River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-01-30
EDISON.


Yesterday Sun reporter met gentle
man well known in electrical science himself,
and possessed of intimate and lifelong
knowledge of Mr.. Edison, his abilities, and
his achievements, and capable of Judging
him fairly and dispassionately.
'Have you seen Edison lately2" asked the
Sun 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 a single point beyond
what has already been done by other men.
He has merely gathered together all that has
beer achieved by scientists and workers all
over the world, and in company with his as
sistants has been striving to put into prac-
tical operation the theories of other laborers
and the results of their investigations. In
this he has not succeeded up to date, and
there is not the least prospect that he will. !"
"Do you really think that?" said the Sun
reporter, knowing that the gentleman ad-
dressed was thoroughly versed man in
electrical science, and perfectly capable of
judging and feeling the Importance of such a
decision, from such source.
II know it," was the reply. "He is, to-
day, not one whit nearer a solution of the
problem than he was two months ago"
''But you know tnat the eyes of all the
world are on him now, and if he fails, he
will, as it were, go up in the public estima-
tom
'sThen it will be so up sure,'' was the
reply.
.'Do you not have faith in Edison,'' was
asked.
edison" responded the gentleman, sis o
vastly overrated man, and the newspaper
men in New York in search of sensations are
in the main responsible for it. No inventor
ever took out SO many patents of which SC
few were any better than worthless. He
has taken out about 800, and only about
twelve of them are practical and useful and
profitable. He is a hard worker, and his
success Of late is owing in great measure
to the conditions under which he labors. he
is at the head of an institution organized fol
the creation of inventions, so to speak. The
laboratory at Menlo Park is an invention
factory. and by receiving promptly from al
parts Of the world the latest and freshest
results of the labors of scientists and inyen
tors, combining and applying the same anc
! experimenting, Edison, assisted as he IS by
such genius as Bachelor and others, Is en-
titled to utilize the brains of all the inven
tors of the age, and produce results ahead o.
what any single person could do. The
telephone reproducing the human voict
through vibration of u diaphragm by means
of electricity, suggested the reproduction O
the voice through the vibration of ;
diaphragm by mechanical means. This wa
a suggestion that would occur to any studi
GUS person. Mr. Edison got at it in th'
simplest manner, and anticipated others b,
few days only. Any ingenious and thought
full man, with the telephone elucidated
could make a photograph. Mr.. Edison
planning and organizing and establishing
such an institution as the invention factor!
at Menlo Park, has shown more genius thar
be has exhibited in any of his many inven
tions in the line of the curious and prac
teal"
''But abont the electric light" urged on
reporter: ''that is the important point?"
''Well, Edison has been furnished by tn
New York Edison Electric Light compan.
with 100000 with which to prosecute hi
experiment IS. He has used, | think, abou
$3.50 of this money up to date, and ha
developed nothing but promises, and non
of them will be fulfilled. You can put
down that no great electric-l light revolution
is to come from Menlo Park for fifty years
at the present rate of progress in the matte
there. What is done there will depend, in
great measure, upon what is the result of al
the investigation and experimenting goini
on all over the world, all of which is prompt
ly reported to Edison"