[LB050653], Letter from Alfred Ord Tate to Spokane Phonograph Co, J W Wilson, August 19th, 1891
https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/LB050653
Transcription
19th August 1891 J.W. Wilson Esq., Manager, The Spokane Phono Co. Spokane Falls 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 Augst 2nd. It was nowhere suggested in that letter that you should return cylinders to us. We spoke of duplicating master cylinders sent us by any Company which desired to have duplicates made of records which they, themselves, took; our price for each duplicate being 35¢. not including the cost of the cylinder 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, the idea being that a phonograph Company would take one or two records of music, send them on to us, and we would give them any number of duplicates of these at a cost, for duplicating, of .35¢ 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 [number] placed opposite each piece. The proper way to order is as follows:- supposing that you require 10 duplicates of banjo music, record No. 3. You would place a [requision] 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 N. A. Phono. Co. we would immediately place upon them a duplicate of record No 3 and ship them to you in accordance with your directions. Thus [the cost to you of] cylinder, duplication, boxing, packing etc. would be somewhere about 50¢. for each record, which is certainly a heavy reduction from the prices that have [heretofor] been charged. We note what you say in regard to putting the word “duplicate” on the cylinders. We will omit these from [illegible] from [illegible] Yours truly A.O. Tate Private Secretary * I find this cannot be omitted from the [records made] from [the] [illegible]. It is [not] all [of] [illegible] AOT