Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-17
EDISON'S LIFE,
sketch of the Routine Labor Of the
Great InventOr-A Family Re-
nOWned for Longevity.

EDISONS LIFE.
sketch Of the Routine Labor Of the
Great InventOr-A Family Re.
nOwned for Longevity.
There are probably but few persons in the
world outside the crowned heads whose proba
pie length OF life Is canvaSSed by The public al
large with more interest than that Of Thomas
Ava Edison. And the interest Is not without
only In his thirty second year he has made more
inventions than any man living. In the Patent
Office at Washington is department marked
Edison" where his numerous inventions are
placed side by side, forming not the least Of the
curiositieS OF that institution. Nearly two hun.
dred and fifty patents are placed to his credit
| making exceedingly dpropOs the description
given of him by late commissioner Of patents
who styled him ''the young American who made
the Patent Office hot with his steps" II is nc
wonder, then, that the frequent exclamation Is
made by those who reflect on the tremendous
amount of labor involved In such record, .'Oh,
Edison can't last much longer; he is working
strengthened, too. by the inventors well known
disregard OF many of natures requirements.
Napoleon, it Is related, did not average -four
| hours sleep out of the twenty-four. His energy
was untiring and his perseverance unconquer-
able. His rest was in the saddle and his recrea.
ton in the battlefield. The same is true OF
Edison In his sphere of life. His only pleasure
| Is in his laboratory, where he can be found day
| and night from one end of the year to the other,
with scarcely an intermission. He seldom seeks
| rest In bed. bench or cot among his chemicals
| and machinery form his couch six nights out of
the seven. Not that there Is any real necessity,
| perhaps, for such self-inflicted hardship, but
.'roughing it" Is his delight. Life in the Menlo
| Park laboratory partakes more OF the character
| OF camp pitched near the battlefield than of
! anything else. An average daily routine of the
| great scientist, beginning at a time when he
| has actually ceased work and Is at home, is as
| follows:
| THE DAILY ROUTINE
AT ten a. m. he starts for his Office, where for
| about two hours he is intensely occupied in at
| Tending with his Driyatp secretary tn the N
| OF correspondence piling in upon him at the
| rate often times OF over two hundred letters a
| day. After disposing of his correspondence he
| devOtes his time to a perusal of the numerous
| papers, pamphlets, documents and books scien-
| tific and otherwise, that come to him from all
parts of the world. He reads with great rapid
| 1ty, and yet with astonishing thoroughness, as
| days afterWard he readily recalls what he has
been over. By Q p. m. he Is in his laboratory re-
viewing the results Of the experiments and
work OF his assistants performed in his absence
Consultations with Mr.. Bachelor his chief as
sistant, next occupies him for a considerable
time. After this is over he may be said to be
of the experiments he daily tries, the plans he
devises, and the suggestions he offers, would
seem exaggerated were 1t not that hundreds Of
record books in his laboratory bearing the marks
of his labor attests the same with Inimpeach-
able accuracy. The majority of days his meals
are served him at his work. The hard labor of
the inventor, however, begins after dark. The
work Of the day Is more of a preliminary charac-
ter-a getting ready for the herculean efforts
that one by one grow and develop, until they
finally reach as whole perfect invention.
MIDNIGHT REPAST.
The midnight lunch is striking feature of the
laboratory life. At twelve O'Clock every night
two men and dog enter the laboratory laden
down with baskets of edibles from a neighbour
Ing caterer. The dog, huge Newfoundland
plays as important part in the performance as
his biped companions, for with lighted lantern
hanging from his mouth he leads the way from
over the railroad track and across the fields to
the abode OF the Wizard. He also assists at
times by having strapped to his back basket
or can containing some OF the lunch. The re-
barren. He seems to know his standing and he
Is always to be found at his post of duty.
around the lunch table gather the inventor
and his assistants, ana as the good things dis
appear they discuss the days work, tell stories
and gossip generally. A freer or gayer set could
scarcely be found The jovial good nature Of
the chief spreads to all, and fun and fancy reign
supreme. After lunch once more begins the
work of science, and continues until, one by
one, the assistants drop off to sleep. A few re-
tire to their homes; the larger number, how
ever. follow the plan OF their leader and utilize
their benches for beds. Edison himself gives in
generally about four a. M, selecting some I'M
occupied spot, where, with his coat for pillow,
he sleeps soundly sometimes until ten o'clock,
other times until six, for his time OF rising
varies.
This mode Of life continually repeated while
Edison to thrive. At the present time he is the
picture of good health. Ills height is five feet
and iS offrIt to o.
'en ',.i0' 'i.u , ins "I i 10 100 pouiius'
Tho ancestny of tho orao+ inn+ so, o.o,,or,
ttons hacis has hean SannwneS fo. ~, srea
inngevitV He fotar SomoI Ia Edison i ha o
seventVfva veare nf 400 and r. tul a - noM
beartv os tho noI &c, anu q, 70 90, % mas anu
i've HE hetS and haard 81 t ba ,T ~ vi
White hut tha ara tT " uG HiG .tie sn Nv
age Erect ne So,d d1 os fn Go u o on
GTard no stsnds CIV foot VI one u hI Roy
inc fet and can todav rnn foot aon a tf IN
the VyacitV If vouth When the nayS of his
sons great invention Of the eiecrc HON. snraad a
tn his home i'm Fort Cratiot Mich no cono1nSad
tn take n little r,n IN Wenin parlI s.imst In Coo
what il looked like y as he exnresseS b,r NJ
Two wears 400 he came tn 500 fhe nhonnnronh
anu anu az I,I tle one IN urgently requested
gentleman coIlld not be nerSuaEed RI Snbmit o ~
life of inactivity His intareStS in Tho 'vn.t he
cnntended demanded his ratnrn a NY w., h ho
started Refnre he left hovnver + is rafatagi nc
became indictment at snrnestion n 10 h o nc
one that he was aon@ in vea an ~ dir
nroye the manhattan Re cha5engad bic son W tn
foot race from the raiIroad trac to the w
tory The chaiienge was accented and Nc Ed
son senior came in ahead Rnt aithou1h sa r. n
five wears If ACE Mir Edison ia Nv NO means RIO
Oldest of his Tamiiv Ue %as two hro, has it Iac
Dayid ana Harry Edison a1eI oeWantW NV n
a@htrtWo raa,S reS%nnti I hti ni,ie anu
.nfis %oth ronn,rinp Iora i uooai sSlog a au