The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-13
EDIsoN's PROGRESS.

Since the degrncefu rufIlnnsm at Menlo
Park on New Yeat's eve 1t has been neees-
tary for Mr.. Edison 10 close tho doors Of his
workshops aud laboratory to the general
public. In this he will certainly be sustained
by intelligent opinion everywhere. man
may be ever so willing to crafty popular GU
rlosity and to remove popular skepticlsm as
to n matter of profound and universal inter-
est, yet he cannot hs expected to submit
to tho invasion of his working place by
mob, to the interruption OF important Ia
bors and 10 the destruction OF delicato and
valuable machinery. For moro than two
weeks Menlo Park was thrown open to the
public. Every opportunity was afforded
people 10 SEQ the entire operation OF tho now
electric light, to become acquainted with Its
every detail. Mr. Ellison and his assistants
neglected no means Of explaining and exhb-
iting tho whole IS stem. There WAS no secrecy.
no reservation, nothing remained hidden.
everything was kept In view. II tho skept-
ca selentists did not go and convince them
selves, IL wss their own fnult. They were
especially invited IT the public are still In
doubt, II Ia not because Of any unwilllngness
on Mr.. Edson's part to satisfy Thorn
Now, however. IL has been found nec-
essnry TO close the workshop and resume
business. Tho experience of those two or
three weeks convinced Mr.. Il llson that he
could not afford any longer to abandon his
labors for tho qualification Of persons who, II
they were not deliberately malicious, were
certainly destructive and dangerous. He has
consequently closed his laboratory and work
shops against iudlscrmiDate Visits and has re-
sumed the experiments and the labors to
which he and his corps are devoted. Those
who are not yet convinced may remain skep-
ties or await the practical demonstration, as
they please; but, meanwhile, Mr. Edison Is
determined not To be overrun by any more
gangs Of such ruf1ians MS invaded Menlo Park
on New Years Eve and came near doing ire
parable injury.
This morning we republlsh an article from
tho New York Sun. OF the ninth. In which 1t la
related that Edison has succeeded In discov-
ering source of supply for the platinum that
he needs for tho little wires connecting the
burner In his Vacuum with the outside con-
ductora, This seems to remove tho last re-
naming doubt us to the practical items of
cost In tho Edison apparatus. and gives
to the entire enterprise powerful and In
portant impulse. One great difficulty hereto
fore has been The fact that the only available
supply OF platinum was to BIO found In two
| mines In Russia and that these. having q mo-
nopoly. regulated the price suit themselves.
| Il was feared that In tho event of launching an
| enterprise 30 vast as that OF the L ilson Elec-
trio Lighting Company, these two corpora
| lions would exact such terms M to secure to
themselves tho lions share OF tho profit II
not actually to cripple 1t altogether. II, how
ever. Mr.. Ellison has secured sufficient
supply hlmeelf, there remains no further I'm
pedlment except the construction Of ma
chinery that will furnish the electricity on a
large scale. That consummation is rapidly
being attained and, In the Interval. Mr.. Edl-
son Is engaging In further experiments with
view to improve his lamp. We think that
no one who has kept pace with the develop
ments In the case can doubt that Edison has
solved the problem fully and conclusively.