[LB029444], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to Augustus Ledyard Smith, May 17th, 1889
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Title
[LB029444], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to Augustus Ledyard Smith, May 17th, 1889
Editor's Notes
I have received your letter of 7th inst., in regard to an electric lighting plant for Wells College, Aurora, N.Y., and have written to the President of the Edison United M'f'g. Co., making suggestions to him in relation to this plant, which, if carried out, as I believe they will be, will result in your realizing your wishes in that connection. ### In regard to establishing communication with your family, I would suggest that you obtain three phonographs. The battery which goes wish them will run the machine fours a day for a month, during which time it requires no attention, and the process of renewal is very simple. By means of phonographs, you would be able not only to converse with your family, but to interchange musical selections of all kinds, and also to avail yourself of the musical records which in a short time will be supplied to all users of the phonograph, containing selections by the foremost musicians of the day. If you have the incandescent light in your office, or if any of your family are so situated that they [can?] use the incandescent current, I could furnish you with machineswound for such a circuit, which would, of course, do away with the use of batteries altogether; or if after further investigation you should prefer treadle phonographs, you can obtain these although they are not as desirable for musical records as these run by the electric current, but equally as good as the letter for conversation. Yours truly, T A Edison
Author
Recipient
Mentioned
Date
1889-05-17
Type
Folder/Volume ID
LB029-F
Microfilm ID
139:169
Document ID
LB029444
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University