[LB039360], Letter from Roman (Investor) to Thomas Alva Edison, March 26th, 1890
https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/LB039360
Transcription
Paris, March 26th, 1890 Thomas Alva Edison, Esq., Orange, N.J. Dear Sir:- I have given some explanations to Mr. Insull. Today I take the opportunity to write you a few lines expressing, in the name of Raoul Duval, and in my own, our highest respect. Mr. Duval and his group would be most happy to come to a satisfactory arrangement. They believe that you are the only man who could make the Paris business a great success. The project we had first, to acquire the control the Continental Edison Company, in unfortunately impracticable. The shares are now in private hands and not very easy to be got. The Continental Edison Company has spent nearly ten millions of francs, but it possesses very little to represent this large amount of money. Mr. Duval and friends have therefore decided not to buy out the Continental Company but to start a new business on a solid basis. I saw Messrs Rau and Verne yesterday, and proposed to them to let you free to do other business in Paris. They would grant us a license, but on special conditions, namely, that we should buy the machinery from the Continental Company. We can never accept these conditions, but I am quite certain that the Continental Company could not refuse to make such an arrangement directly with you as would be convenient to all the interested parties. We would, for instance, agree to pay a royalty for the use of the three-wire system, and for the use of the Edison lamp patents; but of course we could prefer to manufacture all ourselves. The conditions laid down in our agreement of the 16th of January would remain the same, with the exception of the purchase of the foundry shares of the Continental Company. I think the only way to arrange the question with the Continental Company would be by your personal intervention, or through Mr. [illegible], who is at present in New York. I have explained my views to him, and I am sure he [illegible] bring about an arrangement with you at the Continental Company, his friends. I have telegraphed to Mr. Insull to send me for Mr. Duval a phonograph and your electric meter, and I expect these instruments by next mail. I have a firm conviction that you will arrange the matter with this Continental Company, and give us the benefit of your very important collaboration in [illegible] in Paris on electric lighting [illegible] this will indeed make it [illegible] make into "The City of Lights" as Victor Hugo says but of course [remainder of letter illegible]