Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-08-11
EDISON'S WIFE DEAD.
xomAsr,u STORY OF HER MAKRiAaE
How the Celebrated Inventor set His Help
mto,-A Briei Courtsbip ana usppy
married Life Recalled.

mtet-A Btiet Courtship ana usppy
married Life Recalled.
Mrs. Mary Stillwell Edison, wife of the
inventor, Thomas Alva Edison, died sud.
denly at . a IN. Saturday, at her late resi-
denco, at Menlo park, N. j. She was 20
years Of age, and leaves surviving her
three children. The story of her marriage
to Mr.. Edison is sineularly strange aud
romantic one. When he first formed her
acquaintance ho was about % years Of age.
lie had Just invented the chemical tele
graph by means of which could be trans
mitted, he claimed, on n single wire, 5000
words a minute. The telegraph, not.
withstanding this, however, became
l subserviept to the Morse system. While
| working on the chemical telegraph he
l employed several young women to punch
| the holes in the paper. Among them was
Miss Mary Stillwell. One day he was
| standing behind her chair examining
telegraph instrument.
"Mr. Edison" remarked Miss Stellwell,
suddenly turning around, ~ can always
tell when you are bchind or near me"
| :" How do you account for that p
mechanically asked Mr.. Edison, still ab
sorbed in his work.
| IL don't know, am sure" she quietly
answered but seem to feel when you
are near me-"
"Miss StillwelI," said Mr.. Edison, turn.
ing round now in his turn aud looking his
| interlocutoI in the face, i've been think
ing considerably of you of late, aud il you
are willing To have ME I'd like to marry
you"
"You astonish me-" exclaimed Miss
Stillwell Ill never"
- know you never thought | would be
your wooer," interrupted Mr.. Edison,
but think over my proposal, Miss Still
well, and talk it over with your mother. +"
Then he added in the same OF hand, busI-
ness like way, as though he might be ex-
perimenNng upon new mode OF court
ship: LET me know as early as possible,
as il you consent to marry mo, aud your
mother is willing, VIC can DO married by
uext Tuesday"
| This was the extent of Mr.. Edison
courtship. l. is hardly necessary to add
that tho highly favored lady laid the ab
rupt proposal before her mother.
MA has consented" she told hr.
Edison the next day.
That's all right" said Mr.. Edison il
reply. I'VE will be married week from
to day"
Ard so 1t was. The two were married
in a week and day from the beginning o,
Mr.. Edison's novel and precipitate court
| ship. In connection with his marriage
however, a story is told quite as singular
but fully in keeping with the one already
given touching his courtship. 1t Is said
that directly following the marriage he
| entered his laboratory ia his wedding suit,
and, hastily throwing his coat on bench.
began work.
"Why, surely you are not going "a
work on your wedding night ?" remons
trated his chief assistant
Suppose it y" he quickly answered,
setting TO work with renewed zeal ; "the
Gold aud Stock company don't care for
that. They want their instruments to.
morrow, and they've got to have them,
marriage or no marriage ; so here goes
The wedding trip of Mr.. Edison ran into
the mysteries of Inventions. His weddeG
life, however, is said to have been {
singularly happy one.