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Illness, Was Edison, Recovering From on of Locomotive Work Career by Inspiration Watching
Orange, Alva Edison, whose come with world progand whose more than thousand inventions have given safety, comfort to lions, born Milan, Ohio, February 1847, the son Samuel Nancy not especially brilliant in school and in his words "usually the foot of the class." One teacher went to call him After at school his mother decided teach him home. sult, before was 12, had made digest intellectual fare Gibbon's "Decline and Empire," Sear's tory of the "Dictionary and Burton's "Anatomy Edison first became interested at eight he diswhat Next he became by after trying an experiment described in text book. order to buy for gradually laboratory negotiated franchise from Grand Trunk Railway to sell papers, and candy on Port Huron Detroit line. Laboratory Baggage Car Finding difficult to pursue his trade chemical experiments same time, the youthful "candy butcher", without discussing matter of rent with the department, coolly set up laboratory in baggage The young "squatter" tacitly permitted conduct his experiments until one day jerk the train shook tube of phosphorus from rack baggage This annoyed the baggageman end, and he promptcuffed Edison's ears, an act which early say resulted partial deafness. Shortly thereafter Edison took journalism career. He handpress in the baggage Grand Trunk express and the Grand Trunk Herald, the only known have been and published the train. He this of abandoned venture, however, after man threw him into the St. Clair River because of an item. Fate then guided Edison into rescued child station master from under of train, and the father, in gratitude, gave Edison opportunity study telegraphy in the station When he had become proficient telegrapher he was made station agent at Port Huron. First Invention he spent of the night used sleep on his job good part the time. Caught napping times, was instructed signal the letter once every hour to another station to awake. This order led Edison his first invention. devised an apparatus which clicked the letter on the hour. The invention until he was caught sleeping, when After working as along the New 1869, without friends money. Three or four days after his rival, on Sept. 24, the stock market collapsed. Panic day became historic Wall Street Black On that day, in more recent times, the stock ticker an hour behind the market. Edison examined the apparatus and decided he could vastly improve Perfected Stock Ticker He perfected ticker within three months and took to Marshall Lefferts, president the Western Union, determined to ask much $5,000 for ready accept $3,000 if were offered. Lefferts tested the ticker and found more than satisfactory. Then Edison's amazement, Lefferts asked if he would accept $40,000. Thus happily situated, Edison settled down improving existinventions and developing ideas which he had fostered for years. perfected invention which the of four messages the same wire, two in each Edihelped Alexander Graham Bell make the telephone more efficient and his sound amplifier which was the forerunner of the modern With the money realized from his went to Menlo Park, in 1870, old building, about corps and assistants, and developed that was unequalled in its day. here that Edison and realized his hope to one day bottle the electric light. his first years at Menlo Park, Edison his terest in the science of sound. toy, built purely to amuse his sistants, him to invent the phonograph. toy figure man which he paper in motion by into funnel. Edison noticed that the man moved fast slow, paper cording to force of the voice. He decided then imprison vibrations of the voice duce them. He months and then one day in 1878 Edison decided put test. Mary First Word while John Kruesi, an old German and one of Edison's favorite workmen, watched interestedly but frankly skeptical, the inventor started tin-foil covered cylinder placed needle on and then shouted through the norn: first word his of poetry "Mary Had Little John shook his head doubtfully. Once again Edison put cylinder motion. placed the needle and there issued from the faintly, the word "Mary" in Edison's voice. "Mein Gott Himmel!" claimed the old many months later John's words echoed by the world. The
"Wizard of Menlo the three Thomas Alva, hailed him. Some William Leslie and Marion press and public smiled. Edi- He married two years later scientists, however, intimated, plain the present Mrs. the son, they was It impossible, they former Miss Mila Miller. There charlatan. sounds and three children this argued, to preserve Charles, Madeline and Theodore. produce them. They changed Charles today actual head their minds very time Edison the Edison plant West Orange. was about this became interested light. The inventor came to the conclusion that illumination in the latter part the 19th century had made little since the Stone age. There kerosene lamps and home gaslight, but in his opinion they TO BANKS little better than the fagots the cave man the tallow and wax candles medival times. Bottling Electricity Saturday 'Run' Last Only The idea bottling electricity for purposes chal- Few Hours as Crowds lenged Edison. Gathering some of Convinced of Safety his most workmen around him, Edison explained his hopescreate an electric light that would burn indefinitely within DEPOSITS HOLD STEADY glass bulb. And they set out to what ocienOmaha, Aug. 17 had declared was that the national banks here Finally, October 21, after sound, many of their spending and after persondepositors who drew out their ally more than ings in the Saturday tests of materials in his reappeared deposit quest for windows today to renew their ment, the now counts. The three big met banks kept open until He had in carurday and paid off demand. bonizing length of cotton The their thread, which, when placed soundness was convincing that glass burned further runs feared by bank hours officers. As thousands of spurred by this im milled about the banks, officers proved the lamp that became among them and there was plenty of money But Edison was by means to pay off every claim. When through after his arduous months found that many of them had of experimentation. There rebeen in line for more than an hour, mained the problem of furnishing Dale Clark Omaha power tional, become general. lemonade cake passed that existing round. vastly He set to work Three million dollars was sent in on this project and in 1882, by from the Kansas City Edison witnessed the final consumfederal bank, the airship of his dream when the with money before central power station opened c'clock. The additional funds in New City. Edison made not Two years to make that brief excursion into the field the banks here would in response to meet Gordon Bennett's offer $1,000 No of the amount withprize flying He rocket was today. Most worked along principle inventor the accounts small ones. Officers of Omaha National, vised an machine, equipFirst National and National ped with cylinder in which announced that not one large glycerine soaked reels of tickeraccount was closed. tape and exploded by The run began earnest at noon. spark. machine managed few feet above the ground practically over and first and then exploded. only the usual number of customers were Edison's hair and and turns at the cashier windows. The singed workman nearly usual number of accounts killed. opened bank officials Argument Leads to Movie Camera nounced, and regular An argument horses first about with the led Edison contrive the ordinary Saturday business. successful motion picture Governor Leland Stanford of California in order to prove his contention that running horse :anded all four feet on the ground simulhad up 40 snaphorse Stanford right. Euison the photographs and decided to reproduce the human figure In 1891 Edison Aug. finally workable machine fluttering home At first he strongly opposed greet Col. and Charles projecting the Lindbergh they of argued favor of the na beria Japan, probably Tuesday chine because was his opinion morning the could not nore The shrill voices of 5,000 than half dozen motion picture children be raised cries theaters with screen. "Banzai! The outbreak the world war mingle with the roar stirred anew the black and genius. Finding to which bearing flying tain carbolic for his own from Tokio. discovered way to make The entire population of the States entered welcome When United officials will out the Edison, moved by patrilaunch couple worked Japan and the will time in his life. One than any towed the shore after another devices his the will could against the country the welcome. The came from his laboratory Naval taken under especially became head Board and directed Consulting Japanese band. playing Ameriwork producing many of anthems, will plements war. After war he rubber Dignitaries will take the two the mysteries producing Nibiki where reception will from weeds recent held. devoted most his time The plane will immediately perimenting Florida. and placed under guard his hope develop cheap the Young Men's association of practical rubber could on American that grown should be another war The reception. according to there rubber will plans, will the this country's supply be imperiled. most affair Nemuro has Edison married twice. his snce the wife dying 1884, Emperor
