The Thomas A. Edison Papers Digital Edition

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Title

[LB007440], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to Sherburne Blake Eaton, June 12th, 1882

Editor's Notes

The reason your memorandums have remained unanswered for some days past is that Mr Insulls time has been so much occupied that he has not been able to attend to correspondence.## Yours June 6th. I see no reason why we should buy Mr D. Mullers patent 258795.## I believe with you that it would not do for us to sell licenses to people with the idea of their dealing in such business in a wholesale manner It would damage us considerably ##Yours June 8th Insull will take up the European a/cs as soon as he gets a spare moment.## As to measuring the candlepower of lamps [ours] giving 16 candles in every direction [versus] the candle power of one light (Average] measured as the [present] method as quoted at four times this [that] [-] they take the candle [power] one direction & multiply it by [three] when there is a globe and an arc Light it gives about 200 candles in aklkl directions (the Brush people would call it 800). A gas expert who tested the Brush Lights in the Dark at Cleveland found the lights averged 210 candles by our method of measuring.##As to wiring Building here for Anderson to "[seven feet"] we can use the [arc] lamp factory. Let Clarke take it in hand & use good isolated [me-] for wiring.##As to the material here [---] to Light Co I will have [it] each whenever you want & the [rest] can go with it to your store keeper##Yours June 9th. Johnson made a mistake about p[rice] of [--] he quoted to Logan. [--] each sent a 200 Light machine to Lo[--] I have only just commenced sending 250 Light machines there & they are billed at $1200. Johnson made the same mistake in quoting a price to Batchelor. We notice you propose raising an [--] Maxin & american Cos has not same to hand; not any of your other enclosures refd to in yours of June 9th.## I think we had better pass the german contract & sign the Power of attorney but nothing to be done except approved by Batchelor## I would refer the Mott papers to Miller to report on. Then the report can be submitted to me & then I will say whether we [---?] [--] buy anything. I have not the slightest objection to Insull or to you holding patents on matters of detail in connectin with [Eastern] Lighting as long as they do not attempt to cover up [--] things that I may want to [--] It is much better to [cus---] ask own people to work on details which I can never express to much than to leave them you [--] [un---ness] to work on as [p-les] we can get [well] [started] [there] will be a great demandd for men [small [---]## Regarding Harrington I understand that Sterin[gets] (engaged by Michael Vance & Co) made some inventions in fixtures and asked Harrington to put up for Patent fees which I understand he did. Now do you not think it is a great deal better that, in the case of outsiders who invent these things, to have in[terested] with them our own people who and affiliated to us in such a manner that we are sure to derive benefit as the inventions would be used in our interest. Furthermore I do not see how we can prevent, on what right we have to prevent our employees from investing their money in patent [-] [coper [-]. Rather I think we should encourage it. I, myself, have been in the habit of encouraging the working up of [---] providing the claims are not [---] or as to cover principles I require Insull &n Dyer have submitted [their] various other things to me in [---] case. In one instance [their] claim involved a [b--d] [pprinciple. I applied for the patent on this myself & left them to work up the detail for applying the principle so that we really have control of the [broad] principle & can thus regulate the royalty to be paid to the Patentees by those who use the device if necessary. The various devices will tend to further the demand for current which is certainly to our interest now Seeleys invention (Dyer & Insull are interested in it) for the [Flat Iron] which provides for the heating of the Iron by a carbon resistance will I think be of use & will consequently increase the demand on us for current. I think it is a very good thing to have our people work up these things as if they do not do it outsiders will as there are innumerable countries to which current can be applied & I certainly can never afford to go out these matters as they are decided by outside my [work] Motts case is different. He took advantage of his position to work up applications to cover principles (an insight of which he got by making my drawings) & so get [excused] my invention. The case to which he refers when a patent was hurried to head off Mott is well known to me. Dyer & Insull told me of it & it was my application that was hurried forward - theirs (Ins & Dr) being confined to the detail of this application of this principle which I [wanted] to cover is a specific object## My time is altogether too valuable to allow of my going into the City to attend conferences on Dynamo orders. Let us get the model machine (125) first & then we can talk about what alterations shall be made. I think this whole thing where the time comes can be done by correspondence. [Dion] is too busy to attend conferences as well as myself.## The engine I have here is [sample] [--rr--ed] from London Co until I can get another 8 x 10 which please hurry up## Your enclosures with memo 10th June not to hand.## Do not make any counter[---] with Moses until he has shown me Drawings which will lead me to reasonable expect something as the outcome of his work. So far he has nothing

Author

Edison, Thomas Alva

Recipient

Eaton, Sherburne Blake

Mentioned

Mitchell Vance & Co

Brush Electric Co

Mott, Samuel Dimmick

Moses, Otto A

Batchelor, Charles

Dean, Charles L

Clarke, Charles Lorenzo

Logan, James C

Seely, Henry W

Hanington, Charles F

Johnson, Edward Hibberd

Stieringer, Luther

Anderson, William A

Dyer, Richard Nott

Insull, Samuel

Wilber, Zenas Fisk

Date

1882-06-12

Type

Letter

Subject

Competition and market structure

Patents

Arc lighting

Folder ID

LB007-F

Microfilm ID

80:602

Document ID

LB007440

URL

https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/LB007440

Rights

Thomas Edison National Historical Park

Publisher

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

License

CC0 1.0 Universal

Has Version

Archive.org Viewer, Microfilm Series Reel 80

Item sets

[LB007-F] LB-007 (1881-1882)