St. Landry democrat., 1880-01-17
IBr Tclcgraph to the New Yor', HcraId.l

CaNDEsCENCE STILL BRIGHT AS EVER.
IBy Telegraph to the New York Hrrad.l
MEMO PARK, N. j., Jan. 3.-Notwitt-
standing the fact that Mr.. Edison has
closed his laboratory to the general
public, admitting visitors by special
perInt only, hundreds still comenight!y
to Mcnlo Park TO see the electric light.
OF the plumber comparatively few
have special invitations but thee crowd,
not satisfied with tl,e street lights, Il dez-
en- of which are kept constantly bur
ming, and the lights III the dwellings,,
which are in nearly every part OF the
village, literally force their Way into
the laboratory and almost take poses
sion of it. The good nature OF the great
inventor is taxed to the utmost. Dis
liking to turn away scores VINO come
from distance, he permits their admit
lance until they become so numerous
that it is utterly. impossible for the as
s,stants to do any work. For more
than il week now his entire establish
mcnt, with its twenty or thirty skilled
hands, has been practically at a stand
still. owing to the throngs OF visitors.
They come from near and Tar, the
tawus for several miles around sending
them inveIlicles OF all kinds-farmers,
mechanics, laborers, boys, girls, men
and wonderland the trains depOsltlng
their loads of bankers, brokers, capital
ISIS. sightseers, hungry agents looking
for business, and Others. All boldly
walk to the laboratory, besege the
doors and insist on. seeing Prof. Edison
until that gentleman at times wishes he
,ad n.ver invented The electric lamp OF
anything else.
TRICKS THAT AIM AT DARKNESS.
Among these numbers are not few
malicious persons, who, for some mo-
rives Of their own, seek every oppoitu
nity to play tricks with the wires.
Twice Tonight, the latter We're tenn
uorarily "short- circhited," but Edison's
| ingenuity prevents any serious damage.
Forewarntd 10y the attempt made the
other evening by some unknown person
| TO throw the whole power OF the cur
rent on "a part only OF the circuit,
thus attempting to injure some OF the
lamps, he rugged up an ingenious at
tachment to the Mire-a sort OF safety
| yalyun that throws off all the electricity
| of the circuit the instant the wires are
| tempered with All his vigilance, how
ever, is not able to prevent the little
| electric lamp from being distracted by
| unconscionable people. Six more
| lamps We're found missing yesterday
making fourteen il. all that, have now
! been taken.
t Outside the annoyance of having his
sanctum thus invaded and his appara-
tns boldly stolen. Edison has to submit
to questions which must be a torture. to
him, !. because of the ignorance they
display. Said one web dressed lady,
apparently quite intelligent, after the
system had been explained in detail and
much pains had been taken to make her
understand: ooh, yes, how wonderful.
the hghtain these little globes and then
sell it for so much a bottle! Isn't it
nice?n Another intelligent visitor en-
| tertained a crowd of admiring friends
by explaining at length how the little
chalk telephones which abound in the
! laboratory furnished the electricity that
gave out the electric light.
| COOL REQUESTS.
! The requests for lamps and horseshoe
carbons are numbered by the thousand,
|and many ofsthe visitors feel indignant
when the assistants politely decline to
take their protfered pay for the same,
| explaining that they are not for sale.
| Itt liIUlC bdliS VI 1llS Stlil SOHllIut
| burning in all their beauty, notwth-
standing the predictions of the skeptics.
The three hours test which rival
electrician loudly dared Mr.. Edison to
make, proclaiming that only that time
| was necessary to prove the utter failure
| of his invention, has now grown into a
1 test Of $40 hours and still the lamps are
| burning. The lamp which | referred to
| three days ago as having been placed
| under water and made to give light in
! that position still remains submerged
and no change has occurred in the light,
thus suggesting an important aid for
submarine divers in their work. Sew
eral thousand people have now seen the
light, and Mr.. Edison feels satisfied that
he has practically answered the skeptics.
I ~ THE QUESTION. OF COST.
The cost of the new light the inventor
| has not made public; but it is character
| istically summed up in an answer
| which he was overheard to give an in
| quirer:
."After the electric light goes into
| general use,n said he, none but the ex-
travagant will burn tallow. candles"