The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-10-19
At .RTenlo Park

Gle in Scribner for November, entitled IA
Night with Edison -, e. ~ -
In spite OF the fact that the motive OF his:
retreat to Menlo Park was in good part to
escape them, numerous visitors arrive. 1t
| is the mecca OF a continuous pilgrimage OF
| scientists, reporters for the journals, and
curiosity-hunters. Yesterday troop or
IT'S persons, brought by a gentleman VINO
had asked the privilege OF presenting few
friends; tomorrow special train o. visit
ors from Boston is announced. He receives
all afably, submitting himself ana his, IN
vcntions to be sazed at without reserve.
One. wonders, next to his photograph, at
his good humor.
.sStilI, shall blow up somebody yet" he
saws. laughing. ssIam considering the idea
OF fixing wire connecting with battery
that knocks over everybody that touches the,
gate"
double mouth.piece to 1t, and summons one
| or his assistants, while another places HIM
self at an organ in the corner. They sing
| in two parts "John Browns Body" AS
the sonorous music rises. aud fills the long,
apartment one gazes musingly, yet with
secret thrill. It Is like assisting at some
strange new rite-a martial chant OF rcloic-
ing in the greatness OF new era full OF sub
lime promise and the dissipation OF myste-
ries. -s.i i.,-i.'ttgsr y4!t,.-l -
It is at night that the great inventor is TO
be seen in his most CHARACTERISTIC aspect.
He has the habit,. acquired through the ne
| cessity of gaining solitude, OF doing then
his most important work. 1t is not till
midnight merely that it continues; it goes
Ion far into the small hours OF the morning.
Then more than ever does the business in
I fprorress, the discussions entered upon, the
l lspeculations, the newsrepoted, take an in
| spirinS character that gives the ordinary
matters OF life a cast o. puerilily t;is 4
question Of planets, OF splendid forces, OF
essential essences. One seems to be at
] point where a hand Is placed upon a lever
connecting With the very heart OF things:
The writer has had the privilege of spendI
ing one Of these nights Mt Menlo Park, and
cannot fail to look uponit as unique and
memorable 4 occasion. The combination
which is certain to come OF the three lnstru-
ments--the telephone, to transmit the mes
sage; the phonograph, to receive 1t; the
aerophone, to proclaim it aloud at any DIS
i tant time or place-is discussed We talk
about the microphone, which is to sound
what the microscope is to sight; about the
combination proposed by Dr.. Phpson OF the
phoncgraph and kinctoscope,. by which
Dhonographic image is to move and seem to
talk. The long building on the hill is sim
gular spot Of energy in the lonesome coun-
try sunk in repose. The crickets and tree
toads are chirpiDg in the thick darkness
outside. Within, the lamps burn steadily,
raising the temperature, and the machinery
plods on with a patient rumble. /
An apparatus in progress, OF immense i'm
portance-a device for resolving sound into
its constituent elements as light is anayzed
by prism-is brought out. A gentleman
of New York has already found philolosi-
cal use for the phonograph in proposing to
preserve with it Indian dialects, like those
ready TO disappear with this generation.
But this sound. prism, to call it so, il it can
be perfected, opens way for philology to
reduce to few simple formulas speech OF
eyery variety, and would render scheme
of universal language by no means chmeri
. cal. We sit down and watch the action o!
O carbon thermo-pile thermometer, calleC
the tasimeter, which detects one twenty
fourth-thousandth OF degree OF Fahrenheit
and Is capable Of yet greater delicacy. The
sansitiyeness Of the carbon, on which it Is
based, was discovered by accident while
experimenting with it for the telephone
Thus human progress avails itself Of new
discovery like ladder. 1t mounts anc
draws up its ladder after it and mount;
again.
We 60 to where the. preparation of these
carbon buttons is in progress. The maleria
is taken from lamp-chimneys, in which th(
wicks are trained to smoke as much as pos
sible, and is afterward solidifed by a power.
full pressure. The inventor, bending so
lieitously among dozen lurid lamps, rang
ed upon q brick fireplace overhung by o
canopy, with dark wreathes twisting abou,
his head, has for the moment ;wizard-like
air. One might imagine him engaged in con-
Ijuratiens, summoning occult powers to bis
aid But for the most part his air IS as far from
! wizard.fike as possible. AS the night goes
on his hair is more than ever tumbled over
his eyes, and bis appearance more noncha-
liant. It is much after midnight now: The
machinery below has ceased to rumble and
the tired hands have gone to their homes.
A hagty lunch has been sent up. We are
at the speetroscope. Suddenly telegraph
Instr rument begins to click. y The Inventor
strikes gretesque attitude, herring in
ONE hand and biscuit In. the other, and
wsSh voice a little muff1ed with a mouth
fnl sf both, translates aloud slowly the
sounds ineligible TO- him alone: s. London,
May, News OF death OF Lord John
Russell premature. John-Blanchard-
whose-failure-wa as-announeed yester.
day-has-suicided--( that was a bad
one, stceeeded)-in adjusting -bis affairs
and wills continue-in business"
A Iate moon has risen, and we pass out
upon the balcony. to which a tesscone is
fixed, and gaze-most inspiring exercise OF
all-at its white yermiculated sI'rface and the
full starry heavens. 1t is after IN the morn.
ing. The Others show fatigue, but the host
Is more animated than ever. It Is at this
time. in feyerish exalation arising from
tue long night yigils, that some OF llis best
inspirations come to him. y.
Mr.. Kearney, on his late visit TO Boston,
bad o reception composed in part OF eggs.
That's all those Bostenians care for expense.
Mr. Kearney not being hungry, the eggs
were simply thrown away. =. Bltato lsz-
press. 80. IS
q Do fish u X Certainly /; out in Colo.
sado Pixies Leak. - Forest and stream.