The New York herald., 1879-01-05
A SLAP AT EDISON.

CINCINNATI 'wIzARD" RIDICULEs EDISON AND
CALLS HIS ELECTRIC LIGHT FAILURE.
From the Cincinnati Sun, Jan. 81
Abroad mis- reputation is greater than at home.
Colonel Nick Anderson says that in England Edison
is looked upon being little shortof supernatural.
There is not in all the world who is to-day so
great hero and wonderful parsonage as the
shock headed. fannelshirted. tobacco chewing Ohio
boy, who made tho phonograph and invented
method of sending four separate dispatches
single wire at the same moment When the invention
of the Jabliko electric light announced. and even
after great halls and public squares brilliantly
lighted by it in London. gas stock in that city
not in the least disturbed; but mere rumor flashed
along the wire under 5000 miles Of ocean that
EdisoL the awkward young man. located in
quito fiat in New Jersey. had solved the great prob
lem. created an immediate panic in gas stock such
never experienced before, and stock went down
to figures never previously reached. One gentleman
in week lost in gas stock, ON this report about
Edison. f3O.OOO But week after week went by
and nothing but promises and interviews and hints
of great things to come received from Menlo
Park the panic subsidized gas stock went up again. and
Edison stock sunk correspondingly low. At pres
ent while there Is confident feeling among the
people that finally the problem will be satisfactorily
solved. and electricity as an illuminator will
has been gradually and naturally growing feeinr 81
distrust in Mr.. Edison and suspicion that perhaps
he is only mortal after ALL although up to within
looked upon ssacregious. Such is the Of feel
ing at present toward Mr.. Edison; one of great ad
miration of enthusiastic regard and great expecta-
tation, but of gradually deepening distrust when ex
pectatons have been almost limitless. Yesterday .
Sun reporter met gentleman well known in electri.
lifelong knowledge OF Mr.. Edison, his abilities and
his achievements. and capable of judging him fairly
Have you Edison lately?" asked the San man.
"Oh. yes. was the reply. within few days!'
"How is he coming on with the electric light?'
''He isn't coming on at all. was the reply. ''He
has not made single point beyond what has already
together all that has been achieved by scientists and
workers all the world, and In company with his
assistants has been striving to put into practical op
Grafton the theories of other aborers and the results
of their Investigations In this he has not succeeded
up date and there is not the least prospect that he
Will"
'.Do you really think that?" said the Sun reporter
knowing that the gentleman he addressed was thor
oughly verscd in electrical science and perfectly
capable of judging and feeling the Importance of such
q decision from such source.
II know it, was the reply. ''He is to-day not
whit nearer solution OF the problem than he
was two months ago."
but you know that the eyes of all the world are
him now, and il he fails he will. It were, 40
up, in the public estimation"
"rhen 1t will be go up, sure? was the reply.
DO you not have faith in Edison" was asked.
edison" responded the gentleman. ITS . vastly
overrated man. and the newspaper men OF New York
in search of sensations in the main responsible
for 1t. No inventor ever took out many patents
of which so few any better than worthless. He
has taken out about three hundred and only about
twelve of them practical and useful and profitable
He is hard worker and his OF late is owing
in great measure to the conditions under which he
labors. He s at the head of institution organ zed
for the creation of inventions, as to speak. The
laboratory at Meno Park in invention factory. and
by receiving promptly from all parts of the world
the latest and freshest results of the labors Of
scientists and inventors combining and applying
the and experimenting, Edison. assisted he is
by such genius Bachelor and others. is enabled
utilize the brains of all the inventors OF the aQc
and produce results ahead of what any single person
could do The telephone reproducing the human
voice through vibration OF diaphragm, by means Of
electricity, suggested the reproduction of the voice
means. This was suggestion that would occur to
any studious person. Mr.. Edison got At ii In tho
plest manner and anticipated others by few
days only. Any ingenious and thoughtful man, with
the telephone elucidated, could make phonograph.
Mr. Edison. planning and organizing and establishing
such institution the invention factory Meno
Park, has shown more genius than he has hibited
in any OF his many Inventions In tho limo of tho
curious and practical"
'But about the electric 1ighY urged our reporter:
''that Is the important point"
"wcll. Edison has been furnished by the New York
Edison Electric Light Company with 500 900 with
which to prosecute his experiments. He has used.
think, about $76,0O0 of this money up to date and
has developed nothing but promises and none Of
them will bo fulfilled. You put il down that no
great electric light revolution IL to come from
Mcnlo Park for fifty years, at the present rate OF
progress in the matter there. What is done then will
depend in great measure upon what is the result
of all the investigation and experimenting going on
all over the world all OF which is promptly reported
to Edison