Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-30
EdiSon.s Latest.
TIE PROMISED ELECTRIC LIGHT. MYSTERIOUS
FORCE-A NEW TELEPHONE.

FoRCE-A NEW TELEPHONE
Thomas A. Edison. the great inventor speak
calling on him at his laboratory nj MEMO park
said; "A few months ago took Il into my head
that could so Subdivide and economic cleo
tflclty as 10 cause IL 10 SuperSeic gas a.
cheaper and better flluminstoT. My expert
mentS confirmed the conjecture and told OF
them. The result was discounted. Gas stocks
went down. Now newspapers are shouting
tmpatiently for the light. as If it were a mere
bagatelle and could be instantly introduced.
But II takes time
we walked up stairs where his electric lamps
are ranged along work bench.
Il must invent not only the lamp and its con-
nectlons," he resumed. but a mag neto- genera
tor 10 create the electricity, or rather 10 con-
vert the power from the engine into electricity.
and meter TO measure the amount used for
when the consumer must pay. The meter il
nearly finished: the generator am at WORK NJ
now. had just got out OF bed when you came
IN, said Edison, looking at his watch 1T /,
MAJ, past hve now-'most breakfast tme,'
breakfast ttme-what on earth do Won
set.
That's what the boys call il, because it is
the first meal OF the working day laughed he
Then we have dinner at midnight-a good
old-faShioned cooked dinner. served lIp hot here
by patent caterer I've got, and We take supper
about six in the morning"
land you sleep all day."
50 YeS-till four O'Clock. Never slept so much
and so solid in my life. And-I anticipate your
next question: work nights in order To escape
from visitors.
where's the monographs"
Taking care OF itself. ComatoSe for the time
being. 1t is a child and will grow To be man
yet: but have bigger thing in hand and mus
finish ii to the temporary neglect OF all other
phones and graphs. BY the way" he resumed,
after pause, ..while we were eXperimenting
last night with the electric light | got some
more indications OF the presence of some subtle.
eNaSve force that could not call electricity OF
anything else with which we are acquainted"
'lS il Identical with that 'etheric force that
you thought you had hold OF two or three years
ago.
and rather think il is something new radi-
ant force, lying somewhere between light and
heat on one hand and magnetism and electricity
on the other"
I" How did ii manifest itSelf?"
Ion bringing magnet towards the electric
light, which was then radiating only heat, the
magnet became charged with this what-io-
dark
What makes you think 1t was not electricl-
ty?"
"Weu, there are several reasons. which would
be incomprehenSible to n0n-eXpery Here are
some points which viii be understood by cleo
81. II does not respond to any Of the physical
tests OF electricity, except the spark
90: 1t produces no perceptibe or denlOnstra-
o.e physiological effects like electricity, save on
the frog.
SO. It gives no evidence of polarity.
81. 1t passes through the air and other resist
anceS by large surface at the terminals even
IS. When connected with the earth or walls of
a room ii can yet be drawn Off from the CON
ductor.
Il don't know positively as this is anything
but some curious manifestation of electricity
under conditions not understood. but il acts
very much like a new force. IwiSh some ambi-
tlouS students would take hold of 1t and solve
the problem
'Well, Mr. Edison said The Graphic rising
10 go, lit is time for me TO quit work and time
for you 10 go 10 wOrk-cant you tell me some
thing that is new"'
''There is my new telephone said he point
ing to box half as large as a cigar box hang
ing to the partition. Il have discovered a new
substance which, if ] can successfully control
IL, VIII reY0lutionize the telephone system. |
can't tell you what the substance is; but IL ena-
bles me TO make telephone which Will easily
deliver voice that can be heard in any part or
the room in which ii terminates Ii is NOT ne
ceSSaTy to hold it to your at all: YOU hear IL
as you hear me, and ii delivers the voice with
out any diminutiOn OF volume. | have heard
whisper through ii often, and il viii deliver
whisper from here to New York-that is il will
II l can control the conditions which make this
substance responsive. Wait awhile and viii
show you what can be done in telephones"
And The Graphic bowed itself out and the
wizard pulled his hat over his eyes and went to
eat his breakfast