Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-04-27
ruE BABY WOULDN'T CRY.

How Edison Secured the Record of Ills
yirstborn's Woes.
A dispatch from Orange, y. =, says;
The phonOgraph came to tho Edison
laboratory and the lrst baby 70 the
Edison home about the same time, and
when the baby was old enough 10 say
"Goo-g0o" and pull the great invent
or's hair in q most disrespS --ful man
ner. the phouograph was near enough
perfection to capture the baby tclh Tor
preservation among the family ar
chives. So Mr.. Edison filed zap sew
eral rolls with these pretty narJlcuIa-
lions and laid them carefully away.
But this was not sufficient The
most picturesque thing about the ba-
by's utterances was its crying, and the
record Of this its fond father deter
mined 20 secure. How it would enter
tain him i'm his Old age. lie thought,
TO start the phonograph a-g0lag and
hear again the baby walls of his first
born.
So one afternoon Mr. Ellison tore
himself from his work and cliuei the
big hin leading To- his houseHs went
I'm q great hurry. for he is man who
grudgts every working moment from
his labor. A workman followed at his
els.carying tbeOnly photograph that
at that time had been sufficiently COM
pleted % accomplish good results.
Reaching home and the nursery, Mr..
Edison started the phonogranh end
brought the baby i'm front of 1t. But
the baby didn't cry Mr.. Edison tnm-
bled the youugster about and rJmpled
it's hair and did all sorts Of things.
but still the baby didn't cry Then he
made dreadful faces, but the baby
thought they were very funny and
crOwed jOyOUsly. So back To the Ia
b0r0rOry went Mr.. Edison In q very
unpleasant frame Of mind. Tor the Ea-
by's Uutimely good hUmOr had cost
him an hour of good work. The phon-
ograph was also taken back.
But he did not give it UP. The next
afternoon he went home again ana the
photograph with him. But If the la
by was good uaured the day before.
this time 10 was absolutely caerl5ic.
There was nothing at all that its
father could do that did not make the
baby laugh. Even the phonOgraph it,
self. with it's tiny wbirring wheels. the
baby thought, was meant for it's spe-
Cial entertainment, and gurgled jOy-
Cusly SO back 20 work the inventor
went again. with q temper positively
rudled The next day and the next
De tried it, but am % no purpose. The
baby would not cry. even when walked
suddenly from sleep
But Co battle Edison is only TO in
flame his determination. which. by tho
way. is one of the secrets Of his sue
cess. SO at length. after much
thought. ne made q mighty resolve. Tt
took q vast amount of determination
on his part TO screw himself mp 90 the
point Of committing the awful deed.
but he succeeded at last and one
morning. when ne knew his wife was
down town. ne went quietly home with
the phonCgraph and stole into the nur-
sery. where the baby greeted him with
customary Elee.
Starting Che machine. Mr. Edison
ordered the nurse 20 leave the room.
Then he took the baby ON his knee
and barred its chubby little leg. He
took the tender flesh between his
thumb and finger. cliuched his teeth.
shut his eyes dght and made ready %
yes. actually 90 pinch the baby's leg
But just az t1e tGreful moment the
nurse peepej through the door and.
Vc-ceiviDE the bcvrid plot. houudered
I'm and rescued the baby i'm the nick Of
-iwe
Mr.. Edison breathcd a mighty sigh
of relief as De gathered ND the phono-
graph and went back To The laboratory.
He then gave mp the project Of phon0-
gr0~h.uE the h7Nv's crviDc
But not long afterwards he accom-
pushej his purpose after all. and quite
unexpectedly. too. As soon as the
baby was cid enough % take notice"
itsdotiug mother took itdown 10 the la
boratory one sunny day and when the
bic machinery was started a-roaripg
the baby screwed ur its face. opened
its mouth and emitted a series Of woe