The New York herald., 1878-10-22
homo from Paris and Is yet ignorant Of ths TACT thai
= decoration has been decreed 10 him.

nome from Paris, and Of The thai
= decoration has been decreed 10 him.
THOMAS A.. EDISON. INVENTOR.
Thomas Alva Edison. pn D. cheval,er Of the Legion
Telcgraphy. Of the Carbon Telephone. tho Phone
graph. the Tasimster and Ees,rie Light ap-
Erie county. OHIO, May II. Is47. He began lie
ms . newsboy on train, after which he
he soon manifested extraordinary aptitude, becoming
after brief time one OF the most expert operators
the country His Srsa. genius mrs. developed ITSELF
OPERATOR and consisted IN an inRsnious contrivancs
by which no succeeded in making the dispatches
como fast or slow as the fancy seized him. His
INGENUITY, however, was not appreciated and
he directed BY bis supsr'ors to oesse msadlnx
with the wires. Soon afterward he went TO Bostou
as operator, and in Tho odd hours snsiched from
his daily work he planned and plotted IN lt,ls room
lathe, few broken relays three or four pounds Of
wire, dozen coils OF battery and numerous odds
sno ,nvn "a n1n,ng ,ae.,.nn nm, hs
labors were regarded bv his fellow teegraphers With
derisive laughter. but notwthstand'ng ne followed
soon after with other equally vaiusbc electrical In
vcntions Hc was otcntimes at this period In real
distress for means OF susennncs iow Of MIA asso-
cate operators at this time recognized Ia the young
enthusiast the germs Of the genius that has rince as
tonishcd tho world, but tho electricians who watched
HIS progress skeptcay called him crszv vouns msa
who would do better to spend his money for clothing
than machinery. During this period the young M
a most diligsnt student. charsotosistte
VIII ch SIN distinguishes him. Every scientific book
which ne could borrow or buy was eagerly read by
him. and Indifferent 70 sncsrs and ridcule. he con-
tlnuod bis work study and Invention. From boston
no removed TO Newark, N. j.. where no opened .
modest telegraph instrument mandatory Here his
roai career as an inventor began. Invonon after
vention camo from hts brain. Aterward he
moved to MEMO Park ana erected large
his work OF Invention and discovery. In
character Mr.. Edison ~ modest and unaseumlnE; 10
appearance he is OF medium height and build, with
black hair siivcry ticgcd. piercing oycs prominent
features and countenance OF Impressive power HIS
latter great iuventens have been SO fully described
In the HERALD that Expedition At this time would %
n -,n~u.~,~~
Cyrus hall Mccormick. officer OF the Legion OF
Honor 10 the well known inventor OF tho Mccormick
Legion Of Honor Tor his exhibit a. The Paris Exposition
OF 1867 Hc was born at Walnut Grove, Rockbridge
isss ana az Chicago ia is47 inventive talent Is nero
drtary In hts family. his father having Invented
rsapns mach,n: ~ 1915 Mr.. Mecor%,ca i0ysnsed
made large fortune by this Invention. He en-
dowed tho Presbyterian Theological Seminary Of the
Northwest In 1850 and subsequently, endowed .
profcssorsh,p at tho Washinaton ana Lee University
~ Lexington Va. IN his native county.
THE ''HoNoR" DESCRIBED.
Tho Order OF the Legion OF Honor was instituted By
Napoleon BonapaYte in 1902, oct or TO the old
ders which were bestowed BY tho French kin9s %
tho nobility, and may bs said to have, for time as
least, created nobility Conferred At nrst only
on soldiers who had distinguished themselves on
the aold Of battle, or on men Who had
tics, Il soon began to be abused, and was
made powerful engine OF political corruption. Oa
II 70 some oxcnt lost ITS character and
became the but Tor ridicule on the part of men Of
spirit and Independence OF all shades Of political
opinion. II abolished more than 0noe and has
Deen frequently amended, but Il has been found i'm.
possible 10 permanently do away with 4. sucn IL the
anxiety OF Frepchmen to wear oadges OF distinction.
il may also said tna whatever abuses my have
been, the number OF mon djsn guished 10 war. poii-
have shed iussre upon i, which cannot be saaosd By
Parliamentary enactmentA The Government OF Ma
touai Defence suppressed In 1870, ns tar as civil
Lar mad and hA m m mi n n
months later burned down tho palace OF the order,
but Franco would not do without ~ and new Law
passed 1872 revising as statutes and iutroduc.
Ing some necessary reforms For instance, Il wae
decrscd that the government should not have the
power 70 decorate members of either hoasss Of the
Legislature while they held their seats and that, wsh
a vsw 10 reducing The number OF members, only i've
ces that occurred curing the next twenty A.
the time this law was introduced subscriptions was
General vinoy, to rebuild tue palace, b.,ld.
ing soon arose out OF iands collected entirely from
members Of the eLeson. Legion.
IRE PRESENT LEGION.
the Legion OF Honor at present contains about one
hundred Thousand msmosrs & the majority OF wSon
como thc officers. then tho commanders. then the
grand officers and lastly the grand crosses 10
bon oonfers . pension varying betvssn $50 for
knghs and 600 for grand crosses, ou. civilians ees
they are bound 10 pay fees. Toe knisni's lss,rn,s
are red ribbon .. the bustonhoie when he 10 -
he s 10 uniorm; tho oficer wears . rosetts when -
mutt and gold mounted GROSS In uniform, and
u should be added that the ofncsr's fosstte 10
worn By members OF all the superior grades vhsn
In morning drsss In evening dress or Uniform,
however, tho commanders wear rod collar with Q
cross pendent; the grand officers sport COLLAR with
Q star the LEFT breast. and the grand crossoa
wear o lsrgsr star and . broad MORE red ribbon
across The breast. To o6ncers Of the army ane
navy the 10 generally given as u matter ei
right after twenty years OF good conduct aad
90 10 10 certain members Of the owl service, such
oonsuis, sub-prefsots, public prosecutors. &c The
private soldier who gets it must have deserved y
many times over, and tho dozen ladies who have 70
are herotnes indeed. Artists, authors, invcnsosa
and men Of genius generally may be dsces
OF the Cabinet hinis.err who make out . iis0
twice thrice . year, ana are generally happy
oncugh have the honor OF recon mendiag s'celsbr~
ties" No one can wear tbs decoration who has beeo
In trouble with courts and whose antscedento
are not, ally ~ least, irreproach able; -
that In some sense the ribbon may be accepted .
certificate Of honesty ~ well as merit