[LB052165], Letter from Alfred Ord Tate to Richard Lynch Garner, August 31st, 1891
https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/LB052165
Transcription
August 31, 1891 R. L. Garner, Esq., Warren Green Hotel, Warrentown, Va. Dear Sir:- Your letter of 27th ultimo, in regard to certain experiments conducted by you with the phonograph and graphophone in an investigation of the language of the monkey, was received in due course of mail, but has remained unanswered owing to this absence of Mr. Edison, who returned to the Laboratory only a few days ago. Mr. Edison was much interested in the account of these investigation that appeared in the newspapers, and upon reading your communication he remarked that it was a matter of wonder to him how you were able to obtain any results at all from your experiments, considering the phonographs and graphophones available for your purpose. In regard to furnishing you with phonographic supplies for use in connection with the experiments which you propose conducting in Africa, Mr. Edison would be very pleased to do what he could in the way of equipping you with the best of appliances for your special mark, but it would be necessary for you to first arrange the matter with the Edison United Phonograph Company, [illegible text] R. L. Garner, Esq. Sept. 3, 1891. Building, Broad St., New York City, without whose permission Mr. Edison could do nothing in the premises, as that Company controls the phonograph outside of the United States and Canada. Mr. Edison is precluded by his contracts from supplying phonographic supplies to any one of without the consent of the Company controlling the territory in which the supplies are to be used, and an instrument for use in Africa could only be obtained from the Company mentioned. Mr. Edison has nothing whatever to do with the commercial side of the phonograph business. Providing you succeed in obtaining the permission of the Edison United Phonograph Company, Mr. Edison thinks that he will be able to fit you out with some good apparatus by the time you are ready to go abroad. He can provide you with a phonograph that will be twenty times more sensitive and accurate than any yet made, and moreover with the machine which Mr. Edison has in mind it will be possible to take a fifteen minutes continuous record. When you have settled the matter with the Edison United Phonograph Co. Mr. Edison will be glad to hear from you again on the subject. Yours very truly, AO Tate Private Secretary.