The sun., 1897-01-03
AN ELECTRIC WONDER.
EDIsoN's CARBoNIzED FILAMEST
AND IfS WORK.

light, what q wonderful thing is the bit OF car
bon fllament that gives life to this most modern
substitute for the tallow dip of the forefathcrsf
Only two generations ago mankind was con-
tent and even thankful when night came on TO
put fire to the wick Of q tallow candle. and
then. armed with q pair OF scissorslke snuff
ers. to trim the crustIng wick from time to
time. and, leaning far over to ward the public
light. carry on study or reading for pleasure
with full belief that nothing better could 90
devised to dispel tho shadow. Later cAme tho
solsr lamp, which. fed with sperm OIL proved
vastly better. and q generation ago. with tho
discovery OF cheap gas making and OF kerosene
oil. It seemed as II both city and country peo-
ple we're provided with illuminants which had
mnde night rs nearly like day as was possible
for the finite powers OF man.
Then In the late seventies came that most
wonderful practical demonstration by tho
wizard OF Menlo Park that there was \ new
use for electricity, ushering in light which
put all others into the shade aud proved to tho
whole world that the possibilities OF onthralled
lightning were beyond all the previous dreams
Of mankind. To-day. in homes or offices. in
hotels. theatres, railroad stations. street cars.
and ferrybonts one finds this subtlv genius
doing its work. and whether one be in America
or Europe IL Is only necessary to turn a button
Is pcrhaus the greatest blessing given by inven-
tlons OF modern dnvr. one man Is to be thanked,
and he is Thomas A. Edison. He is the invon-
tor OF tho carbon fllamcnt which has made tho
incandescent electric lamp a commercial sue
cess, and the industries To which his genius
gave life have perfected and Chea ?ened IL until
there arc few towns 80 small that they cannot
have the benefit OF this best OF lights by the
later developments Of storage batteries even
isolated country houses aio provided with
plants which enable them TO vie with the
houses OF the city IN brilliant illumination.
Tesla and few others OF the great men OF cleo
trical science hold out promises that some day
people may he able To do away with the pres
cnt form OF electric lighting and substitute for
It Tubes which will glow brilliantly. hut this
is all In tho future. There is nothing at pres.
ent to compete with the invention OF Edison.
What this electric lamp IS all can see. There
Is hrsta bulb OF clear glass set in a socket
which contains also n button which turns the
vivifylng current. Within this bulb quivcrs
the soul OF the lamp. with the lamp lighted
this appears 20 he merely curved streak OF
fire. II may lie possible for the eve to distin.
Guish that IL has In some cases the form OF an
elongated horseshoe. and In othc-s that this Is
complicated by tho addition os n longer or
shorter oval section between the outer lines
o I'e u out no eye is sharp enough 10 pierce
tho brIllancy OF its light and SEQ the actual
thing from which this radiance proceeds.
Look Mt tho lamn again by daylight with tho
electric current turned or. and there. within
the bulb OF glass, You will see tiny thread ot
something black. 30 delicate that II rivals the
aspen leaf in It's restlcssncss. This Is the Edi-
son carbon nlament, which Is not only tle
great light Giver OF the new era, but Is at the
Hame time one OF the most expensive OF the
products OF human ingenuity. A few OF tho
,,,, -, >,,,-., ,,.-
''"u u''e vi ''"'H'es ''uo'a'oES' COSTLY oe-
cause OF their rarity. such as gems Of da
mond, ruby, sapuhir,. and pearl. surpns, lila
.ay,',,',,, ata.oo.i ,n - .,,,,S .''''
''''''" o"i ." 'a,"e, "N' No'u 70 "A "'oHs
compared with 1t, ard the man who would
- 90 r.,.., ,,, - ..,.i., =, =, y
NV y" iepe"' ,"' 'a'er eApe''ehees OF tne
their money to market In n haskell and hrou,h.
80. :, .tr ,,,,.,ha.,, T., . -. -, N,
wrt,ins in a II ade newspaper So recently directed
attention 20 tho .normou, win. which no,
SSmem,s have when Estimated by tho ,c po,'nS 'vS
nn",ruupgiis' a''T "a E.n rePTFter F Ven 10 mo
~, np WnErIson MIsnS io"l Into ,bis "nny
~, ~ ~, 'sV, ~ ~; w 'I.'" W .",a inLlVStiis
suo fetI Gupet nv ,,t NJ Enre oern'ne inter
,b"irh /, was NOT new oUs IN hIm, %r''T' o.d a.
summonur some cot OF his department mt assistan,s, % us
rs,nmiat;oms ~" '"''' "e'' e''''e 'e'' interesting
The . standard lamp for general use Is Of sir.
la n,, ,f la, 10 ~ n
.ry % rnG IgoUUUyI @
c,re'rn lambs r usei eNtIS var IN tLo Worlu
r|c cn 10 , or,,'.u ~ " NUM-. ~ yer Ccnt, a
nnn n,ae' i 'Vr i ,ma, snru i"p p measures
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iehgth, "hu W oi 'HVse nut upoh tfhe
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spnh % ] usiT"r'rnIuu 1mn'' VA ,'upu Era'ns 10
ornS rnSS oouhu etU,unposs' aI' ~ Woulu taNS l4u,;
,Tot a, ~. cprrrnt nsrtot 10 aHe ri ~ ro1.: Snu
t"as ~ WY ma Nvt iHt' i"r ,hesc, sIV
thousand, .heir "a 'sims nM %outa h' sl,ioo;
nan nan Gun SnsT iou souus n ,,, IN snck on MS
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VI rm oIii his lp' "ounu pc wo,th Ssatu.uoo.
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s sai mhe" ' 'Ui,aV&n ~ ,h & WIN that U, soine LOT
un, My s,i M , ~. nv, hme 'a,.ps ,im'f w helh"r
~ ~n,a,,e., oo w 'aise @ VI sann,i inih.H ~ costs
hu. A. .ne naue sun, .o w ~. nHt Us can,
w., @ Sh ,tVI ntvh. ~, ~ w ~ N.hs
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tps dpi nnvuo " Enr tri pno H. W1 is ~ thrSe,
u .hu'9 pomui, III s',ta n,v nmo S'Gt 10 oi u
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as s ,hoa Inra ,o,,i onn ,'',n untl''lis
vu ,''' nn S nI ~ ~ ot tnoSo no
u -, pou,,1, "" S'''nu mou Nv "uu nl Stu,vuu.
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mh WI s" ~ ,nns af I'M ~ uenla un's
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