The Thomas A. Edison Papers Digital Edition

Transcription

March 17, 1890
Major S.B. Eaton,
120 Broadway, New York City.
Dear Sir:-
In further reference to your letter under date 13th instant, enclosing copy of Col. Gouraud's letter under date 11th instant, in regard to bills which I have rendered against him, and in which he enumerates a number of reasons why these bills should bot be paid at the present time. I will answer these in the order in which they occur in his communication.
FIRST. Col. Gouraud states that none of these invoices have been previously rendered, but fails to note the fact that lists of the material covered by each shipment were forwarded to his office at the time the shipments were made. The greater portion of this material was furnished on regular routine requisitions received from Col. Gouraud's office, and it is to eb presumed that when the material arrived in London it was checked with the original orders which had been issued for it and against the lists which were sent from here. We have received any complaint of shortage on these requisitions. What Col. Gouraud did not receive. Were priced invoices. SECOND. I acknowledge the receipt of Col. Gouraud's reply, stating that the account would have his attention when he returned to London.
THIRD. The letter and documents which accompany this communication will prove clearly that Col. Gouraud is in error when he states that none of the articles referred to in the invoices were ordered by him, except to the value of $1,000 or $1,500.
FOURTH. The supplies sent to Mexico were furnished to Col. Gouraud's agents. I refer to this matter more specifically in the accompanying letter.
Col. Gouraud states that quite a number of these items are for machinery designed for the manufacture of phonographs in Europe. I never sent him any machinery for the manufacture of phonographs. I never sent him any machinery for the manufacture of phonographs. I sent machinery to the value of about $200 for the manufacture of phonograms, but nothing for the manufacture of the phonograph itself. I have sent Col. Gouraud a credit emo for the phonographs taken to Europe by Mr. Insull. The phonographs and supplies sent to the International Graphophone Company were furnished on Col. Gouraud's order, the original of which is enclosed with documents handed you herewith.
Col. Gouraud states that of the goods ordered by him all or nearly all-are of very recent shipment, mostly since his arrival in this country. I would call your attention to the fact that a division of the Statement of Account will show that all material except of the value of about $800, was furnished prior to the 16th of November last.
So far as my request for a settlement of this account is concerned, I do not think that I was unreasonable in assuming that the material forwarded to Col. Gouraud and covered by these invoices, had been checked with the requisitions issued in his office, which, as I said before, cover the greater portion of my bill. Any supplies not covered in this matter were the subject of correspondence Col. Gouraud and myself, and so far as I am concerned, are readily identified from memory. 
The records which I hand you with this letter, will entirely refute Col. Gouraud's charge that many of the items are an "afterthought." Col. Gouraud's contract with me commenced in 1887, and it is, therefore, not strange that I commence billing him him with material "as far back as 1888."
Yours truly,
Thos A. Edison