Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-20
FOR A WIZARD.
An Array Of Legal Talent to
Argue in Favor of Edison
in A VITAL ELECTRIC SUIT.
His Personal Attorney Tells How the
Inventor Sticks al Work,
SLEEPING DRESSED, IN HIS SHOP.
The Single Word FibrOEs Causes ALI This
Costly Litigation.
IN A VITAL ELECTRIC SUIT.
SLEEPING DRESSED, IN HIS SHOP.
WESTINGHOUSE AND HIS MEN MUM

all probability, and Judges McKennan and
Acheson. Mr.. Justice Bradley is expected
to be here, but this is not definitely settled.
The proceedings in the case will commence
this morning.
Mr.. I. B. Eaton, the personal attorney of
Edison, and the general counsel of the Edi-
son Electric Light Company, will have
charge of the case on that side He arrived
yesterday at the Duquesne, and engaged II
rooms for the lawyers and assistants in the
case. The others came in on the limited.
Mr. Eaton stated that Edison's time was so
valuable that he will not come until he is
needed. Neither will E. H. johnson,
President of the Edison company, be on
hand until Mr.. Eaton telegraphs for him.
HOW THE ROW BEGAN.
The history of the big case is very inter
esting. The first proceedings were insti-
tuted one year ago by the Westinghouse
Consolidated Company against the Nc
Keesport Light Company for infringement
of the patent on the loop in the incandescent
lamp. The latter company is one of Edi-
sons, and, as the case involved the validity
of an important patent, the Edison COM
pany relieved the MeKeesport people. and
the case has been in preparation ever since.
About 1000 papes of printed testimony
have been taken on both sides, the number
of pages being equally divided between
them. The arguments will be made before
the Judges from this mass of printed testi-
mony-enough to keep judge occupied for
the summer in reading it.
The Edison Company has secured fine
array of legal talent to prosecute that side
of the case. The arguments will be made
by 7. P. Lowrev, of New York, for a num-
Der of years attorney of the Western Union
Telegraph Company, and at present retained
by the Government in
THE GREAT TELEPHONE CASES;
W. K. Griffin, of New York, patent attor-
ney, who collected part of the testimony;
B. F. Thurston, of Providence, one of the
foremost patent lawyers in the country, and
R. W. Dyer, Edison's patent lawyer; Mr..
Eaton, of course, personally having charge
of the entire case for his side. Magnus
Pfaum, of McKeesport, is retained as the
attorney of record. The home, or Westing-
house, side of the case has been repeatedly
alluded to in local publications. The other
sides interesting claims have not. In
speaking of the case, Mr.. Eaton yesterday
said to the reporters:
hope that the press Of PIttsburg will give
the truth on both Sides So far, the reports
sent out to the New York dailies from this city
have been one-sided, and can easily see how
that happened. There was no one here who
could furnish information for Mr. Edison.
Now the case is simply this: For number
of years Mr.. Edison has been making the loop
in his incandescent lamp out of carbon and
other vegetable materials. Some electricians
use paper, and others something else. About
nine years ago Mr. Sawyer secured patent on
q loop. made also Of vegetable material but
the patent itself was made to cover anything of
a fibrous nature. The word 'fibrous," you see,
is broad, and they try to make it apply to the
entire vegetable kingdom. Mr.. Sawyer offered
his patent for sale to Mr.. Edison; but the latter
concluded he didn't need If, and SO no purchase
was made.
WESTINGHOUSE PURCHASED IT.
He finally sold it to an Eastern company, and
from them it drifted into the hands of the
Westinghouse people. 1t is on this patent that
the suit is brought to restrain Edison from
making his loop out of vegetable material, on
the ground that the Sawyer patent gives them
q monopoly of the entire vegetable kingdom.
Mr.. Edison answers First, that the patent is
too broad and general; second, that it was is
sued through fraud and third, that the word
'ahbrous" does not relate to and cover the whole
vegetable kingdom. This is, we think, fair
statement of the case in a nutshell, and we
feel very confident that we can soon convince
the Court that Mr.. Edison is not infringing
any patent in making his loop, and therefore
cannot be restrained.
Is there any possibility of the Edison and
Westinghouse companies combining? Well, 1
would rather not talk about that; but I will
say NO there is not" Mr.. Edison has always
been averse to such a proposition, and, even if
he would never consent. The Edison Com
pany never made any advances to the Westing-
house people in this connection. Almost every
company In the country has tried to consoli- |
date with them, but the Edison Company
never.
EDISoN's GOOD HEALTH.
You ask what is the condition of Mr.. Edi- |
sons health. 1t is quite good at present; but |
he has had a very hard winter. He has been |
working at the phonograph to make 1t a COM |
mercial success. He has a strong constitution, |
and he takes better care of his health than |
people imagine. Not long ago called at his |
home, expecting to see him. BE wasn't there, |
and Mrs. Edison told me she hadn't seen him |
for three days.
soon found he was at his old tricks-worl- |
ing night and day in his laboratory, having his |
meals sent to him and sleeping on the floor |
with his clothes on and a stick of wood under |
his head for pillow. When WORKING, |
seems to think that by keeping his |
clothes on, he can better preserve the nervous |
tension after he has started to work. Then he |
perseveres until he has accomplished his /
purpose. His time he regards as very valuable, |
and this is the reason he doesn't want to come /
here untn it is necessary His deafness has /
not improved any, remaining about the same. |
THAT S25O, 900 SUIT.
With regard to the recent photograph suits, |
] instituted them myself against Gillinder and |
Thomas. They are the general agents of Edi- |
SON and should have paid in $50, 900 instead of |
s5OO, 900 for the sale of monographs. Mr.. Edi- |
son now sues for the other s25O,OOO, and that is
all there is in the suit. Edison is working at
the monographs, and is turning out about so /
a day at his factory in New Jersey.
Mr.. Lowrey, one of Mr.. Edison's lawyers, /
is said to be very entertaining talker, and |
his argument is looked forward to by manv
as an intellectual legal treat He has the
of making the dryest subjects
most interesting. The whole week will be
taken up with the arguments and possibly
more time will be consumed; but it all de-
pends on how long Justice Bradley viii re-
main on the bench. Mr.. Eaton said the
lawyers could talk for months on the testl-
mony that has been prepared.
There is probably no man in the country
who places higher value on time than
Edison. He has always been hard worker,
and ne cannot be enticed from his work
shop.
THEY MUST COME TO HIM.
At Menlo Park, electricians have often
tried to induce HIM to go to various conven-
tions and meetings, but he considers lite too
short to be wasted in this manner. Like
Kant and Carlyle, those who wish to see him
must 90 to him at Menlo Park where he can |