Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-24

wife who has gone to the bad carefully kills
herself, and others that sound more like the
brilliant Emil Zola than like Mrs
| Humphrey Ward The wind-up Of the
thing is not exactly gloomy, neither can it
be called cheerful. The man in the case
has numerous women who love him, and
one of these he ultimately marries. That
seething mass of busy Americans who do
not care SO much for what is inside of books,
VIII be interested in this book on learning
that Macmillan is alleged to have paid
SloO, 200 for the right of publishing 1t.
Edison rs a Warrior Bold.
Last Saturday I had the pleasure of hear
Ing from Thomas A. Edison his first account
of his plan for fighting enemies of the
United States by means of electricity. His
idea is very pleasing one for those who
find themselves at the right end of it. He
would put an alternating machine of 20, 600
volts into each fort, connect it with o power
full stream of water, and NOW down the ap-
preaching enemy by turning that heavily
charged stream upon them. Mr. Edison
also has in mind other warlike schemes
which he could use if called upon. He
amuses himself by concocting such things,
but does not pay great attention to them or
any others that do not have an immediate
commercial value.
Mr.. Edison is peculiarly nineteenth
century man. He says that an inventors
ability to sell his patents measures accu-
rately the value of that inventors work.
The maxim is perhaps true nowadays, but it
did not apply in the cases of Gallileo and
other gentlemen who made important dis
coveries and got into trouble for their pains.
1t is an interesting fact, which perhaps may
puzzle those who make study of faces,
that about the mouth and eyes Mr.. Edison
resembles to a remarkable extent Mr.. Pat
rick Sheedy, one time manager of the re-
doubtable Mr.. John L. Sullivan.
Decorations Of the Wizard.
Mr.. Edison wears no red button in the
lapel of his coat to prove. his high rank of
Commander in the French Legion of Honor,
not even a modest little bit of red ribbon of
the sort that makes Frenchman so happy.
He is not insensible, however, to the honor
which the French conferred upon him and
exhibits with satisfaction case which Mrs.
Edison has just had made at Tifany's to
hold his foreign baubles.
First" he said, "they made me q
chevalier, then officier and finally COM
mandeur with the Grand Cross"
1t was interesting to observe Mr.. Edison,
who has solved so many intricate problems
with ease, struggling humbly and hope
lsssly with the pronunciation Of those three
French words. In alluding rather bitterly
to the lack of protection afforded to in
ventors even in this country, Mr.. Edison
stated positively that the taking out of
patents had never done him any good, in
fact, that he was 5000, 1000 poorer to-day
than If he had not taken out patents Law
suits, experiments, etc., had eaten up that
much more money than the patents had
brought in. Amy man, however, who feels
that he can invent things as Mr.. Edison
does, need not be discouraged By the above
statement. Mr.. Edison is very far from be-
ing poor, although he gets his profits from
and not from his patents.
New Law for Printers.
Typographical Union No. has this week
a rule that the compositors
which it controls shall work only FIVE days
in the week in order to give chance for |
steady employment to q greater number of |
union men than have been able to find |
work hitherto This, of course, will be de- |
nounced as an undue interference with the |
rights Of men by those who are opposed to |
the union among laboring men, and who |
think they know better than the latter what |
laboring men want.
Leaving out of consideration the question |
of the wisdom of this step 1t must in Justice |
be pointed out that the men who have influ- |
ence in the union and whose counsels have |
brought about this change are not those who |
will profit by it, as they are not men who |
6rst meet with the displeasure of the fore |
men of composing rooms, who like to select |
> set of men and keep them. 1t is certain, |
however, to strengthen the printers, as it |
will enable them to keep in the ranks of |
The union large number of men who, |
through lack of work, might be forced to ac- |
,ept work at low pay and to strengthen the |
non-union Offices.
Growing Over scor,and Yard.
The capture of the man Dowd, who made
{ business to cut the throats of men stupe- |
led by drink, was certainly good piece of |
detective work. 1t was not however, q
wonderful thing. Drunken men, wherever
;een reeling along, were followed bv de-
ectives in the hope that the murderer
night show himself, and he did show himself |
This was held up as fine example and as
-eproach to the London police. 1t was said |
hat they should have followed the White
,hapel women in the same way, and that
hat would have resulted in the capture of
he famous Ripper. The cases are not in
he least alike. The wretched women of
Whitechapel make it their business care
'ully to avoid the police, and by their
of the slums which they in
labited were able effectually to evade police
supervision and to insure the safety Of the
,reature who murdered them.
The prompt capture of this throat-cutter
Dowd exploded romantic and tragic
heorY which promptly began to circulate
IS soon as his work of cutting the throats of
lrunken men became known. The theory
vas that the work was done BY q woman |
razed by thinking over the Jack the Ripper
natter and determined to avenge on man
lind the Ripper's victims.
Morbid Curiosity In Court.
The courts have been peculiarly busy
With sensational features this week, and ed-
nittance to the different courtrooms has
een more eagerly sought than to the thea
ers, much to the disgust of those who man
ge the latter. The efforts of women to
rowd into the courts where they could hear
he details of the Searvant- Chapman case
ave recalled the focking of English women
o the various disgraceful divorce trials that
ave formed recent brilliant features of
london life. No New York newspaper
las yentured to print the details of this
jhapman case-the defense of the nurse.
'eatvant, accused of attempting the life of
lis patients wife. The fact is to the credit
f American newspapers. Those published
q London commonly print all OF the evi.
ence given in open court
Among the court attractions is the trial
a breach of promise case in which young L
roman of the stage, whom it is, perhaps,
8 well not to advertise, sues o man for
reach of promise and displays q collection
letters as remarkable for true affections
s for bad grammar. This case recalls to
ome extent the famous Baby Bunting case
'hich New York was so peculiarly fond of