The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-29
EDISON'S INVENTIONS
What the Professor Has Been
Doing Recently.
THE SONOROUS VOLTAMETER
Renewal OF the Efforts to Stop the Ele-
waited Railroad Noise. 4.

hills and valleys In the distance. He evidently
deep In thought contrasting, perhaps the prosy re-
atty of megaphopes. aurophones, mscrophonss and
other extracts Of Greek with tho dreamy, misty ro
nance OF the past, whom, on q Mexican pony in the
wIds of the far West, he pursued the rugged
bualo or shot the festive elk The spproach OF the
HERALD man broke his revere. al Was just about to
go up stairs" said the young inventor, Frightening
up and picking up . ride that lay ~ hrs foe. 'wm
you como alongs"
The reporter followed and sson hs was IN the
midst OF tho quaint things of with
which their owner astonishing the world.
In one corner OF the laboratory the writer saw
sevon kerosene lamps smoking SO violently that hl
felt 1t a daly to inform the Professor.
s.Ha! hal hal no! ho!" shouted ono Of Edisonh
young men, "why We know they're smokin', Of
course We do. That's what make the carbon but
tons out Of We always let 'sm smoke"
.sYcs Edison, sthat Is the foundation Of the
sasimeter. We let the lamps smoke until the ohtm.
neys are black, then we scrape them and press the
SCOT into small button"
The reporter acknowledged the explanation but
could not help thinking whas q shock such sight
would give tidy housewife.
"Wnat have you invented that's real now, Mr..
Edison ?" asked the reporter "Somsthtng not elder
than few days" 20
THE sozoKors vonrAxsrHR. aa sa.
ssHave you seeu the sonorous volsameter yetp"
answered tho inventor.
The reporter admitted that tho voltamete.
yet outside the pale OF his scientific education,
and asked for light on the subject. 81
Mr.. Edison doned his hat and " dsxtsrous throw
landed It a table several feet away. Thsn he took
paper and pencil ana drew "Sonorous voitameser "
.srhere sue is" he exclaimed, joyfuliy, as he put
on the finishing touches to complex arrangement
nj W hattie rios. tubes tunnels.
aWhat il she good lori" inquired the reporter,
adopting the inventors metsphor and gazing on the
unintelligible combination.
"First class arrangements Tells the strength o.
telegraph batteries right dot. II makes you hear
their strength. This end OF the wire you makes
oxygen and this end hydrogen The bubbles rise and
mako noise, which Is magnihed By the funnel These
glass ubos indicate the intensity of tho current BY
degrees and the tunnel inlicates the same by sound
You take your watch and count tho number OF ticks
caused by the bubbles per second. Thus you know
how strong your battery is Just try Il some time"
The reporter promised that the first time ne found
q battery lying around without owner he would
clap on sonorous votameter and fnd out all aboutik
THOSE wEsrERyERs.
.srhat western country iss lreat country" said
Ed son his face beamng as he thought OF hts recent
vacation "Those scouts out there are wonderful TEL
lows. One Of them tracked occasion
distance OF eighty miles and al that he had to guide
him was tobacco juice" tInf
ssroeacco jaicei How in the world could tobacco
juice guide MANI"
al Rawlins, but had gone out hunting with
putty OF thirteen. .omo OF whom were old
that the message could NOT be delivered,
Ms pur whereabouts were unknown. Soon an
Tue scout travesd tor three days over the Widest
sort OF country, with nothing to guido MIN out the
uho war; ate q
lost trail and was Tor hours IN doubt, but he
again got IT, sharp follows, those soouts''
KDIsoX's GOLD DscovERER.''
"what is this ARRANGEMENT about you discovering
gold without dgging for IL"
gel up simple contrvance Tor ascertaining tho
quantity OF ore III any gwen place opce gold Is struck
Itisa very simple thing and Absolutely reliable"
"How do you douY" s+4
"Tne ore 10 surrounded by bed or bank Of con.
dae.ins material For instance IN the mines which
clay is indication Of the quantity OIL ore. When
gold Is struck thousands are often expended
VEN is comp ,eteiy exhausted. The contrivancs
l suggested enables shs miner 70 know whether or
not the ve,n is exhausted. 1 simply make ground
connection and a wire through q battery aud in-
strumest. Now, take the otncr emu Of the wire
clay or other conducting material surrounding
the ore. II the ciay bank 10 extensive the
e' BOZ area
poor connection Is formed BY adopting unit OF
measurement the area can DO 'oid almost 10 tho
Shave you anything else novel, Mr.. Edisonf'
BLESSING THE BLIND.
slave you the bind writing iukf Hold on.
pIi get somen said the Professor he reached to
hign sueif aud took from among score OF phias one
momso, ne wa. writing With ,Ss a"id on sheet
OF paper. the marks were grayish white In
about u minute alter he had flushed the writing,
strange say, began swell aud harden until II be
came elevated quite perceptiby above the paper.
Nov run your nngcr, over it ana iosl II you eau
trace the Ietters' sara tho sntor. The reporter
tin auished NY tho touch.
.srhe bind - continued Mr. Edison, care very ssnsi-
tive to tounh By ", itIng win Ips preparation they
comm unicate VITO each other, aud great ded OF
happiness aud menis' improvement u opened to them.
AIN uot yet, however, quite satisfied with the prsp
aralion. with 70 make the elevation more markod."
PROMISES suPPkgss THE NOISE
"What about the nose oil the elevated ROAD, MT.
Edison 2" said the reporisr .
"You know 1 was Obliged 10 start on With the
ius, as 6sssa The work Of invsst,sa.ins Inc noise
My assistant has made some experiments during my
absence, bu. now We wiz go 70 worx on = without
ssy ana before long W. nope 10 nave some s''a
.sOo you THINK II possible to dsadsn the sound more
II certainly DO" said the great inventor with
phasis.
ssnce with regard 70 the elevated roadf"
al was not altogether idlo,, answered the Profess
trains on The Uuon Paodo AND othor Of the Western
roads and made several experiments on shs bridges
aloag sucn roads,"
Al this juncture Mr. Grifno, the invent tors score
tary, called the writer's attent,on 70 largo parcn-
mont which he had recently received from Mexico
IL written In spanish and announced that the
.lfth degree" had been conferred upon Thomas A.
Edison Tor his valuable invenopa II was tho certn.
cate OF honor OF one OF the must prominent scisnsas
Institutions OF Mexico
THE STAR YNDKR
"Have you done anything further with tne tssh
meter, Mr.. Edison ~ asked the reporter.
"Not yet out ono OF the colleges has kindly tee.
dered the use OF their large Telescope and when
comes shall ex. erimcnt on Arcturus. believe thai
after a little while We will 10 able 10 locate z
good many stars and planets that are not
visible For insla noe, IL 10 not unlikely that there
arc within range some burnt out psnets which have
not enough heat TO emit light and thus disclose thcy
presence but still with enougn 10 be fslt and located
by tho inetcE
"But come" said the inventor, putting on bis hat
..lct us 20 into the field and shoot brought back
with me I'D TOP RHO, and I'll show you now TO shoot
antelope Il mean insulstors" So saying Edison lee
the way into the field back OF his laboratory, and,
placing a glass insuiator on n post, he paced
on a hundred yards ana hrsd, shattsring the glass.
The simple achievement seemed 70 awe him az much