Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-30
He PREFEss BEING DEAF.
Some OF tie Things that Thomas A.
Edison Doesn't Want to Fear.
From the <Cw York Sun

From the Ncw York Sun
Thomas \. Edison is slightly deaf. Some time
ago there appeared In St. Louis paper an ac-
count of an invention by Mr.. Leo Ehrlich, the
former secretary of the humane society. designed
TO enable deaf persons to hear. Mr. Ehrlich
thought he had accomplished great work for
humanity, and sent a sample 10 Edison. cor
respondent of the sun, who had read Gcscrp-
ton OF the invention. wrote to ask what Mr..
Edison thought Of it. and in order to find out
V Lat Mr.. Edison thought OF it sun reporter
mounted siy flights cf stairs IN tie laboratory of
the Edison Electric Light company at Avenue b
and 18th street. Mr.. Edison was found amid n
maze OF telg.sraIhc. telephOnic electrical Hum
inatin.: and other apparatus in big room smell
ing strongly Of acids. He has grown a little
stout since he came to New York to i've and
his always ~oOd-Eatured face looked even jollier
than when he used to scream Jokes into the
phOnOIaph to hear them echoed back by the
turn Of crank.
Il came to ask how you like the invention of
Mr.. EhTlicb" said the reporter.
well. 70 tell you the truth. have not had
time To try it,
Not time. Why. should think YOU would
be IN a hurry to remedy your Deafness
There's where You make great mistake. /
don't want to be cured
Don't want 20 be cured of deafHess:'
Certainly not. / wouldn't be cured for
S1OCC0''
''no You mean to say in earnest that you pre-
fer to bc deaf
Exactly You see am not very deaf There
are lots OF things cont want to hear. Now /
don't have 10 hear EN-.
Nv hat for iustanCe:"
well, cars and carts and licensed vendors in
the morning. They don't trouble me at ALL
Ny poor wife used TO be kept awake all night
when We moved TO New York The contrast
with the quiet OF MEMO Park was very great.
~tls.r. = -
wheels. But as for me. | could sleep soundly
through ii all
Anything else you don't want to hcar?"
Lots OF EN-. 1t is wonderful when you come
to sum it up how much there is that is not worth
hearing"
What else?"
chores
'.Eeporters:"
Not always: but some people will talk on
and on. Now. it is so hard to talk to me that
they get tired and stop. That is a great adj
vantage"
But you cannot hear the voice of any one
through the telephone. can you:
Don't want TO. Did you ever talk through
the telephone? Then you know what it is. So
do l. send some other fellow to de my talk
ing. and don't need to sit half an hour at a
time saving. 'Halioa.' WHAT'S that: who
are you:' Keep your car there and all that
sort Of thing III wasn't deaf they would keep
me at it. Now they keep some other fellow
at it,
"But can you hear the click of telegraphc
instrument:'
YES, that is sharp sound. and am used
to it. can hear all want to-"
ANYTHING else you don't want to hear?"
Wei. make very poor juror. You see.
moncd on the jury Then should be exempt
from the draft in case of war, couldn't hear the
orders of the commanding officer See:"
How about tie .heaters:
There. | confess. there is a little disadvan-
tage. i cannot hear word Mary Anderson
says Ali PLAYS are spectacles to me. But the
advantages are SO great that | can stand the
disadvantages
ingia ''o you Il 0''' ''''''
les. political speeches.
ANY other unweiCGnle sounds excluded"
'Ies: cats. They may fiirt all night and not
disturb iHy rest. j don't have 10 waste any boot
jacks OF bottles en- them
ANY other adyantage:'
Yes; plenty. lind my eyes are much strOn-
ger nave worked twenty Years at night and
not hurt my eyes. Compensation. you see One
organ makes up for the loss OF: another
Then you think somebody ought to invent
something 70 make people deaf
just little deat-as deaf as | am-sO that
they can hear all they want to hear, and not
hear what they DO not wish to hear. For in
stance. | need not hear q man when he wants to
borrow money"
What is tie latest thing in the application of
electricity Mr. Ed5sOn:''
The funniest Is the new process of making
incaEdesccnt whisky"
Whats that"
''We:l, that is whisky. as my friend Amos
Cummings would say, with the SILVER taken out
OF it,"
''liow do they effect that with electrcitv?"
why. am told that they let down the in
canie>cent light into a barrel of whisky. and in
sixty-iGur hours they get all the flavor Of old
whisky Tie light ami heat seem to act OH the
fUSl oil somehow. | am told they make an e1-
celieHt brand OF whisky out OF rot-gut.''
Have You tried it:''
'.No."
What is the most curious electrical phenom-
eEOn ii iate:"
That is hard to say. there are so many One
OF Them Il live fish swimming in tub Of clean
water. having swallowed q bait consisting of q
little ircandcScent lamp. When the current is
turned Oh the fish is lighted up so you can see
through him and observe the circulation of the
blood"
w hat do you propose to show at the Phila-
0elpha Electrical EypositiOn;'
"oniy about ten per cent of my stuf-but
enough"
Did You ever know of any practical use for
the Photographic"
No, except as a curiosity. About all the col
legeS nave them | had to give it up for the
electric light. where the field is immense
Ard you are III earnest when YOU say YOU do
not want to tie cured of your dcatness:'
Il am. aid you may say don't think it is
human to make folks hear everything"