Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1878-05-23
A FOOD CREATOR.
EDISON INvENTs MACHINE THAT WILL
FEED THE HUMAN RACE.

| What were we eating? This wa
the puzzle. There were severa
dishes. One was a solid looking like
head-chease, but tasting like wood.
cock or some very delicate game. II
was easily cut with a knife. Ther
there were soda biscuit with butter
and honey. Coffee, too; or at least
warm beverage that looked like
coffee, but had delicious aroma,
different from anything L had ever
Iseen. The additional Gish was a sort
of Bavarian gelatine with cream and
ounce jelly poured over it-a flavor
Gus dish. l inquired what had been
set before us, but tae Professor
laughed and, hoping 1 would accept
his assurance that it was harmless,
said he must leave the explanation
to Edison. He told me some Incl
dents of the inventors life, which
show that he is quite as remarkable
g his machine.
Presently Edison came in with. a
hurried stride and very breezy
air. (He always goes up stairs two
steps at a time.) Apolosizing fer his
absence, he asked Professor Johnson
to telephone to Albany that the
phonograph would not be ready till
Wednesday night. The latter then
left the room and we Were alone. Edi-
son took hasty molsel, and lifting
up piece of the gamy substance on
a fork, asked: ''Do you know what
this is? Receiving negative answer,
he continued:
''The Graphic has been very gen.
erous in its descriptions ard illustra-
tions ofmy work. l am going to
tell you something. L have a big
secret. To-day l have got the receipt
for my caveats from Washington, and
may safely tell about it. L believe l
have struck the biggest invention of
the age. What do you suppose it
is!''
"The phonograph,' l said.
"Oh no, something new," he re-
piled.
Perpetual notion" L suggested.
''No," he answered, "a perpetual
motion that's good for anything as
a propelling powers is, 1 believe, i'm
possible. L have hit on something
much greater than that. This food"
This food?"
"Yes-I made all these samples
out of the dirt taken away from the
cellar and the water that runs through
these pipes. / can make tons in the
same way. The process is very
cheap. And it is capable of infinite
variety"
l was dumb with awe as the possi-
bilities of the new invention unfolded
before me.
81 believe--in fact, I know" said
he, rising and walking hurriedly |
around the room and tapping the
partition and furniture with his fin
gers, as is his curious habit, "that in
ten years my machine will be used to
provide the tables of the civilized |
world. Meat will no longer be kill
ed and vegetables no longer grown,
except by savages, for my method
will be so much cheaper"
''What will become of the farmers,
Mr.. Edison?"
''They will not need to drudge as
hey now do. The days of hard
work are over. They can study and
enjoy life.'
"But how will they support them
selves?'
''You forgot that men work chiefly
10 obtain food. When food costs
2'em next to nothing, they will need
to work only for shelter, clothes and
IuXuries.'
''This food making is done by ma
Can see the machine" 2"
EYES," said he, "but do not ask
me any questions about it. I am
applying for several additional pat
ents and am not ready for a full dis
closure"
He led me down pair of stairs
into light basement-room where a |
swarthy looking man was busy about
a big machine-an iron vessel holding
about a barrel, attached to something
that looked like g hydraulic ram. The
shelves were lined with chemicals. |
There was a small battery in the cor
ner from which one wire went to the |
vat. A kerosene lamp burned sort
of retort. That and four crooked |
pipes were all that were visible. ssHow |
is it now?" aked Edison. 'sAbout
3d." said the man. That was all.
We returned TO the room above.
81 shall simplify that machine one
half" he remarked; yet with that
can turn out at least five tons of food
of various kinds every day! 1 have
made eighteen kinds ofI
food" 1
II would like to know more about
it."
Eyes; l will tell you some things.
All of our food comes primarily
from the earth. The plants and
fruits we eat come from the moist
n II