[X012F2L], Letter from Thomas D Lockwood to John Elbridge Hudson, June 25th, 1888
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Title
[X012F2L], Letter from Thomas D Lockwood to John Elbridge Hudson, June 25th, 1888
Editor's Notes
Hudson, Some weeks ago Mr. Storrow made a request to me to look closely into the matter indicated in the above heading. I did so but with no very encouraging results. Yesterday, while looking through an old volume of the Journal of the Telegraph for another purpose, I came across something, which it occurs to me maybe of value in this connection. In the issue of that Journal (which, you will remember is and was the organ of the W.U. Co), for July 1 1878 there is an account of the first convention of the American District Telegraph Superintendents and General Managers which was held in New York June 14 and 15. The account gives the several committees etc. which were formed and among other things states that the first day was sent in discussions on the various objecrs before the convention and upon the invitation of Hon. Geo. Walker, Executive Manager of the Gold + Stock Telegraph Company, in a visit to the head quarters of that Company, and an inspection of its telephone system. I was then in charge of the electrical matters of the American Disrtrict Telegraph Company of New York and I remember very clearly that we went down to the W.U. headquarters in a body and that Mr. G.L. Wiley, then in charge of the telephone Department of the Gold + Stock Company, showed us the several telephones which they had ready for use, and especially showed us what he said was the most improved form of the Edison carbon telephone which I had been acquainted with before. Mr. Wiley stood at one corner of the room he placed an Edison telephone at the other corner in connection with the line extending to the uptown office of the Gold + Stock Company, which was at the junction of Broadway and 5th Avenue at 23 Street, and conversed in a loud tone. The rest of us stood with receivers at our ears connected with a second line leading from the same distant point over which the person there repeated to us the words which he heard Mr. Wiley say. This was done for the purpose of interesting the American District Delegrates in the telephone and especially in the Edison telephone which, we were assured, was ahead of anything which the Bell people could offer; it being believed by the Western Union people that the American District Companies had peculiar facilities for the purpose of spreading the tuse of their telephones. This to me looks as if the Edison carbon telephone was on sale at that time. If you think that this may be of use to Mr. Storrow, will you kindly forward it to him? I should perhaps state also that several of the persons who were present will doubtless remember this occurrence. I may enumerate C.E. Stockly of Cleveland, now connected with the Brush Electric Light Company, C.S. Thompson of Brooklyn, C..I.Chapin of Philadelphia, C.H. Sewall, then of Albany, Geo. T. Truell then of Albany, H.W. Pope of New York, Suel Smith Manager of the Gold + Stock Telegraph company of Boston. This gentleman, I believe, is still in Boston and myself. Mr. Wiley will also, I doubt not, retain a remembrance of this occasion. Thomas D. Lockwood
Author
Recipient
Mentioned
Date
1888-06-25
Type
Folder/Volume ID
X012F2-F
Document ID
X012F2L
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University