The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-07
INVENTOR THOMAS A. EDISON.
What llc Looks Like. What Kind OF
Clothes lie Wears aud How he Acts.
Ills Visit to the German Emperor.
lIegargeo in Phila delphla Times.

The greatest man In this country
yes, the greatest in the world-has Deen
spending a few days in Philadelphia.
lie will return next Thursday to attend
the dinner of the Clover club. his name
is Thomas A. Edison. The World in the
eras OF its progress has known the
Golden of patriarelal Age the Silver
or voluptuous Age, the Bronze or war;
like Age, the Heroic or renalssaTt Age,
n nd tle modern Age of Iron. But sue
ceedinG generations will refer to this
period of time as the Electric age, and
it will owe that appellation to the mar
yelous discoveries of the Wizard or
MEMO Park. Franklin occupies prom
inent niche in the Temple OF Fame
largely because his kite, lying above
where the Philadelphia Post office now
stands, drew lightning from the clouds.
Edison has not only harnessed the cleo
trical current, but he has made 1t per-
form marvels almost beyond belief. Yet
the only monument to his fame which
have seen is n small bust in the en-
tranceway to the Edison company's
building, on Samson street. above
Ninth, and which is nightly Illuminated
by the rays of the incandescent lig/
which bears his name. But this, Pr
hans, Is al it should be, and certainly
as he would like 1t. Heis still alive and
public adulation Is not of his seeking.
When he is gone or transferred or
Observation-Disclosures the process
may be-the future will do credit to the
present.
The Most Democratic OF Men.
The famous wizari, greater than king
or potentate, Is the most democratic OF
men. Picture to yourself ay-haired
man with q boys face round, rubicund,
beardless, rarely unrippled by smile:
sturdy of figure, with a 7A hat pressed
down on q broad forehead, with CLOTH
ing loosely-fitting, baggy, an appear
ance about it. not of age, but or never
having been new; with scant necktle
and an uncovered eXpanse of shirt front
Literally besprinkled with TOBACCO
juice.
That is Thomas A. Edison.
A long-listening ear to the delicate
vibrations of the phonograph mas
brought him near to incurable dear
ness AS he bends his head to what
you have to say his right hand acts as
a receiver for his dulled tympanum, ms
face. for the time being, displaying
that blank expression peculiar to the
deaf but Frightening into acute intelli-
Cence as the meaning of the words
reaches him. If it is a witticism his
countenance breaks into tumult OF
laughter, his body bends and he slaps
his thigh vehemently. There never was
a. more enjoyable companion; never
more natural man; boy with gray
hair and the record of his birth a
ridiculous falsehood. Think of this
picture and then of the ihcandescent
light. the telephone, the phonograph.
the kinetoscope and hundreds OF minor
electrical wonders.
His Start In Life.
Dr. Norvin Green, the longtime pres
ident of the Westf ..Union Telegraph
company, claimsS - gave Edison
the employr >the begin
ming of HI ?, which,
as is W, )ion
corpora Ted.
Edison peers
IF tho - Z de-
vices theVl1,. came
into the otficsrff as i'm
possible to obta.,na.nrnun.cation be-
tween New York and Albany and the
seat of the difficulty could not be To-
Gated He was banteringly invited to
remedy the trouble. He said he could
do so in two hours. He was laughed
at and given two days for the task. His
process was very simple. He tele-
graphed to the best operator in Pitts
burg, and instructed him to telegraph
to the best operator In Albany. The
line as far as he could. feeling his way
from point to point, and sending the re-
suits to the Pittsburg man. who for
wardad them to Edison. In less than
one hour Edison said to the anxious Of
ficials: 1.-THE break is two miles from
Poughkeepsie." That simple method
insured his status with the Western
Union people, and won for him hear
ing In all his schemes.
Visits Emperor William.
BY Grace of the Holy Roman En-
rJirc Thomas \. Edison bears the rank
&C count Eu. this distinction by the
italian Emperor means little to him.
Ii, fact he has a box full of emblems
of royal favor which are treasured only
by his wife, and rarely gazed upon
experience he had with the present
German emperor.
While In Berlin lie received an in
vitation TO visit William the Warrior
in his palace. and on the appointed day
q state carriage, gorgeous In golden
ornaments, drawn by six horses and
with outriders, called for him. This
display abas1ied the niCdest-minded in
ventor and he said that he would reach
the imperial paiace in his own way. He
walked When he reached the desig-
mated place. the flunkeys in charge de-
CIineu 10 take MS cara TO the TOpal
presence, his humble appearance maxi
ing 1t seen impossible to them that he
was to have audience with their august
master Edison, no wise disappointed.
returned to his hotel, where, shortly.
he was waited upon by a court official
conveying Wdlliam's regrets for the
mistake, and a request that he would
visit the palace neyt day, and bring
w ith him one of his monographs. He
did so. The emperor took him into his
private cabinet, no one else being pres
ent, carefully closed all the doors and
then besought him to take the marvel
ous invention apart and explain to him
all ITS workings. This was done, and
the inventor was invited to attend
court reception next day, and to bring
the phonograph with him. Upon this
occasion the great American found the
emperor surrounded with a brilliant
throng of mobiles. each one decorated
with the insignia of his rank-Edison,
Think. calls them dog collars" When
lhe produced his mysterious invention.
the emperor. took 1t in hand, eyed 1t
critically, as though he had never seen
1t before: then took 1t apart and ex-
planned to the amazed courtiers ex-
actly how it performed Its wonders.
He never said a word about his in
str1pction of the day before.
] have heard it whispered that be-
Meath his breath Edison whispered of
the German Kaiser, "An unmitigated
fraud" And perhaps there was n
damn" somewhere In the expression