The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-01-29
MRS. wALToN's INvENTIoN.
The Woman Who Got Ahead of Edison
While He Rested.
New York SUM-


One day last June. Just after the news
papers had announced that Professor Edison
would tax vacation before completing the
task of discovering an antidote for the eleYat-
ed railway racket, q pleassnt-looking, gray
haired woman boarded a train at Fifty-nInth
street and made her way to the rear plat
form of the last car. There she stood while
the train was rafting along. On the pre-
vious day Edison had ridden en- the road
with a stick in his mouth. trying to learn
where the sound came from and how it could
be stopped.
After riding the length of the Metropoli-
tan Elevated railway, the smiling, grav-
haired woman returned to ner house at 63
West Twelfth street, and began whiting
out with penknife model of the struc-
ture on which the tracks are laid. Two
shingles, for which she had paid four cents,
furnished the timber, and a paper of pins
furnished the necessary bolts. In the cellar
of her house she set up her model, and ex-
perimented IN secret, behind the bolted
doors, with device of absorbing the sound
produced by the elevated railway trains.
Late in June she notified the patent
office of her intention to apply for letters
patent on a device of that kind, and on
the 31st of July a caveat was duly filed.
After dong this she went to Mr.. Beard with
her plan, and arrangements were made to
have the device tested on the Metropolitan
line, The result of the test was so favorable
$4,000, and agreed TO pay her a liberal roy
atty on sales of rights to other com panies.
The invention consists simply of boxing
the rails with sand and cotton, covered with
asphalt. At all times, except in very
cold weather the sound is very much dead
ened by this device, but when it is very cold
the effect is not nearly so favorable. The
woman who thus got ahead of Edison while
he was taking vacation is Mrs. Walton, of
So West Twelfth street. She has already re-
ceived 81 900 of the sum which the Metro
polital elevated railway company will pay
her for her patent.
This is not the frat time Mrs Walton has
brought forth an invention. She once in
vented an improved steam whistle, which
pleased her husband so much that he III
vited in friend to see 1t work, which
friend was so pleased with it that he at once
got it patented and cheated her out of her
right. Nor is the noise deadening device
Likely to be her last invention, for she fsnow
engaged on the model OF a Continuance
which, she says will be used in every house
in New York before the end of two years.
Mr.. S. Brisac, of 81 Fourth avenue, says
that the boxing device is his, and that the
Metropolitan company refuses TO pay him
for using it. Investigation dlscloses the
fact that he is one of ten different persons
who have applied for patents for substan-
tally the same invention. Each has been
officially informed at the patent Office that
his or her application interferes with the
others, and that the commissioner will re-
ceive evidence of priority. MIR Beard, who
has charge of the matter for the Metropoli-
tan, says that undoubtedly Mrs. Walton was
ahead of the rest in filing her papers. There
is likely to be considerable litigation before
the question can be legally settled.