[LB014262], Letter from Samuel Insull to Harry Olrick, October 10th, 1882

https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/LB014262

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Title

[LB014262], Letter from Samuel Insull to Harry Olrick, October 10th, 1882

Editor's Notes

Your letter to Mr. Edison came to hand yesterday morning, and he asked me if I would write you a few lines in reply thereto. I do not remember exactly what it was that Arnold White said, but I believe it was something with reference to our business here and how very favorable are our chances of doing work as compared with those of the Light Company in England, and he made several statements and quoted you as his authority which were hardly in accordance with the exact facts. Anyway whatever he said is of little importance, and Edison was extremely pleased to get your letter. We have been having quite some trouble with the London Company as to our machinery &c., and it seems to be their impression that we want to force things on them and are roping in piles of money at their expense, I know you can disabuse them of any such idea as this and if they think we are treating them in such a way we have told them that the best thing they can do is to get their machinery elsewhere. We like customers, but we do not like them of that kind. You might send us that dose of taffy which you say you wrote on your return giving an account of your electrical inquiries here. We sometimes like to see ourselves as others see us.##The central station has been started all right and we have no been running for upwards of a month and everything works first class. The conductors are just bang up and the dynamo machines are just as good. We run one of the Porter-Allen engines for 84 hours at full speed and full load on.##I am sorry that things are not going on so well in England but I suppose it will come out all right eventually.##We got from Armington & Sims two or three days ago their large engine 14 by 13. It is just a daisy. When you first look at it it looks like one side of a locomotive and works like a charm. It will greatly interest us, if, when Mather & Platt have been making machines some little time so as to give them a fare idea of prices, you can send us their figures. We should very much like to compare English and American manufacture and we want to see where one is cheaper than the other and vice versa. Clarke has just gone off for 3 weeks holiday, played out. Edison looks bang up and is extremely delighted with the starting of his station. Everything promises here a very great success. The Isolated Co's business is something tremendous. They are simply coining money and the central station business looks as if it is going to be a great success also. You might write either to me or Edison now and then giving us an idea of things electrical in England from your point of view. I am sure Edison would appreciate it and so would I very much

Recipient

Date

1882-10-10

Type

Folder/Volume ID

LB014-F

Microfilm ID

81:930

Document ID

LB014262

Publisher

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