Edison's stake the phonograph was large one, larger
than Lippincott's would later claim, and was bound to
. The input from the North
American Phonograph Company reinforced his decision develop
a smaller machine with better reproduction. The
great problem facing Edison was paying for all his experimental
projects. The long campaign perfect the phonograph had
almost exhausted his financial resources and there was little
hope that more money could raised Lippincott's North
American Company. The 1890s were years financial hardship for his
enterprise. had seen enough evidence think that this
product had commercial future. Progress the
phonograph experiments came good time; Edison returned
from Europe impressed the appeal his phonograph and eager
to perfect it. Edison had also
committed his laboratory experimental project to
duplicate prerecorded cylinders— the vital part amusement
phonograph business. the meantime the business selling
phonographs business machines was declining rapidly.VI-10
THE LABORATORY THE 189OS
On his return West Orange, Edison was greeted with
good news about the experiments hand: Dickson had made
significant progress with the kinetoscope, and the pilot ore
separation plants showed promising results
