1900 Edison had returned the West Orange
laboratory for good after spending much the previous decade various mines
86
.310
EVIDENCE ROOM USE AND FURNISHINGS
Period Summaries
Period 1887-1900. Edison, Journal No.had two men under
him firemen taking care the boilers, etc. The end the disastrous ore milling project forms watershed the
history the laboratory. 5," (January 1888-June 1890), 147.
By the end the nineteenth century Edison began realize that his ore milling
project was not going the great success had hoped for."309
308 Payroll for the week ending February 1890 (in 1890, WOL—General, D-90-64). Many experimental projects
were terminated the end the 1880s because the Edison enterprise was
suffering financial problems..Building 6
The payroll for February 1890 lists two engineers and two firemen employed at
the West Orange laboratory.
309 Historian’s Note 90.. The ore milling project and the onset serious economic
depression are the two influential forces the history the laboratory during
this period.A. 1896 when the depression seemed lifting,
more attention was given developing commercial phonograph.308 Around 1910, the power house was occupied by
Jeff Jacobs, the engineer.
William Drees. employee Edison General Electric, Drees worked the
dynamo room wiring equipment and winding armatures. Jeff had charge the plumbing
and steam fitting. The huge outlays the ore milling project served to
increase the laboratory’s financial difficulties. Laverty reported that ’’old Jeff.311 Income from contract research declined the
beginning the 1890s the depression forced reductions the research budgets
of Edison’s customers. The early mid-1890s were time cutbacks experiments and
construction after the excesses the late 1880s.
310 Edison Pioneers Records, Box 21. This volume the
Account Books Records Edison NHS.
311 "Laboratory T. Experimental work the
phonograph was cut back and only the cylinder reproduction project was
maintained through the 1890s. Experimental
work was reduced the last years the century and production ore stopped in
1900
