[LB050653], Letter from Alfred Ord Tate to Spokane Phonograph Co, J W Wilson, August 19th, 1891
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Title
[LB050653], Letter from Alfred Ord Tate to Spokane Phonograph Co, J W Wilson, August 19th, 1891
Author
Recipient
Mentioned
Date
1891-08-19
Type
Subject
Folder/Volume ID
LB050-F
Microfilm ID
142:496
Document ID
LB050653
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University
Has Version
Item sets
Transcription
19th August 1891
J.W. Wilson Esq.,
Manager,
The Spokane Phono Co.
Spokane Hills Wash.
Dear Sir, In reply to your letter of 12th inst. I beg to say that you have entirely misunderstood the communication addressed to you by Mr. Edison on the date August 2nd. It was nowhere suggested in that letter that you should return cylinders to us. We spoke of duplicating master cylinders made by any company which desired to have duplicates made of records which they themselves took our price for each duplicate being 35cents not including the cost of the cylinders itself, burning etc.
A number of the Phono Companies desire to have reproductions of local music and it was to meet such cases as this that we made the proposition in regard to duplicating master cylinders. Your idea that a Phonograph Company would take one or two records of music, send them on to me, and we would give them any number of duplicates of these at a cost for duplicating, of 35 cents a piece, which of course is much lower than the cost of original records would be.
We have just sent out a list of the music which we have on hand if you require any of these please designate the class of music and order by the [illegible] laced opposite each piece. The proper way to order is as [illegible] supposing that you require to duplicates of banjo music, record No. 3 you would place a requisition on the North American Phonograph Co. to deliver ten blank cylinders to the Edison laboratory for your account. You would place another requisition on the Edison Laboratory for ten duplicates of banjo music record No. 3. Upon receipt of the blank cylinder ordered by you through the North Phono Co. would immediately place upon them + duplicated off record No. 3 and ship them to you in accordance with your directions. Thus [illegible] cylinder duplication, boxing, packing etc. would be somewhere around 50cents for each record which is certainly a heavy reduction from the price that have here to you been charged.
We noted what you said in regard to putting the word “duplicate” on the cylinders we will omit these from [illegible]
Yours truly
Private Secretary
[illegible postscript]
J.W. Wilson Esq.,
Manager,
The Spokane Phono Co.
Spokane Hills Wash.
Dear Sir, In reply to your letter of 12th inst. I beg to say that you have entirely misunderstood the communication addressed to you by Mr. Edison on the date August 2nd. It was nowhere suggested in that letter that you should return cylinders to us. We spoke of duplicating master cylinders made by any company which desired to have duplicates made of records which they themselves took our price for each duplicate being 35cents not including the cost of the cylinders itself, burning etc.
A number of the Phono Companies desire to have reproductions of local music and it was to meet such cases as this that we made the proposition in regard to duplicating master cylinders. Your idea that a Phonograph Company would take one or two records of music, send them on to me, and we would give them any number of duplicates of these at a cost for duplicating, of 35 cents a piece, which of course is much lower than the cost of original records would be.
We have just sent out a list of the music which we have on hand if you require any of these please designate the class of music and order by the [illegible] laced opposite each piece. The proper way to order is as [illegible] supposing that you require to duplicates of banjo music, record No. 3 you would place a requisition on the North American Phonograph Co. to deliver ten blank cylinders to the Edison laboratory for your account. You would place another requisition on the Edison Laboratory for ten duplicates of banjo music record No. 3. Upon receipt of the blank cylinder ordered by you through the North Phono Co. would immediately place upon them + duplicated off record No. 3 and ship them to you in accordance with your directions. Thus [illegible] cylinder duplication, boxing, packing etc. would be somewhere around 50cents for each record which is certainly a heavy reduction from the price that have here to you been charged.
We noted what you said in regard to putting the word “duplicate” on the cylinders we will omit these from [illegible]
Yours truly
Private Secretary
[illegible postscript]