The daily gazette., 1878-11-23
The ELECTRIC LIGHT.
Edison Denies that His Iuveu.
non a:se mbles Any Other.
All obstacles Overcome.
ONLY WAITING Fos A powppr,r, NV

"You are the eleventh reporter TODAY
that has made that observation were the
words, laughingly spoken by Professor
Edison, in his laboratory at Menlo Park.
to Herald reporter last evening. They
were called forth by the reporter saving.
as he seated himself in the chair profIered
by the inventor, 81 hear that the Patent
Examiner in Washington has rejected
your application for patent for the cleo
trio light How is t?'
81 don't believe it," said the inventor.
"It can't be true, else would have been
notifled by my Washington solicitor long
before this, and haven't heard from him
to that effect. Because" said the Pro-
lessor, after moments pause, .'my claim
is so distinct from any other ever made
in electric lights that the application
/ could not on any pretext be rejected;
and, again, l have applied for eight differ
ent patents to cover the invention. The
, rejection of one leave seven Others"
''But 1t is said that in 1S45 a Cincin-
natl inventor, J. w. Starr, applied for a
patent for exactly the same principles as
yours"
81 am familiar with the facts of that
matter" replied Mr.. Edison throwing his
hat on his desk and seating himself back
in his chair with an air of submission to
the interview. "In 1S45 Mr.. Starr did
make application for a patent for an cleo
trio light, but it was rejected on the
ground that the principle sought to be
patented was not new. Neither was it,
but my invention hasn't the faintest re-
semblance to it. Well, Mr.. Starr about
the same time applied through Edward
A. King for an English patent and OBJ
tanned one, but nothing ever came of
It,"
"Then you are not alarmed about re-
ceiving your United States patents 2" OBJ
served the reporter.
Alarmed" repeated the Professor
smiling, "why should be? know alb
solutely that my invention is new. Why
for the past two weeks L have had an
expert search ng the books of the Astor
Library, and making digest of all pat
ents and claims on the subject of electric
lights, and he has found nothing bearing
, the slightest resemblance TO mine. This
is outside of the usual examination, in
the Patent Office. Ifmy invention is not
new l don't want patent for it, but it is
new, and l know that it is, the patent
must be issued. On that point the law Is
, imperative. 1 can't be got around. No,
l have no fear-not the first parti :
; cle."
"But is there not just enough sim lari-
ty between your invention and some of
the other electric lights to invole dispute
and litigation "'
"No, sir. There is not the first trace of
+, connection. The patent will be granted
There is no danger"
Chow about the English patents
Have you heard from them ?"
"Yes, / have heard from England, and
the patents there all right but come, u
said the Professor, rising. "1et's go up
; stairs, l was just showing the light to
n ex-,Judge Curtis. He is it looking at II
now :" and in an instant the Professor
Q was bounding up the stairs two steps at
Q time, like schoolboy on his first day
of vacation.
/. VIEWING THE TIGHT.
A dozen gas jets lighted up the sa nc
tum of the great inventor, revealing tele
a phones, megaphones, monographs, bat
teries, chemicals and The scores of other
scientific appliances VIII ich strewed tn
: walls, table and floor.
!. "Heres the light at one ca ndle power,
y said Professor Edison, seating himself b,
a the side of Judge Curtis as bench in the
u centre of the laboratory, and pointing u
a diminutlve looking Instrument whicl
was emitting pure white light, compar
.J
appeared tinted with yellow. 81 wa
j.. Just showing 1t TO the judge" continued
1 Mr.. Edison. "Here you can see the dill
ference between the old and the ne y
Now will send the current through thi
strip and in few moments the heat wi
break It," The experiment proved thu
accuracy of the statement. The strip ra
dated light for about a quarter of a min
= ute and then snapped In twain. "Now
] apply the invention. Note the differ
ence," continued the inventor In "a me
:, ment the light again appeared, steady
IL white, uniform, and continued withou
ID fiuctuation until at the expiration c
about half an hour the Professor turned
ID off the electricity in order to xplain T.
his friend the particular charac teristic
r of the hight.
SCIENTISTS VIEWS.
ID A running conversation ensued, |
which were discussed number of th
ID objections made by scientific men wit
d regard to light. In handling them Mr.. Ed
son displayed a wonderfully retentiv
memory in midute details. He took IL
seriatim nearly all the objections refer
ed to and showed their inaccuracy,so "a
AZ they bore upon the electric hgh
of Speaking of the assertions made by som
er scientists that the electric nght as su
n. stitute for gas was out OF the question III
inventor pointed to a copy of receI
lecture delivered by Professor Barker, I
in the University of Pennsylvania. In I'll
same was the following passage -
= hoped to be able to exhibit the famo'
light, but l am informed by Profess'
Edison that advices from his London s
Hcitors prevent him making his inve
. ton public for twenty days yet, and
~: therefore have to wait; but within
week | have visited Menlo Park, al
after a thorough examination of M
Ddison's discovery, ! can say that Il
ey problem has been solved, and that M
mt Edison can place on every gas bracH
IN and on every chandelier burners whit
will give brilliant white light, sA
pleasant, beautiful, and at about ON
il, third the cost now charged for gas. III
,G practicebility of the scheme is beyor
'n' question"
GETTING READY.
The large eighty-horse power enRln
= now in process of erection in the ne
machine shop being built in the rear
. the laboratory, seems to be the ma
thing needed by the Professor prepa,r,
!. tory to making his lnvenuon puoll
;Ys With his present engine he can supp
only a limited quantity of electrlcit
a. Al NNnN