Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-05-03
HE BABY WOULDN'T CRY.
How Edison Finally Secured Record 81
His FirstbOrn's Woe.

How Edison Finally Secured Record o.
His FirstbOrn's Woe.
Here is a story they tell over the tea
cups in Orange, N. j., where Edison
lives:
The photograph came to the Edison
laboratory and the first baby to the Edi-
son home about the same time, and
when the baby was old enough to say
"Goo-goo" and pull the great inventor
hair in a most disrespectful manner, the
photograph was near enough perfection
to capture the buoy talk for preserya-
ton among the family archives. So Mr..
Edison filled up several rolls with these
pretty inarticulations and laid them
carefully away.
But this was not sufficient The most
picturesquet thing about the baby utter
ances was its crying, and the record Of
this its fond father determined to Sc
cure. How it would entertain him in
his old age, he thought, to start the
photograph a-going and hear again the
baby walls of his firstborn.
So one afternoon Mr. Edison tore him
self from his work and climbed the big
hill leading to his house. He went in a
great hurry, for he is man who
grudges every working moment from
his labor. A workman followed at his
heels carrying the only phonograph that
at that time had been sufficiently COM
pleted to accomplish really good results.
Reaching home and the nursery Mr..
Edison started the photograph and
brought the baby in front Of it. But the
baby didn't cry. Mr.. Edison tumbled
the youngster about and rumpled 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 joy
ously. So back to the laboratory went
Mr. Edison in a very unpleasant frame
of mind, for the baby's untimely good
humor had cost him an hour of work
The photograph was also taken back
But he did not give it up. The next
afternoon he went home again, and the
monograph with him. But if the baby
was good natured the day before this
time it was absolutely cherubic. There
was nothing at all that its father could
do that did not make the baby laugh.
Even the photograph itself, with its
tiny, whirring wheels the baby thought
was meant for its special entertainment
and gurgled joyously. So back to work
the inventor went again, with a temper
positively ruffled. The next day and the
next he tried it, but all to no purpose
The baby would not cry, even when
walked suddenly from sleep.
But to battle Edison is only.to inhame
his determination, which, by the way
is one of the secrets of his success. So
at length after much thought be made
a mighty resolve 1t took vast amount
Of determination on his part to screw
himself up to the point Of committing
the awful deed, but he succeeded at last
and one morning, when he knew his
wife was down town, he went quietly
home with the photograph and stole in
to the nursery where the baby greeted
him with customary glee.
Starting the machine, Mr.. Edison or
dered the nurse to 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
clinched his teeth, shut his eyes tight
and made ready to-yes-actually to
pinch the baby's leg.
But just at the fateful moment the
nurse stepped through the door, and
perceiving the horrid plot lounced in
and rescued the baby in the nick Of
time.
Mr.. Edison breathed a mighty sigh Of
relief as he gathered up the monograph
and went back to the laboratory. He
then gave up the project Of monograph
ing the baby's crying.
But not long afterward he accom-
plished his purpose after all, and quite
Unexpectedly too. As soon as the baby
was old enough to take notice, " its
doting mother took it down to the lab
oratory one sunny day, and when the
big machinery was started a-roaring the
baby screwed up its face, opened its
mouth and emitted a series Of woeful
screams that made Mr.. Edison leap to
his feet
"Stop the machinery and start the
monograph" he shouted, and the record
Of his baby's crying was then and there
accomplished. New York Herald.