New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-02
QUADRCPLEX TELEGRAPHiNG.

EDISONS VALUABLE INVENTIONS.
THE SUIT BETWEEN THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC AND
THE WESTERN UNION COMPANIES FOR THEIR
POSSESSION.
An important suit involving the possession
Of valuable telegraphc patent rights, has occupied Tor
two months most Of the time Of Judge sanford, In the
Superior Court, and has been submitted Tor de
csion. The chief invention the title 20 which in dis
pute between the two telegraph companies that divide
the business 4 the country originated by Thomas
A. Edison about the year 1869, and brought 20 per-
lection by HIM in 1873. For many years scientific men
had been search OF method by which the capacity o.
wlre for the Transmission OF messages could be utilized
Some inventors had devoted their the
matte system, 10 H. called, by which machinery
poyed in the transmission and reception Of messages,
and the number transmitted given time is thereby
Increased Others had endeayored 70 perfect process
by which two messages could be transmitted 40 once
over the same wire. This at first called double
transmission. A. long ago n 1872 method had been
invented in Europe, by which two messages could be
transmitted In opposite directions AZ the same time over
a short circuit For many years this method of which
Ginu and Fischer the inventors. has been In
between Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Sir Charles Wheat
stone, m England. afterwards invented a mode Of
accomplishing the result These methods were im-
proved In this country, by Professors Farmer siearns
and Others and in ss2. this system received tue
\
the line, Of the Western Union Telegraph Company.
No one succeeded IN solving 5he difficult problem
Of transmitting two messages In the same direction on
line actual busine{s. until was solved Nv MI Edison
He conceived the ideaof employing two receiving horu
ments Of which should be affected ONLY by strong
current of electricity, while IL insausblc To weak
current Tie other Of these instruments s affected
only by change in the character Of the current
transmitted from positive TO negative and rice rersd
and is insensble increase decrease OF It's in
ensity In tins way each INSTRUMENT independent
OF the other AZ n t were different wire. In conuec
ton with the duplex system, this Invention makes II
possible transmit four messages NJ once The value
NJ the invention consists largely The fact that IL IL
new process OF method aud not mere improvement va
telrcraphc mechanism. II Is estimated I'D Dt worm
millions OF dollars. Prominent counsel have been en-
gagged 10 me SUIT MI LalTone lis COME lI"ii
Butler from Boston. M Meyers from Phacel hia
NevYorK Bar hav, united with tne-e gentlemen vim
the claims OF the Atlantic and Parnc Telegraph
Porter Mr.. D.ckerson, Mr. Lowrey. and Mr. Soren for
the western Union, and Judge Huntington Tor Mr.
BRIT statement OF the points Of the evidence VIII he
Of interest George Harrington, who was Assistant sec
afterwards cam. Minister Switz.raDt. returned to
th, country n 1862 convinced tnat tue eXis,lnS morse
n, - ie 6' II, A,t,In9t =. Ie,,rnl,v and
entered into PARTNERSHIP with Mr.. EdSop. who nhd be
slowed much attenti N e. the Dupe& Sistem' ana VINO
was known ~ the inventor OF the pflht instrument
used Dy the Gold and stock Company. Tbs partnership
w.. All enough i'm s scope O. III Jude all systeIs of
figr,,,v Tf first inventions under II related ~ the
Automatic system. TwOtrs Of these. nd Of al iutufe
Te.arapbv we're then ASSIGNED H. Mr. Harrington. who
uner The agreement. To have the sor uoNer to sell
tie Inventions Then Hr harrington, lth 1lr-sle L III
ana McNlauus OF Philadelphia, amt others formed tie
AIfo-ustc Iel.grauh Comptuy. aud built line from
~ York go Washington, WUicn BEGAN opcrttl rs dhiut
Jtuu1r, I-73 Meanwhile. Sir Edison resumed ais eXpe-
rimcuts vn the Duplex Sysieu, aud devised numerous
improvements upon the cXi~tug methods. lie als' IN
v,nled method which contained TIE essential features
NJ
20 the Western Union, and 100 tcpruirt $50, tooh inc
instruments belonging 20 the nrm of harrington y
Tdon 10 the op rating room the Western Union, aud
tes ed his EN- ions upon that Company wires. ht.
orion agreed Duy them should they prove valuable but
tie r,' az the experiments apparently not salts
factory 10 him. Edison sent Tor by the director or the
nsli>n PJ, Telegraph. O. give Information m REGARD 20
tne American Automatic system. lie Went 90 Europe ma
April and Oh uis return IN june removed ms MS
shop m Newark, aud TIA re brought the QuidIupcA
system perfection IL was seen and tested there III the
In the ring ~ 1874 Mr Ison entered into neg tia
tous with Mr. Prescott the Electrician of the IVES
Culoh WHci ie't''l ~ ~ ~ ., " t,,IT 49,,
ter 10 nave oue-iaii 81 the Inventions III DlpiN and
Quadrupcx already mentioned. aud wa 9" pay tue cx-
sell or use tue inventions without the consent OF Che
other allow them u DE used without such conseut
Western Union They proved a great success and have
been used by that company ever sine. Edison, with
PrescOts concurrence, made several oilers 10 sell me IN
yentioi- to tue Western Union None OF them were
accented. and in ID ccmbrr, 1874, Mr. Ortou went 10
tit h Was understood sale should De closed his
return. Mr. Edison d.uies tins aud the question OF fact
Harrington protested that l-on had no right To sci. 10
Prescott Western Union, aud that the iuyeu-
lions were applicable to Al Ouatic Icle-raphY, ana
really belont ed to the firm OF Harrington y Edison.
lie effected sale % the Atlantic ana racine
COMPANY " the Auto Iatic Line and Patents, AMI OF
Edl,ous inventions DuuieX and QIalrupiex Edison
appoin ed jay Gould lis Ar9nlsy 10 dispg.e OF Ill,
I'M crest in the same. On jam Try g. 1870, Goud
sold them 10 Mills for $4,000 Mills aiter-
wards conveyed TO the Atlantic and Pacific.
After HARRINGTON and Eolson had thus sold oht.
or rs Mr. orion expressed II, zone over 10 tue enemy
tie Western Union accepted EdisOns Ohcr. Nj. Orton
denies tnat Ae had any OF the agreement between
HARM -ou and ElsO and claims 10 ue pucha'rf III
God CItn on the other hand insisted that lie mad
ample notice. and BOUGHT at a venture.
iur WHO ease furnishes curious instance or an III
verou supposed az hrst 10 Of little value, suddenly
attaining great importance. There j. hIrdly scene ll
the annals discovery more striking than mat OF III
.ou waiting vaiuy in Mr. OrtOn's aucctnbor trying 10
sell AN invention which seems Ncly 10 revOiu lonzt
trIe.raphy 10 j. claimed by tie Atlantic and Pdcin'
COMPANY that this invention Will enable IL 10 qadIupe
every Morse and automatic circuit, by "hcb thcy VIII ne
able 10 o four the done al present over more
than oue-nalf their present working circuits.