Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-06
CLOSING UP CIRCUITS
Westinghouse and Edison are
Sure to Consolidate.
ONLY A QUESTION OF CASH.
A Case Before the U. S. Circuit Court
Will be Decided Saturday
ABOUT THE INCANDESCENT LAMP.
And Westinghouse Claims Priority on the
Sawyer-Man Patent.
ONLY QUESTION OF CASH.
ABOUT THE INCANDESCENT LAMP.
AN UNPRECEDENTED BUSINESS.

The consolidation of the Westinghouse
electric interests anc the Edison Compan,
now seems to be on the point of being an &C
complished fact. The wheel of fortune
which for so many years has been in tn,
hands of Mr.. Thomas Edison, ready to turf
in his direction at any moment, is suddenly
falling from his grasp, and is showering it
sparks upon Mr.. Westinghouse at every
turn of the axle. All the patent suits and
interference cases between the two great
American electric currents that have come
to public notice lately were evidences of alb.
solute defeat for one side or the other. The
decision of the Supreme Court in the Bate re.
frigerator case turned out to be an ad-
vantage to Westinghouse, and on next Sat
urday the last straw by which the existence
of the Edison Company is independently
suspended may be snapped to pieces.
The suit in question was brought by
Westinghouse as the owner of the Sawyer
Man patent on fbrous carbon which is now
used
Edison's included. 1t has been pending be-
fore the courts for several years, owing to
forced delays caused by the Edison Company.
Thomas Herr, ESQ.,, solicitor for Westing-
house, however returned from New York
yesterday, and stated to a reporter of this
paper that all the testimony had been taken
in the case by last Saturday, and that a
hearing had been set by the United States
Circuit Court to take place here on next
Saturday.
If the court decides-and Pittsburg cleo
trical men believe the great probability is
that such will be the case-that the fibrous
carbon patent belongs to Sawyer & Man
(now Westinghouse, then all the lamps
put up by Edison, 100000 in number are
infringements upon the Sawyer Man patent;
ergo, the Edison Company is gone, unless
the two consolidate.
A representative of this paper questioned
several of the highest officials of the West
inghouse company on the subject of con-
solidation yesterday afternoon. They were
all willing to talk, but not to be quoted by
name for publication. There was, however,
no necessity for a Bishop to read their
minds, for it was stamped upon their very
foreheads that they were expecting the sign
ing Of the last paper every day.
AN AWFUL COMPARISON.
To-day is the 5th of February, and we
have sold already over $4,000 lights this
month, - said one of them.
"That is a larger number OF lights than
the Edison company sold during the whole
of last year," said another.
1--WE have been advised by telegraph this
morning of an order for $4,000 lights, an
order equal to the London order; and so far
our orders for this month represent nearly
100000, an amount of business which is
unprecedented in the electric world This
was another statement of one of the West
inghouSe men.
But gentleman who was more dis
posed to talk than the rest of them said:
1.-The consolidation of the Edison and
Westinghouse companies is simply ques-
tion of dollars and cents now. Thev both
long ago realized that one is an absolute
necessity to the others absolute success.
Both know that they are both owning val
liable patents, and each of them is afraid
that the other might get the best of him."
This suit, however, which is to come up
next Saturday. may bring about the climax
in favor of Westinghouse, and if SO, Edi-
son will have to come to terms.