Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-01-23
A CHAT WITH EDISON.
The Many Electric Wonders OF the
Wizards Workshop.
Practical Methods Pursued by tho Great
InventOr-Recent Experiments in the
Application of Electricity to Rail-
way Transportation.

way Transportation.
II you meet Edison this morning he has
just found something, and if you meet him
tomorrow he has added new discovery to
the realm of scientific invention. 1t is hard
to keep up with him. Probably no investi-
gator in the field of science has ever been
surrounded by such perfect conditions for
prosecuting his researches. This has not
always been so, of course, for Thomas Edi-
son has discovered among other things the
way of making money.
His laboratory is about mile from the
station at Orange, N J. HIS charming
home is not far removed in the beautiful
rural isolation Of Llewelyn Park. Within
the inclosure where his working plant il
situated stands a large three-storied brick
building. This is the laboratory, perfeca
beehive Of energetic experimenting.
When one enters the laboratory he is con-
fronted by printed poster which informs
the intruding visitor that Mr.. Edison is 80
occupied with his work and the stream Of
callers is so great that he is constrained TO
hide himself absolutely. Happily, an ap-
pointment to meet him robbed this pIacard
of its business-like inhospitality He was
engaged at the moment, however, in work
which he could not easily interrupt, and
begged for quarter of an hours delay
This time Of waiting admitted of q our
sorry glance at the building. There is fine
library room with numerous alcoves on
from its two stories. It is finished IN hard
wood, with parqaetry floor strewn with
Persian rugs, and the large space brilliant
ly lit by electric lights. There are hun
dreds of these being constantly tested In
the building, and there is seeming ex-
travagance in the lavish illumination, which
10 ,lxya ircy 10 hoo 6.,v,1
and fifty men IN constant employment in
this place at Orange. Mr.. Edison is con-
Quoting experiments in about sixty differ
ent things, some of them entirely outside
the field of electricity, though, of course,
his labors are chiefly in this important
branch, where so much is still unknown
An engine Of forty horse power runs all the
machinery Of the shop, though there Is q
dynamo on the second floor which is used
when the larger engine is not working.
On the third floor there is at the western
extremity good-szed lecture ROOM whore
lectures on interesting points in physics
and chemistry and mechanics are delivered
to the employees. Mr. Edison never leot-
ures himself. although he has the valuable
gift of explaining his inventions or some
scientific application which they involve
with such clearness that even the ordinary
mind, little used to thought on such sub
jects, can grasp the idea at once.
In this room is grand piano, one made
for Josef Hofmann, and sent to MI Edison
after that young phenomenon had completed
his concert season. In this room is the pho
nograph. Boxes, filed with wax cylinders
five inches long, stand on the floor. These
cylinders are the phonetic records Of some
phase of sound, and when one is fitted ON
the brass cylinder of the photograph and
- L.
tube put into the ears, the auditor hears the
blast of a full band. clearly discriminating
the different instruments; or some vocal
solo with piano accompaniment; or some
conversational remarks, or an address by
speaker.
The quarter of an hours grace to the IA
ventor was more than up after walk
through the laboratory. In a moment Mr.
Edison came in, with cigar-box under hB
arm, dressed In black suit and flannel
shirt with a carlessly- -kuottod tie. Any
one meeting him by chance IN the building
would take him to be one of the humbleet
employees. He seated himself and put his
hand back of his ear at the first remark
shot at him IN the ordinary tone of conver-
sation, for, like Bell, the inventor Of the
telephone, Edison, the inventor Of the pho
nograph, is deaf. He has round face,
brown hair, a good-natured, off-hand air
and is fond of an easy posture when he is
talking.
''What is your last trick in the field Of
science, Mr.. Edisonr' was the first ques-
ton
81 am not a scientific man, was the
rather unexpected response. 81 am an in
ventor. There is a difference between
them, although it may never have struck
you A scientific man busies himself with
the theory. He is absolutely impractical.
An inventor Is essentially practical They
are of such different casts Of mind that you
rarely find the two together. do not
think they can very well co-exist in the one
man. AS soon as | find that something
am investigating does not lead to practical
results, drop It. / do not pursue II as Q
theory. The scientific man would be oun=
tent to 60 on and study it up purely as
theory. do not care for that"
.sWhat about electricity in connection
with facilitating railroad transportationi-
That is great prObl m. II some means
can be discovered by which electricity can
be produced from coal without its energy
being spent in heat, and the means Of doing
this can be accomplished at reasonable
expenditure, then the application of electric
power as motor to electric trains and
transatlantic steamers will be valuable
useful, economic thing. Bat it has not
been discovered ret. Electricity as mo-
tive power is a gain Of eighty five per cent,
and when the means OF educing or produc-
ing electricity from coal without interven
ing combustion and consequent waste Of
energy is brought abont, three hundred
tons OF coal VIII do the work of fifteen hun
dred now when it is burned and steam en-
ployed as the motive power. But this can't
be done with large trains now economical
~ am giving good deal Of attention to
this subject / have accomplished this re-
suit under laboratory conditions, but these
VIII not do to make the process available
from commercial point of view.''
. Do you suppose the nature of electricity
viii ever be discovereds' vas asked him
next
"Yes think ifcan and vHI ha somedax-