The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1886-10-09
EDISON, n
Alleged Nisforfuses of the Electric King
Mott Business Nan.

VI E4~INhAC A1nK-
Nota Business Nan.
ICor. Charleston News and Courier.l
Although the system of lighting Nev
York houses with the incandescent eiec
trio light has made great strides durin,
the last three years, and although VI
now have only n whole district O
nearly a square mile partially lightet
by the Edison system, it can not be sale
that the business has been a bonanzs
for any q concerned, not even Edi
son himself. 1t has been gener.
ally supposed. however, that the
wizard Of Aenlo park had SO
managed things as to derive
conidserable personal profit out Of his
patents Consequently | was somewhat
surprised to learn upon good authority
that Edison is nov far from a rich man,
and has very little authority ever in the
company of which he is supposed to be
the head. Like all inventors he believed
that there were millions in his patents,
and although he got enough ready
money out of the company TO enable
him to live comfortably he took most
Of his pay in stock.
Now, while the Edison has
done a tremendous amount of work in
making the lamps, laying mains, and
introducing its system, the expenses
have been enormous. 1t is a new bust
ness, and every step wa more or less of
IN experiment; much work had to be
don over two or three times, and
many costly blunders were made. Tho
result has been that the stockholders
have not seen much money in the shape
Of dividends, and Edison, relying largely
upon his stock for reward, has practi.
cally nothing. Besides, there has been
. good deal of disappointment in the
company over this state of things and
an attempt was made nearly six months
ago 10 turn Edison out, at least, to rem |
der his position of no authority. It
was claimed that he was no business
man, which is probably true, and that
the company could get on better without
him, which is probably untrue. For a
time Edison succeeded in beating his
opponents. ! hear now, however. that
they IN getting the upper hand, and
that Edison's voice in the management
Of the concern which bears his name is
beard.
Out of the quadruplex apparatus for
sending four messages along one wire at :
the same time Edison made the money :
which he began his electric light
He vas sufficiently well :
Known in 1877 to attract the attention z
capitalists to his schemes, and the Il,
stock of the Edison Electric Light com '
pany, after the tremendous newspaper
'dyertlsing he got in 1878. rose to {
abulous prices. remember that early :
n 1879 Edison's stock was quoted at r
900 for each 800 share. If Edison {
ad not had faith in his own e
he might have sold out II
ben and have been a rich man to-
ay. He kept his stock, and worked e
ight and day in the service of the com :
Like most new things, there 8
ere difficulties, delays and expenses of 8
hich no one dreamed. 1t took him a 8
FAR more than he calculated to get his =
stem in operation, and the cost was 4
,uble the estimates. 1t had been an o
,unced that the new light would cost =
r less than gas. As a matter of fact ID
costs far more, and it was not long ,
ter the company got its works in OBJ s..
alton that the stock fell in value and H.
found himself with a great deal III hi
fame to show for his eight years
'rk, but with very little money. ,
Since the first station was opened, two att
ars ago this coming summer, very lit =
money had been made, and the work
extending the business had been
w. In the way of putting in isolated
some money had been made, but
t by Edison personally. OF late mat
3 haze gone from bad to worse, and
sorry to say that the famous in
ntor shows signs of being bitterly
He is no business man,
d spends more money on ex-
than would suffice to sup
IT FIVE ordinary families; hence his ca
sent financial depression. Fortunately
Is likely at any moment to bring
tn something new. and there are
Ways plenty of men ready to put
'ney into his schemes He is now
ing quietly in a little flat of Broad
y in Eighteenth street, for which he
rs 81, 900 a year, and working hard
a device for telegraphing between . "
wing train and stations along the
.. There is already one company
h a similar project and an apparatus
achieving this result, but Edison
nks he can do better.