The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-04-12
Talks With Edison.

Parsons Lathrop, In Harper's maya
zine for February. In addition to
being extremely practical In his
thoughts and processes. Edison has a
rich Imagination of a creating sort.
and moods of ideal dreaming In his
particular line. One day at dinner
he suddenly spoke. as if out of deep
revery, saying what great thing it
would be if a man had all the cOlnpo-
nent atoms of himself under complete
control, detachable and aiustible at
will. "For instance" he explained,
then 1 could say to one particular
atom in mccall 1t atom No. 432O-
Go be part of a rose for awhile
All the atoms could be sent off to be-
come parts of different minerals.
plants. and other substances. Then.
if by just pressing little Dush.button
they could be called together again,
they would bring back their expert
ences while they were parts of. those
different substances, and / should
have the benefit of the knowledge"
Ofcourse this was only a passing
fancy, an imaginative way of express
sing the constant desire which exists
in the inventors mind for more
intimate knowledge of the nature of
things concerning which he has al.
ready learned so much. This desire
is gratified to the farthest practicable
extent by the great store of all sorts
of materials-animal, vegetable and
mineral-collected in his labratOrY
where he experiments upon and COM
bines their various properties as a
composer.plays upon the instrument
of his orchestra. Indeed. in this large
and imaginative aspect of his mind,
Edison distinctly reminds me of
men having creative musical or 20.
etic or artistic genius. The mingled
abstraction and fire in their faces and
eyes are noticeable in his, at times.
when he emerges from some private
room in the laboratory where he has
been in deep inventive work.
The above remark about the atoms,
too, recalls statement which he
once made to me regarding his con-
ception of matter. II do not be-
lieve," said he. "that matter is inert,
acted upon by an outside force. To
me it seems that every atom is pos.
sessed by a certain amount of primi-
tive intelligence. Look at the thous-
and ways in which atoms of hydro
gen combine with those of other ele-
ments, forming the most diverse SUBJ
stances. Do you mean to say that
they do this without intelligence ?
Atoms in harmonious and useful re-.
Iation assume beautiful or interesting
shapes or colors or give forth pleas
ant perfume, as if expressing their
satisfaction. In sickness, death, de.
composition, or filth, the disagree
ment of the component atoms imme-
diately makes itself felt by bad odors.
Gathered together in certain forms,
the atoms constitute animals of the
lower orders. Finally they combine
in man. who represents the total in
telligence of all the atoms"
"But where does this intelligence
come from originally ?" asked.
"From some power greater than
ourselves"
"Du you believe. then. in an intel
ligent creator. a personal God ?"
Certainly" said Mr.. Edison.
1.-THE existence of such God can, to
my mind, almost be proven from
chemistry"
Surely it is circumstance calcu.
lated to excite reflection, and to cause
a good deal of satisfaction. that this
keen and penetrating mind, SO vigor-
ously representing the practical side
of American intelligence-the mind
of remarkable exponent of applied
silence, and of a brilliant and prolific
inventor who has spent his life in
dealing with the material part Of the
world-should so confidently arrive
at belief in God through a study of
those media that often obscure the
perception of spiritual things.