New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-30
EDISONS QUEER DAY-BOOKS.


From The LOHdOn OdtV NCTs.
DR.. Moses, with MIR Lowry showed me series OF
folio books of the great electrician, extending
over five years. They contain the daily records Of
notions which suggested themselves t. him with
IN that time and which he directed his machiniss
or other assistants to carry out Tor him. OF sketches
of machines drawn by him in pen and ink of sue
cinct entries of experiments made of lOttlngs OF
ideas which flashed into his brain and were at some
future time to be followed up; Of short accounts of
failures of expressions of certain hopes that the
difficulties he had 10 grapple with would be sur
mounted Each page of the day-bOOk is dated, and
the date attestcd by three witnesses who also write
their initials at the foot of any paragraph OF lnpor
lance and across the sketches OF machines The OBJ
ject of This Is to provide evidence IN possible law
suits about patent-Tghts. The day-bOOAs speak of
have been sent over 20 Europe 10 appear rs witnesses
against some alleged plagariss of his incandcscen
To have clear conception Of the patience and
rigorous method, the workmsnlike probiy and
thOroughness with which he hunts after means 10
ends aimed at, one should look over this day-book
1t has inspired me with the most profound respect
for this great inventor. Edison is very s!euih
hound i'll perseyerng determination 10 make Nature
deliver up secrets that he wants TO get out of her
favorite expression Of his is. We must go on
trying; Nature is much poorer than take her TO
be if she cannot afford a solution for this diff
Guilty"
The phraseology of Edison, to Judge from his day
book records, is synthetic, strongly descriptive and
quaint. lie has queer terms which are current lin
guisl coin at Menlo Park, hut which would convey
scientific idea 10 lecturer at the Royal lnstltu
ton. +" bug" Is q difficulty which appears iusur-
mOuntab BILE 20 the s;af To the master il is an ugly
insect that lives the lazy, and can and must be
killed" This American genius has eXpuTgatcd the
word impossible from hls vocabulary. required
the explanation given me by Dr. Moses aud Mr..
Lowry 10 understand much OF the peculiar phrase.
olOgy in the day book " An awful OF bugs stii-
Let Moses try what the following solution would do
to rid us of Them In day-bOOks extending over
thirteen months the pages look like an inventory Of
a Heterogeneous mass OF objects Before each entry
there are, for column after column, the letters y.
e.. and tsckDg-Oli mark y. u. means 10 good"
The substances which are named after these signs
are the materials useessly employed IN attempting
TO make perfect carbon button for the telephone.
Then there columns on the lett side of which
the letters l.. b., " j., ID. b., Ewhich mean ltle
better no better. dcuccG bad, encouraging. There
is no knowing how long Edison might have Yainiy
sought for the ma eTal that he wanted for carbon
button had not a happy accident ena bled him to dis
cover the materials for which for thirteen month,
he had had a daily hunt. one night he went into
an Office where kerosene lamp was gong out for
want of fuel The glass chimney was coated over
in the inside with lanpblack. Can II be Kerosene
soOt" thought Edison, " that will answer my pur-
pose ~ Ga the spot he took OIL the lamp chimney
and went home to CXperlncntallZe on the black i'll
side coating which he sCTaped off beginning at the
bottom The letters ~ f." appear the record
a very encouraging result had been arrived at. But
there were yet difficulties The inventor sCrapcd
higher up; The SCOT was Of better quality. The
more he advanced IN the same direction the nearer
he got 20 what lac wanted. AT last, quite n the top
of the chimney, the lampblack was OF a perfect
quality. Eureka!
The record of the search after a material which
would make satisfactory carbon horseshoe for the
incandescent lamp IS one of long failure with a
splendid ending Edsons courage never tagged
He ought" he felt, to succeed, and on he went
One perceyes that he has the same faith in the real
liability of his notions" that hound has i'm his
scent. When a notion presents itself to his mind
he becomes keen i'll the pursuit of the where
with 10 carry il out, and nothing will tire out his
patience 10 form an idea OF his prOdIgiOus teDac-
ity in clinging TO his purpose one should see the
day book record uf his search after materials for
good carbon horseshoe Above the account of each
experiment there are attached 20 the page small
bits of the materials which were tried-variOus
kinds Of rags and textiles stepped III chemical sOu-
tons; various sorts of paper; innuInerable species
of wood of bark outer and inner; of bark III the
when the sap rises and when IL descends; Of
grapes; OF cOrn-stalks, prepared III many different
ways. he was getting hot" when he thought OF
the stalk of Indian cOrn but it was not quite the
was giant OF the grass family, and so lac resolved
10 glVelt trial. An expensive cane was sacrificed
70 science The secret which nature had been keep
ing to herself was out. Y. &. stood against the
words Manila Bamboo" But perfection was
aimed at, and very good was not enough. What did
Edison do I He gave one OF his trllsty assistants
whom he had taken III as a boy, $25, 900 and sent
him to China q short time after he had carbOnized
the walkIng-stlck. " " hat are Won sending Tou
there for with ali lat money IN his pocket ~ a
friend asked. Edison hau remarked thai there was
something peculiar in Chinese wood which lent If.
self TO carving. IL must therefore be of even homo
geneous grain. Now, homogeneity was what be
wanted Tor MS horseshoe 1t do to have mar
ticles here which would let the electrical current
run on fast and others there which would resist too
stoutly. 1t was tins want OF h0mOgeneity
which led him to discard Bristol board and textiles
prepared in chemical solutions. SO Tom was dis
patched to China. The ideal carbon burned in the
incandescent lamps exhibited in the Paais PIndus-
trie is made Of bamboo sent by hum from Canton 10
Menlo Park.