The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-11-26
Greatest Inventive Genius of the
Nineteenth Century.
THE WORK PERFORMED BY HIM
Essentially Practical With True
Mechanical Instinct.
THE WIZARD OF MENL0 PARK
Is Now Recognized As the Leading
Inventor of the World.

Inventor of the World.
Thomas Alva Edison, commercial in
ventor.
1t would be extremely difficult to as
sign Mr.. Edison to any position that
would satisfy the estimate which the
general public places upon his ability.
He himself has thus defined his sphere
at the same time disclaiming all preten-
sions to scientific attainments, and maxi
ing distinction which is not always
recognized and appreciated even by pro-
fessional men.
An intimate knowledge of the work
performed by Edison, and friendly rec
ognition of his mental powers and Won
derful creative genius, forces the con-
clusion that his own estimate. while
modest, is unquestionably correct, for he
is pre-eminently commercial inventor
the greatest the world has ever seen.
He has devoted his entire life to this
occupation, supplying the defects in his
education by experience and highly de-
veloped perceptive faculties, which ena-
BILE him to anticipate demand before it
is really created or felt, as we'll as to
recognize and appreciate the salient fea-
lures of an invention, and distinguish
unerringly the course to pursue in de-
veloping it.
1t is in this particular that Mr.. Edison
towers above all competitors. He is es-
sentially practical, and possesses true
mechanical instinct. 1t is this particu-
lar trait, too, which more than any other
has won him the title "Wizard" Lord
Kelvin, the great British physicist, rec
ognized this characteristic when, in an
swering the question as to why some one
else did not invent the feeder system, he
said: "The only answer to this that I
can think of is that no one else was
Edison" Here is found the key to the
wonderful success which accompanied
Mr.. Edison throughout his career. He
saw things that others overlooked. This
perceptive faculty was sharpened by his
early experience.
He had been poor boy, a train boy on
the Grand Trunk railway at IL years Of
age, telegraph operator at Is, and a
successful inventor at II. 1t seems
rather singular that mere child should
have detected the weak spot in the tele-
graph system as practiced in those days,
and, without special training or expert
ence, overcome what had proved great
stumbling block to the development and
extension Of the system.
This was Edison's first great work-the
invention of a perfect automatic repeater
and its successful operation at once
attracted attention to his genius. It
stimulated, too, his propensity to exper-
imentalize," as he expresses it, and
thereafter he gave much thought to the
problem of duplex transmission and
other subjects Connected with practical
telegraphy, the solution of which at a
later day won distinction and wealth for
the young inventor. At that time, how
ever, he received little material assist
ance or encouragement. It was not un-
til 1868, when Edison was 81 years of
age and had been engaged in electrical
experimental work five years, that he
succeeded in gaining the support and en-
couragement that were essential to the
prosecution of his numerous enterprises.
From that time his way was compara-
ivtely clear. He had faculties for dem
onstration and research that enabled him
to- complete and present to the world in
ventions that had long been evolved in
his brain but had not been reduced to
p.actice because of lack Of means to de-
velop them.
At that time the telegraph was the
only commercial application of elec-
tricity on large scale, and for several
years Mr.. Edison's efforts toward i'm
proving this service occupied most of his
time. His brilliant and successful work
in connection with the duplex and quad
ruplex and automatic features of modern
telegraphy is regarded by many as the
greatest achievements of his life. His
principal contribution to telephony, the
carbon transmitter, probably was the
most important development in that field
as it made the telephone a commercial
instrument and enlarged the possibilities
OF it's application. Scarcely less interest
ing were his inventions in connection
with the phonograph, although that in
strunlent has not had the recognition in
the commercial world that other inven-
t!ons have gained. 1t would be difficult to
enumerate the subjects that have claim
ell the attention Of Mr.. Edison. or even
the principal improvements he has ef-
facted. His hand is discovered in every
departm mt Of applied electricity, tele-
g"aphy, telephony, electro-metalurgy
lighting: and power transmission. He is