St. Landry democrat., 1879-09-27
EdisOn'S Triumph.
Am New York Tribune.

A certain society that used to send
out missionaries to India decided that
only married ones would answer the
purpose. On one occasion a bachelor
presented himself for the service, and
said he was ready to marry, if the So
cietv would provide wife. They is
sued q circular announcing that lady
was wanted as the wife Of Il missionary.
Within few days they were ovcrrun
with applicants, and i; mate tor the
missionary was quickly found. During
has Dut the efficacy of circulars to a
scyerer test, with equally good results
He wanted platinum. A rough calcula
tion had Convinced him that the entire
weld of that metal from all known
mines WAS not enough to supply this
city alone, il it WAS to be lighted by his
newly devised electric lamp. SO he
sent il circular to the proprietors of
several gold and silver mines in the
Rocky Mountain region, asking them,
to search for platinum. This was IL
new idea to them, and, indeed, to every
BODY. As a result, large quantities OF
the rare metal were found in various
localities. The gravel heap of q single
mine will, it is said, yield more Dlati
mum than all the rest OF the world does
now, Specimens from several Of the
new sources OF supply were exhibited
at Saratoga last week. 1t is easy to
be wise after the fact, and it was re-
membcred that Iridium is usually found
with California gold, and hence other
metals Of that class were likely to be
found i'll ASSOCIATION.
But there We're other surprises III
store. Very few of the MANY investlSa-
Tors who have studied the subject OF
electric lighting believed that the eX-
periInents at Menl0W Park would prove
important. Edison, it Was supposed,
had walked into Il cEl de sac, where
others had preceded him and found no
thoroughfare. A conslderable amount
of pity, both here and i'll England, Was
gone beyond his depth. Not having
been properly educated in early life, he
was ignorant, so they said, OF the prop
critics of matter. He was trying to OBJ
tain the electric light by incandesccnce.
POorfellow! Some ewell-infOrmed friend
ought to have apprised him of the
hoDelessness Of the attempt. Every
body knows, or ought to, that if you
connect the terminals OF a powerful
curreut by Il slender wire, that wire
will become hot and give out light.
hut everybody should also know that
when the wire gets hot enough to yield
plentv Of light it melts, and there Is all
end OF its brightness.
When it was currently reported that
Edison was experimenting with car
bon lamp, all the wiseacres raised their
eyebrows and said: Il told you so.
lie has found that the incaudescent
light is an ignis fatnus." What they
dfI not know was that Edison had dis
covered a property OF matter, and es-
necj3llv of platinum, hitherto unsus-
nccted. He examined with a mlcros-
e;rope the wire that had been nearly
melted, and found it penetrated with
fine cracks. These, he assumed, were
made by the rapid escape OF alr that
lad been imprisoned Ill the pores OF the
metal. 1t struck linn that II tbs alr
could be removed during a very slow
arocess OF heating, the metal might
not crack. The wire WAS put under the
receiver Of al air-pnmp, the ar was
exhausted, and the heat OF the wire
slowly raised, the experiment lasting
several hours. BY this operation he
obtained wire OF slngularly dense
metal, which would not melt or change
when heated to vivid "Reminiscences
'}nR lnSQtttIdDLE "Ho Wv ~ SoiA>
and Edisotl's electric light blazed out OF
the chaos OF uncertainty
All else that may yet oestruct the
oath OF this invention is only matter VI
detail. Doubtless there are mechanical
difficulties III registering the HOW OF
electricity, in the construction OF lamps,
and the like; but these can be managed
it they have not been already. AS d
specimen OF the ingenuity brought to
bear on the subject, there has been
{ devised method OF coating the wire
so that it can be used i'll spiral form
and the current cannot leap across the
threads OF the helix. BY such means
the light can be concentrated, and the
wire used be no thicker than the human
hair. Newspaper interviews have lat
terly brought this inventor into some
discredit. He has unbosomed himself
500 freely to reporters, and they have
hespattered him in print with praise
and prophecy. Electricity may never
be wholly substituted for street gas
and will not be, to any very great eA'
tent for several years. The lncandes-
cent light promises to take Its pla4c3e: IL
she front rank OF illuninators. Time
will develop its good and bad points
It should be cheaper, purers more con
ycnient. more wholesome, and less
dangerous as regards tire, than gas G!
oil. If these promises are fulfilled, LII
inventor will be a benetactor OF tDe
human race.