[LB020165], Letter from Samuel Insull to Thomas Alva Edison, March 12th, 1885
https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/LB020165
→ View document with UniversalViewer
→ View document on Archive.org
→ Re-use this digital object via a IIIF manifest
Title
[LB020165], Letter from Samuel Insull to Thomas Alva Edison, March 12th, 1885
Editor's Notes
"Bad luck has struck us. The Gold & Stock Telegraph Company have just reduced their rates from $25 per month to $10 per month to Stock Exchange subscribers & $15 per month to Outsiders. This is of course only for the purpose of fighting & as soon as the Commercial Telegraph Company are beaten the G&S. will again put up prices. The [desired?] policy has been persued in Boston. I went to see the Seligmans yesterday just after the announcement of the reduction & they told me they thought it hopeless just now to go ahead so the chances of getting the $30,000 before you return are (p2) to say the least but slim. Thinking everything here would through all right & wishing to boom the thing quickly on Monday I went to Boston to buy & help Toppan with things there. I found everything favorable & arranged to have a canvass of the Brothers Offices made so as to get an exact list of present tickers for the purposes of estimating In this altered state of affairs I would like to have your ideas on what I had better do. I am inclined to think that you will say that the action of the Western Union should not affect us that we should go right on just the (p 3) same but how am I to persu[ade] capitalists ???? To think likewise? That is the rule! Let me hear from you on this. Tomlinson came to the conclusion that it would not do to send you powers of attorney to sign the French & German documents & tol[d] me last night that I must send you the Originals and that there must be French & German consuls somewhere near where you are & that the Notary before whom you sign the documents must get a consular certificate in the usual form. I shall hold the papers till I get an answer from you to my telegrams. Tomlinson has been so busy that he has not had time to go into the matter of the increase of the Tube Co's Capital. He says there are many difficulties in the way but that immediately he gets back from New Orleans he will go thoroughly into the matter ? F????? The agreement with the Light Co will cause us some trouble. ### The Isolated Business is awfully dull. They are not doing any more than when you were here. If expenses are being reduced I do not see exactly how. Tomlinson was sent to New Orleans last night to try & work up the matter of the uncollected bill. The Isolated people are making some kind of a deal with Thomson-Houston people–exactly what I do not know as I am unable to get at Johnson today. Generally it is for Isolated Co to throw arc light business in the hands of Thomson Houston & the latter to throw Incandescent business in the hands of the Isolated Co. I will wite you fully as soon as I (p4) knopw more. ## "Kruesi is still unable to lay tubes for Telephone Co. as we ave had another cold spell. It has [???] today & I trust that we shall see a great improvement soon …" will proceed when frost is off ground. "Kreusi has the greater part of the copper for Milan. He fills [tube orders?] wonderfully quickly. He has got rid of the vacuum pump business altogether." ##updated tc 2/15/2012
Author
Recipient
Date
1885-03-12
Type
Subject
Folder/Volume ID
LB020-F
Microfilm ID
83:115
Document ID
LB020165
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University