The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-01-13

1nOuSduuS OF persons 10 WHOM Cne
name of Edison is familiar have never
heard of this youthful scientist, yet he
has had large part in experiments
and discoveries that have startled the
world. For years he has spent most
of his waking and many of his sleeping
hours in the laboratories of his father,
those incubators of mysterious things
born to amaze. All these matters he
has known from his youth up, and en-
ters upon his manhood with wonder
full equipment of knowledge. But why
did he not stay with his father? Why
not be a partner instead of rival?
The explanation calls UP a curious
picture. Figuratively speaking, one
bright morning last August, Edison
called the young man to him and spake
thus:-
Thomas, my soy, you know almost
as much as your father. but what you
know will never be Of uss to you un-
til you know men. Get ont, Thomas,
and study men. Brush up against the
world for while, and let us see what
ideas. Work them. Good morning."
So the young man started out, with
head full of ideas, and lusty desire
to make himself heard in the worlds
noisy traffic. To-day he has an office
in big building in New York and the
big electrical manufacturing companies
with the long titles and the capital Of
many millions are studying this young
man with great care, while pretend
ing that they are not aware of his ex-
istence.
This is very hollow pretence, how
ever, for he has attacked them in their
own strongholds. He has invented a
device which, he says, is only the first
of series of improved appliances in
various lines of electrical work. 1t Is
an incandescent lamp, similar to the
one now in use to the inexperienced
eye, but possessing, it is said, many
advantages. He calls it the Edison
Junior" with conscious pride, and
claims for it superiority over all others
in the important details of vacuum and
filament.
To achieve these results the young
man designed his own pump, and says
that with it he can exhaust ten lamps
to high degree of perfection in less
time than is required by the ordinary
vacuum pumps generally used to ex-
haust one lamp. The filament is his
own invention also-a chemical COM
,loo 81
Fahrenheit, making it as near abso-
lutely pure carbon, as it is possible to
obtain. Curiously enough, neither the
pump nor the filament has been pat
ented.
"My fathers experience has taught
me to steer clear Of the Patent Office.
He has taken out scores of patents,
but he has spent as much money and
time fighting to uphold them, l guess,
as they are worth. I'm going to keep
my ideas to myself. Secrecy is a bet
ter safeguard than patent any time"
Undoubtedly young Edison believes
in secrecy. The ideas for this lamp
came to him four or five years ago, but
he quietly stored them up against a
rainy day. This having come, he ruts
them to excellent use.
Young Edison Is highly gratifed
with the result of his business venture.
His father, it should be observed, has
nothing to do with this lamp, yet it is
being manufactured and sold in large
quantities. The young man declined
to say where his financial backing
came from, but as he speaks of travel
lers on their way to South America,
of Pacific coast agencies, and of the
Japanese and Chinese trade, it is to
be presumed that large amounts are
interested, and the big companies en-
ploying his respected father must
Wfke up.