The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-06-26
EDrsoN,s FREAKS.
somewhat Peculiar TO the Square Inch
Strange vagerfes OF the Great In


Strange vagsries OF the Great In
ventor.
New York Correspondence Chicago Trfbuue.I
He is a strange chap, this Edison. He has
more peculiarities to the square inch, be-
lleve, than any man in America Indeed
limited although varied, experience with
the great people of the country has led me to
think that eccentrIclties are among the priv
ileges of eminence. Few men allow them
selves to act like lunatics until they can af-
ford 70 do it, with the knowledge that their
idiosyDcracies will be forgiven by discrim-
mating public. Let man become success
full, and he either lets his hair grow long and
tucks his pantaloons into mis- boots, or does
some other thing which makes people stare
and wonder if he is wholly sane.
One of Edison's strange ideas is, that
man doesn't need to sleep. Probably he
hasn't enjoyed proper amount of rest at
any one time for three years His brain
goes like q saw-mill, all the time and he
says he has no time to sleep. He expert
ments and works day and night without
cessation. When bedtime comes. Edison
is as oblivious Of the fact as one side of the
present Potter congress is of the existence of
Mr.. Cronin, from Oregon. The great inven-
tor digs away at his work until nature is
completely exhausted, and then he tumbles
into bed for two or three hours of sleep.
This may be at morning, noon. or night,
just as the fit of WEAKNESS seizes him. Not
one man In ten could do it and live. But
Edison has a constitution like the zone
boss shay" of popular legend, and be don't
break down. He is wonderfully tenacious.
alike of health and ideas. A friend who
knows him intimately tells me that, when
Edison once gets it into his head that a GER
tain thing can be done, he is going to DEM
onstrate the fact, though the heavens fall.
II he had made failure of life, we should
have said this was mere mulishness But
as he is success, We may as well call it
great perseverance. There is, after all.
vast difference between tweedle-dum and
tweedle-dee.
The father of the phonograph has also
some fancy notions about eating. When he
is wrapped in one of his deep problems of
invention, he don't have any time 70 devote
to the consumption of food. Consequently
as he is almost always meditating some
scheme which is to revolutionize science he
is rarely seen at the family table. And if 1t
wasn't for his wife, Edison would either
have to masticate his models or go hungry.
| don't mean that it is his custom to eat her
bless you, no. But she has an eye to his
comfort, and so goes through his shop four
or i've times day, leaving bits of pie, slices
of meat, plates OF fruit and other estables
scattered about in profusion, where he can
PICK them up at any moment without
interfering with Ehis work. She probably
OOOk ner 1Oea from strauss, tue W8ltZ-
writer, who has piano in every room in his
house, so as to be able to sit down at any mo-
ment and tackle a fresh composition when
ever the inspiration is upon him. And SO
Mrs. Edison goes about the house leaving be-
hind her trail OF doughnuts, ginger snaps
and miscellaneous forage, like the wake of
sound steamboat
But that isn't Edison's only unique point
with regard to estables. He won't partake
twice of the same variety of food, IL he
knows 1t, which seems to suggest that he
would not be profitable boarder at place
where hash was an item of regular recur-
renee on the bill of fare. Somebody once
told him that q constant change In the arti-
cles of his diet would be found conducive to
the growth and fertility of hisintellect, where
upon Edison determined never to eat the
same kind OF food twice. He still perseveres
in this sort of thing. and has gone pretty
nearly through the whole list of consumable
vctuals.
At fashionable dinner party the other
night Edison was the guest of the evening.
He cast his eyes over the table. and after
taking in" all there was to be seen, he con-
fined himself to an extremely sparing in
diligence of his appetite. The hostess urged
him to eat with greater heartiness, but he
refused every d SD, until finally he was Of
fered some strawberry shortcake.
"Ah, he exclaimed, i have never eaten
dUN VI budt anu II lOu PlCdcC, Il Will
make my supper of il exclusively"
And he did. II he could invent some sort
of a life sustaining apparatus which would
do away with the necessity of other nour-
ishment, presume he would be as happy as
the proverbial clam at high tide.
Like nearly all inventors. Edison is I'M
mercepary. His heart is in his work, and
his great delight is in being sufficiently in
dependent to pursue his studies untram-
meled by worldly necessities. No better
example of his thoughtlessness in money
matters can be afforded than the manner in
which he disposed of the photograph for q
certain period. James Redpsth bought the
exclusive right to manufacture and sell, or
exhibit the machine until October /. for
$4,000. The sum is large one, but, when
compared with the profit which Redpath
Is making it falls into Insignifcance.
The original plan of the company was
to make the instruments and put them on
the market for all buyers. Then the idea
underwent a radical change, and it was de-
termIned to rent monographs to different
people for purposes OF exhibition. Regular
territories are disposed of, just as the author
of play sells the right OF production in
Chicago to Mr.. McSicker, or in st. Louis to
Mr. Norton. The man who buys phono-
graph privilege pays. 500 down for the
machine. Then he is obliged to deposit
$500 bond for the safe return of the instru-
Beyond that he is mulcted twenty-five per
cent. of the gross receipts of his exhibition.
The profits of the company are enormous.
and the rates they exact are exorbitant-
There is no risk for them, while the exhib-
itor takes all the chances. Thus in Baltimore
or Philadelphis, where the receipts may be
$1,000 or $1,000 month, the company gets~
s.. 200 to 81 500 clear, while the. exhibitor
pays out of the balance the hall rents, adver-
Using bills, salaries of assistants and other
expenses. The photograph company have
sold the right to show the machine in every
part of the Union excepting South Carolina,
and agents have started 10 England, France
and Australia. They have disposed of about
200 machines, thus doubling their first IN
vestment and are receiving heavy dividends I
from each instrument disposed of.
So, you see, If Edison had been inclined
to make money out OF his invention, he
could have obtained $4,000 br its use with
nearly as much ease as he secured one-hfth
of that amount. In this, as in a great many
branches of business, the nlsddlemen are the
ones who succeed best while the originator
and retailer are cut short But Edison Is