, 1880-01-04
The Old Platinum Lamp Thrown
Aside and Abandoned.
Edison Takes Cp the Old Idea Of Carbon and Astol-
ishts Himself.
4 Beautiful Lamp Produced Which Is
Behaving Well.
no Certainty, However, that 1t Is
Solution OF the Problem.


and has forty-tye of them on public exhibi-
tlon at Henlo Park, and hundreds of the best
business men of this city go out every day
to the sleepy little village where the phil
osopher has established himself to see them
in operation. They are not concealed from
the public, as all previous experiments of
Edison's in this direction have been, but are
boldly exhibited to all who come, and there
is rush to see them such as has never before
been known In this vicinity. Business men,
politicians, members Of the Legislature, ex-
Governors, grave and reverend gentlemen
now occupying seats in the United States
Senate, city swells, and farmers with tumb1e1
heads of hair, gather every day at A1en1o
Park In eager swarms and oyerrnn the shops
and talk with Edison until the philosopher is
hoarse with speaking. Five hundred per
sons we're there this evening. The holders
of the 5000 shares Of stock In the Edison
Company are frantic with delight. The new
invention is to them lamp OF Aladdin.
There is not man among them who is not
now expecting to accumulate boundless
wealth from their investment in this concern.
The shares Of stock are worth at par 500,
but there have been many sales since the
present excitement broke out week ago,
for So, 900 share, and q few sales have been
made at $500.
ROSCOE CoNKLING,
the Senator, has bought shares within a
week for $4,000. August Belmont, who is an
eager buyer, is paying anywhere from $500
to $500. Drexe1, Morgan s. Co., who are
reputed to he the largest owners Of this
stock, take all that is offered, and pay the
above prices. There has never been anything
like it in the history Of stocks in New York
City. The truth is, however, that none ex-
cept the small holders Of Edison stock are
now selling, and very few of them. They are
all wild with anticipation, and even 5000 per
cent seems too small premium. They are
holding their shares for quotations of 5000
per cent premium.
That which has created the present excite
1nent is new departure by Edison, which
has resulted in that gentleman producing,
for the first time, a lamp available for practi-
cal use. It is well known that Edison has
been experimentingeor a year with an elec~
trio lamp in which the light is produced by
the incandescence OF coil of platinum wire
inclosed i'll a vacuum in small glass globe.
The coil contained seventeen feet Of wire,
and yielded light equal to one or two gas
burners. Edison supposed that it would be
Easy to remedy all tile defects Of this lamp,
and he accordingly has allowed Amos
Cummings, Of the Sun, to make startling an
nouncenents every few weeks in regard to
the perfection of this lamp and the wonder
full economy of using it. These announce
1nents were never justified, because Edison
has never been able to perfect the lamp. lie
never could regulate the current OF electric
ity sufficiently tn make the lamp reliable. A
%f1 1rf4
The formation Of yo}taic arc between adja-
cent parts Of the coil, and this always caused
the coil to melt instantly. The inventor had
50 little confidence III his platinum lamp that
he would never exhibit it publicly, and he
never has so exhibited it. About two months
ago the inventor was in state of great de-
lection about the electric light and resolved
to see what could be done with carbon. It
was
NOT AN ORIGINAL IDEA
with him, but he knew that ". E. Sawyer, Of
New York, was making progress with .
lamp wherein pencil of carbon was made
incandescent in vacuum, or in nitrogen
gas, and he did not wish to be left behind BY
that or any other inventor. He accordingly
threw aside the platitum lamp. and aba1,,
doned it. He took up carbon instead, and
this was his new departure, which has re-
suited In the production OF a valuable lamp
and i'll reyivfng the dropping spirits of his
company, and in turning the M headssof some !a
~ r. ~ ri oa,,e n1nrt n fl;s wa1, fha storv 10
-. a. sat 1tratirn,,a FJ;son ~ ,,,os n5n;n
niatine so1ne iampblack and tar one day. about
the Isl at Noye1uber. those materials being
,,sed in the nrenaration Of certain parts Of
his talenhones. Rolling some of the stuff
hetween his fingers, he found that lie could
draw + NIT int6 Slender tlread: and that
supnpsted St to lis mind ffe idea Of making a
f;ne ti,read of carhnn. which would imp0se q
i;Sh ;S resistance to tie passage Of an electric
r,,TTenf. and nossibIy make a good burner for
an eiectric Iamn, He considered the matter
for f. 1rhiia and then. mating m Ills mini
he ninnr.ed into an elaborate Series Of eyneri,
merits nj VIII The new idea His company gaye
hin ali the monev he wanted. and there was
ut ~ mnmant;c ielav in testing tha merits of
rarhon lamns ' 49, ' ''f' N'N~'1 - ~
RI onpht r. he snia here that no inventor
WAS ever hefter sunn1ied with the means Of
ui.inr q hannv thoneht n nracticaI test
,HHnda9 favorahfe ansniees than Edison was:
When he took IN tllis new idea, In the first
n1ace he had the apDaratus for producing an
ptnH imnst nI nerfect % T Vacuum. He lad been en- m.
ninving for some fine one Of the air-pumps
f3nt;ented hx- Crooter and nerfected by Spren-
s1.,j wh;ci, viii empty a class globe Of all
.vcent onr-1nilIiontf, part Of the air it origi-
nailv contained. He had learned how to o.
tain viii, It fi,e most perfect vacuum ever
.emn1nved Il, an electric ianlp. SAWYER never
lad t1e adyantage Of Securing such a
vacuum. nor any one else. Mr.. Edison was