The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-28

mans. AS you approach him he will
regard you with an intentness which
might tend TO embarrassment Speak
10 him, however, and his hand will 90
Immediately to his ear. Then you know
that he is slightly deaf He is generally
clad in long linen buster, once white,
which envelops him from head to foot.
lie nearly always wers a dilapidated
straw hat 1t would be harder to deter
mine which was the most disreputable-
the buster or the hat. But they save
him many suits of clothes, Dor Mr.. Edi-
son does not allow undue nicely in dress
to interfere with his work. He would
just as soon go to work in his chemical
laboratory wearing a dress suit as not
That is, he might forget to take it off.
His habits are simple. Though he is
not averse to any Of the luxuries of life,
yet he can for the sake of his aims cur
tail this propensity for pleasure until he
becomes almost an ascetic. There is one
luxury he has generally denied himself,
though not now so much as formerly
This is sleep. 1t is additionally supposed
that Mr.. Edison never goes to bed For
years he allowed himself but five hours
sleep day, but now he says he takes a
varying but larger amount. Napoleon
averaged but fve hours sleep per dav
Edison is one Of the few people who do
not at times have to force sleep. He ex-
plains this by saying that he can always
md something to DO every moment he is
awake.
Il used to take LEGS sleep than do
now, but am growing old and now l
take it easier. 1t runs in our family to
require little sleep. My 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 1O4 years old. find that
people can aceustom themselves to al
most any amount Of sleep II we are used
to having ten hours we will be all broken
up If VIC don't get il. but we can as
rule do with less. Try to stay up for
all but five hours for 4 couple of nights
and it will tire you out, but after you
are used to it it is easy enough.
II had man come out to the Orange
laboratory once. who said he was great
sufferer from insomnia. He wanted me
TO cure him, and agreed to do Just as I.
told him If would only make him sleep.
Well, put him to work watching a mer-
curry pump which was exhausting the 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 of feel
ing of drowsiness. The second day was
like the first. No desire 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 l do not believe that one
man in ten averages more than four hours
sleep per day"
Mr.. Edisons home life Is spent at Lie
wellyn Park, where his pretty villa stands
within flve minutes walk of his laborato-
ry Like most of his class he is reticent
concerning this part of his existence. He
has been married, and how impreFnated is
his whole being with the spirit of his re-
searches was apparent when he called
his children-a girl and a boy-"Dot" and
Dash" OF course his house shows the
evidence OF his profession though he tries
10 exclude II as much as possible as being
too much In the line of the shop" HIS
library even finds its home outside his
house. IL Is located In tho Orange lab
oatory, and II IS very complete You NAV
enter the laboratory by way OF the library
which is equipped IN the most luxurious
manner. From the handsome clock above
the fireplace 10 the marble statue rem
resenting the genius OF light everything
bespcaks refinement and taste The fig
ure Is by an Italian artist. II liz a cupid
with wings open, astride a broken gas
lamp and holding aloft q brilliant mean
descent lamp. There are 10000 volumes OF
reference I'm the room. Here. also. II the
splendid Tiffany collection OF minerals
and gems which Mr.. Edison bought In