[LB054035], Letter from Thomas Maguire (Edison Employee) to Alfred Ord Tate, October 23rd, 1891
https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/LB054035
Transcription
Oct. 23, 1891. A. O. Tate, Esq., Edison Building, Broad Street, New York City. Dear Sir:- Referring again to the complaints which have been received from several Phonograph Companies in regard to our method of packing musical records, I beg to inform you that I have discussed the matter with Walter Miller and the information obtained from him on the subject is embodied in the following: It seems that Mr. Edison’s object in packing the cylinders in pasteboard boxes and discarding the cotton batting which is used by the North American and other Phonograph Companies, was that by so doing he would avoid injuring the surface of the record. When cylinders are wrapped in cotton batting it appears that the cotton sticks to them, thereby injuring the surface of the record and causing the reproduction to be scratchy. Walter informs me, however, that when at Montreal recently he discovered, in connection with the musical records sent there for exhibition, that a large accumulation of dust, from the excelsior which we use, becomes deposited on the surface of the cylinder, and that the damage done the record thereby is much greater than that inflicted by the cotton batting. Walter also believes that the liability of breakage is greater I our system than in the other. Another argument in favor of the cotton batting is that it would be much cheaper. We received a few days ago one thousand of the pasteboard boxes, and whether or not you decide to change our method of packing I think it is desirable for us to use these up, for by so doing we will be afforded an opportunity of subjecting them to another test, which should enable us to decide as to their suitability for our purpose. I will make careful note of any complaints in this connection that may be received in the future. Yours truly, Thomas Maguire