The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-30

life, vet he can for the sake OF his aims
curtail this propensity for pleasure un-
I'll he becomes almost an aSeetic There
Is one luxury he has generally denied
himself. though not now SO much as
formerly This Is sleep. 1t is tradi-
uonaiiy supposed that Mr. Edison nev.
e. goes 10 bed For years he allowed
himself but i've hours sleep a day: but
now he says he takes n VARYING. bu.
larger amount. Napoleon averaged
but rve hours sleep per day. Edison Is
one of the few people who do not at
times have TO force sleep. He EXPLAINS
this by saying that he can ALWAYS End
something 10 do, every moment he is
awake.
i used to take less sleep than 7 do
row, but am growing old and now 7
take IL easier. II runs IN our family To
require little sleep. Ny father seldom
took more than five hours even when
he grew old Ny grandfather never
went TO bed at all. He used TO sit in a
chair and sleep for four or five hours
every night. He lived to be one hun
dred and four years old. l find that
people can accuston themselves 20 al
most any amount of sleep. If we are
used to having ten hours we will be all
broken up If we don't get il. but we
can as u rule do with less. Try To stay
mp for all but five hours for counle OF
nights and it win tire You out. but
after you are used TO it it is easy
enough.
Il had man come out TO the Orange
laboratory once, who said he was a
great sufferer from insomnia. He
wanted me to cure him and agreed to
do just as told him If | would only
make him sleep
We'll, / put him 10 work watching a
mercury pump which was exhausting
tie air from some incandescent lamps
] started him to work in the morning
and all that day he regulated the pump
All night long he watched, but with
no signs or feeling of drowsiness. The
second day was like the first No de-
sire for sleep. But the second night
we found him. the pump neglected and
in ruins and he fast asleep in his chair.
Why, a cannon ball wouldn't have
walked him In the population of New
York do not believe that one man in
ten averages more than four hours
sleep per day"
Mr.. Edison's home life is spent at
Llewellyn Park, where his pretty villa
stands within five minutes walk of
his laboratory. Like most msn of his
class, he is reticent concerning this
part of his existence He has been
married, and how impregnated is his
whole being with the spirit of his re-
searches was apparent when he called
his children-a girl and boy-''Dot"
and Dash" OF course, his home
shows the evidence OF his profession.
though he tries to exclude il as much
as possible as being too much in the
line of the shop" His library even
finds its home outside his house. II Is
located in the Orange laboratory, and
1t is very complete. You may enter
the laboratory by way of the library.
which is equipped in the most lux
urious manner. From the handsome
clock above the fireplace to the marble
statue representing the Genius OF
Light everything bespeaks refinement
and taste. The figure is by an Italian
artist. 1t is cupid, with wings open,
astride broken gas lamp and holding |
aloft brilliant incandescent lamp. |
There are forty thousand volumes of |
reference in the room. Here also is |
the splendid Tiffany collection of min |
erals and gems which Mr.. Edison |
bought in Paris. Around the room are
hung interesting portraits, drawings,
etc.
But Mr.. Edison has very little time
to devote to the Establishments Of home
life. Until within recent years his
home has been like the English sailors
he SHE'D his castor
hence we get a better view of him In
the mountains than in Orange, where |
he visits but once a week. At his mine /
be is surrounded by people Of his kind. |
from the scientific standpoint, and |
while he may be away from the world /
n person. the world is with him in
spirit This was evidenced a short
lime ago when he received a slight in
ury through falling off a porch. Let
ers Of sympathy and inquiry poured
n on the little post Office from all parts
If the world