The Republican., 1890-05-24

turn availed themselves of his services,
and, his inventive faculties getting full
play, he took out over fifty different
patents in connection with improve.
ments in telegraphy. In 1876 the Wiz.
ard established his laboratory at Menlc
Park, in New Jersey, from whence he
has given invention after invention tc
an astonished world.
Nearly all these inventions, which
number about three hundred, were to be
seen at tho Paris Exposition. Never be-
fore had such collection of the great
inventors triumphs been brought to-
gether. They were exhibited with the
object OF tracing the history of his numer
Gus inventions and of showing their pres.
ent perfected state. Mr.. Edisons exhibit
occupies no less than nine thousand
square feet. Four systems of electric
ighting-the three-wire central station
system, the two-wire isolated system,
the municipal system for street-lighting
and the direct current transformer. Diff
ferent vegetable products which Mr..
Edison has experimental with in max
ing carbons were also exhibited. He has
tried twelve hundred different kinds OF
bamboo alone, and is at present using
the fiberof peculiar species Of bamboo,
which comes from some foreign country,
but he still continues to experiment,
sending men to different parts of the
world with the view of discovering
something which will still further per
feet his carbon.
Next, there was the telephone depart
ment showing what Mr.. Edison has
done, from his original instrument down
to his latest improved photograph or
loud-speaking telephone. Mr.. Edison
has devoted large amount of his time
and energies to perfecting the tele-
phone, and here we have his multiple
telephone, his autographic telephone,
and many others, including his wonder
full automatic telephone, which is
capable of transmitting words at the
lightning speed of 1900 per minute.
Then there was the telegraph depart
ment, which shows among other things
that marvellous train system of tele-
graphing-by which messages are sent
from a train travelling at fifty miles an
hour on track fifty feet from the tele-
graph wires.
The photographic department was
perhaps the most interesting Of all.
When ten years ago Mr.. Edison de-
clared that he had conceived and i'm
perfectly constructed machine which
could distinctly repeat any sound that
might be produced from symphony in
Wagner to the squall of a one-year-old
baby, the world took to laughing. To-
day, however, his factories are turning
out forty perfected machines day, and
some 1,s00 are already in use in various
business houses Mr.. Edison has since
created a pocket phonograph, the
cylinder of which will take some three
hundred. words-about the length of an
ordinary letter. One of these is now in
use at tho New York World Office. The
machine is placed downstairs. The
reporters como in and talk into 1t. The
cylinder is then taken up stairs to tho
composing-room, and the oompositors
set up from its dictation, not only at
tanning greater speed than on the old
system, but earning moro money.
Mr.. Edison speaks very confidently Of
his new ore-eXtracting machine, which
promises to revolutionize the mining Of
ore. Tho machine by a very Simple
process separates the ore from the earth,
and leaves it ready for the furnace. As
vet it is only adapted to iron ore, but
! the Wizard is now studying the question
OF machine for dealing with both re-
fractory silver and gold ore, and he will
probably get them out in the near fut-
| urc.
The "far-sight machine" also prom
ises to be a big thing, but it is absurd to
say that it will enable man to see his
| wife two thousand miles away. In a
city, however. it will be OF practical use
and for tho present, at least, the Wizard
does not look for any thing further.
Among some fftY-five yet moro extra
ordinary inventions in progress in Mr
Edisors laboratory is ono which con-
eernA Ssrid navigation, and it is not un'