Microfilm ID
80:399
Document ID
LB006501
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University