The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-04
The Edison Exhibition of Wonderful In
yentlons In New York City.

lamps, bell shaped like graceful blossoms
These lamps were set in red lines on lont
spiral from the head to the foot of the col
umn, whose capital was made of largel
electric lamps mingled with the delicatt
reenery of sprays of hot-house asparagus
From this capital dozen long festoons O
the same feathery green, together with NOR.
pendent tiny lamps, were hung to the gal
feries. while the base Of the column was lit
orally buried in tall palms. fern, ant
azaleas in bloom, the ugly pots hidden I'M
der masses of moss-like asparagus.
After short addresses had been made
almost keeping time to soft music. the
glass bells of one festoon blossomed into
beautiful colors-red, green, yellow ane
crept around one of the spirals on the
column. glowed for moment and then
vanished. Then another festoon twinkled
into beauty, and then another. After each
festoon had been lighted and gone out in
turn, the light sped along each line of the
spiral, cleaning now red, now blue, then
green, until the whole column was glowing.
simultaneously each festoon sprang into
light, then the central chandelier, the bull
eyes in the balcony balustrade, and the
side wall clusters of lamps, all of which
had been dark but a moment before. The
hall was ablaze with a perfect glory OF
light, so soft as not to trouble the most
sensitive eye, yet 80 clear and SO beautiful
ment on high" for once had an earth born
rival.
Under particularly tall palm beside the
entrance stood q life-sized figure of Benja-
min Franklin, in gray small clothes, knee
buckles. and ruffled shirt. his head crowned
with snowy locks, and his benign gaze bent
intently on the Leyden jar before him. His
1ke<r oAok had hor hn1l 6o1, or1x
ing the jar, while a small cord reach ed from
the key far away up to the central chande-
li,r in the roof, where swayed the philos-
opher's kite. This figure was fitting
emblem of the entrance into the world OF
electric wonders which the exhibition shows.
In this hall were arranged on platforms
various electrical machines of Mr.. Edison's,
his earliest experiments in telegraphy,
monographs, and in telephones. There
was one of the Morse telegraphing instru-
ments, by which one message alone could
be sent, and beside it Edison's quadruplex
instrument for sending at once four mes
sages, two each way-an instrument now in
common use-while not far away was the
marvellous machine by which sixteen mes
sages can be sent at once over the same
wire. Near by stood the wonderful little
Instrument by which messages can be
thrown from train moving fifty or sixty
miles an hour to the telegraph wires beside
its track, and can be sent into town ahead
BILE feat has been done when the train and
the telegraph wires were fully four hun
dred feet apart. Beside this was an in
strument especially adapted to sending
way messages in railway service, already
used by many western railroads.
A large case was full of various shapes OF
glass globes which had been tried in the ex-
II j in1, {iR,SY
and next to 1t was case with hundreds OF
specimens of vegetable fibres from all over
the world, used on trial in the same incan-
descent lamps, and another case of various
sorts of bamboo, the fibre finally chosen. A
large platform held great iron pipes, with
with all the proper joints and fittings, to
show Mr.. Edison's system of conducting
electric light wires underground. Close
beside were the delicate Instruments for
registering and regulating the force of the
electric currents, and one for equalizing
the force between different wires and
changing it from one wire to another.
Perhaps as interesting a machine as any
was one showing an innocent red and white
disk. 1t is so adjusted that sound waves
from the human voice brought to bear on
this disk can produce sufficient force to
move machinery whereby man can lite
rally talk hole through board" or saw
plank III Two. luls opens an unenO1nR
vista of useful callings to men and women
who have heretofore hardly known what to
do with their nimble tongues. Then there
was the tasimeter, for measuring the heat
waves of stars, the megaphone. a curious
combination of two huge, hollow, open
cones on either side of large speaking
tube, the whole mounted on standard four
graph, finished in finest workmanship,
shining with engraved silver plates, and
mounted Oh heavy mahogany table. This
instrument was gift to Mr.. Edison from
his employees.
Once during the evening tall, broad
shouldered man with fine, thoughtful
face was seen walking about in the crowd
the hall. The beardless face, the deep-set
eyes, the dark brown hair falling over the
broad, full forehead. had been we'll repro
duced on the covers of the souvenir pro-
gramme. and the audience soon showed
their recognition of Mr.. Edison, who mod
estly hurried into a side room.
In the rooms behind the stage there was
operation. Little groups were constantly
listening to the reproductions of the cornet,
full brass band, clarinet. Fifth regiment
band, which had played into the phono-
graphs at the laboratory at Orange, while
business men stood interested around the
Office monograph into which they could
speak their letters and have them read off
and type written at the type-writer's leis-
ure.
In the basement a telephone Office has
been fitted up by the American Bell Tele-
phone company, and 200 telephones, work
ing on thirty five circuits. had been con-
nected with the various places of entertain
ment, such as the Casino, where s.The
Grand Duchess was being played, and the
theater, which was echoing to
the tunes of '"The Mikado.' Then there
was the speaking telephone" which talked
SO loudly that everyone ii the room could
hear plainly speech being made in Boston.
Twelve daintily dressed phonograph dolls
stage delighted fathers and mothers by re-
peating eaca in turn, a verse from our we'll
beloved Mother Goose. The dolly voices
were high-pitched. and, taken together,
rather monotonous. But the pleasure of a
child who has one of these dolls promises to
be endless, if he or she can restrain the
instinct to find out where the voice comes
from. for the firm who sells them will soon
be able to put in new phonograms with
fresh verses whenever the little owner de-
sires change. A miniature railroad is
another attraction, with its engine and
train of cars all complete, and running by
AS the train passes through
miniature tunnel the weight of the train
makes an electric circuit, and the tiny
lamps of the tunnel fash forth instantly,
only to go out as quickly after the passing
of the train.
Before you begin to mix griddle-cakts,
grease the pans and leave them to heat.
They should be very hot before pouring in
the mixture. which should not be allowed to
Mt Sc