The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-19
Mr.. EDISON'S PLANS.

It is of hopeful augury for progress in
manufactures that Edison has turned his
extraordinary capacities Of energy from
electricity to metailurgy. The two fields
of research and invention intimately react
on one another. and electrical science may
be regarded as in it's infancy, but quite as
useful results to mankind might be ex-
pected from Edison laboring on problems
in metallurgy as from any further progress
In the phonogra pb, The kinetograph, OF
even the electric light. If he could hit
upon q practical method of converting the
energy in coal directly into electricity he
would, at bound, free industry from
heavy and costly weight of intermediate
processes before electric power can be OBJ
tanned, unless resource is had TO the forces
of nature in running water or air currents.
The inventor does not exaggerate in the
least when he says tina: this achievement
will mark a new era in the history of man.
kind. 1t will certainly mark new era in
the history OF California, for then our
population will be comparatively well off
in available mechanical power. Wherever
there is coal field, north, south or east,
its equivalent in electricity could be trans
mitted to the seats of industry where
power is needed Instead of having the
coal carried hundreds of miles TO furnaces
it can be burned on the spot and it's heat
made to reappear at distance We are,
perhaps, on the verge OF this discovery
being made, and yet it seems far from
realization.
In metallurgy there IS much to learn
about the extraction of metals from ores
and the alloys which render them more
Seryiceable. Wonderful results NAV vet
be attained BY cheaper methods of obtain
ing aluminium, which is light, tough and
nOn-oXidlZable. Recent advances have
been important, but we are far from bav-
ing so abundant metal as cheap as iron.
Inc facility of applying electricity aud the
enormous heat thereby developed may
open the way to ready extraction of alu-
mlnum on grand commercial scale.
Could we have huge steamers built of this
metal navig alton would ouistrip present
attainments in an as founding degree. The
whole field of alloy N anipulation of metals
is rich for the experimental, snd promises
great rewards, If we may judge from what
has been done already in steel-making. the
production Of armor. and in many other
directions.
=
work for the present are curious. He de-
slres to avoid investig which necessi-
tate the protection of his labor by patents,
for patents themselves cannot be protected
adequately. There is harvest of ltiga-
ton. but nuch disappointment. Perhaps he
will fare no better in metallurgy. In many
cases there are several methods of doing
the same thing The moment a patent is
announced an ingenious mechanician takes
the mechanism apart and reconstructs it on
some other lines. which he calls his own
invention. There rarely is 10 machinery
complete creation. Some of the ideas are
borrowed and improved upon. For the
supply of any general want or any COM
modify in general use there may be scores
OF patents. The inventor often includes a
broad description of what is merely pro-
cess under his patent, but is often told be
has shot his net too wide. 1t must be said
that when patentee goes to law he raises
cloud of confusion. He has to deal with
lawyers, not with engineers or scientists.
and the lawyers have the merest smatter-
ing of what it is desirable they should
know. The court gropeS through techni-
calities. the experts explain and demon
strate and the lawyers wrange and OBJ
fuscate. a decision looks luminous and
decisive. but pretty soon it is pulled to
pieces and finally for great object is
almost unattainable. What to do is a
puzzle. If the inventor can keep his secret
lie is better without patent. AS rule
patent is a proclamation to the world TO 90
ahead and do better.