The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-20

the evidences Of his poverty increase.
There were two years in which he
was working over the telautograph
that he did not have a caller. The
moment he put the thing to an actual
test his house was thronged with peo-
pie who were so intensely interested
in him that he could find no time for
his research. A company was organ
lied. A majority of the stock was sold
in New York. His little share has
since disappeared. The company which
now controls the invention has about
Drought 1t to actual perfection, and
Prof Gray will get nothing
This sort of thing has been going on
so long that he has come to expect it.
He first met hard luck in 1875. He had
spent years in his laboratory improy-
ing his plan q the speaking telephone.
He had the thing perfected and sent
the caveat to Washington. There was
leak in the patent office. A man
VINO had filed his application some
months before called and withdrew it.
he SAID he wanted to make some mod
tfications in his specifications. The
very plans in Prof. Gray's papers wers
incorporated in his own A law suit
followed between the two patentees
Prof. Gray was defeated, despite the
best he could do. All he got was a
right to collect royalties on certain
time
ana was then fooled out of it.
His Present Operations.
This man is now in abject poverty.
His present plan of invention embraces
a conviction that electricity can be nro-
duCed without eXtraneous aid sucb as
steam. He insists that the energy oh
tanned from coal through steam will
be turned directly into electricity Ia
claims that too much of the latent on
ersy is lost in the roundabout transfor
nation. and that the direct results viii
pe sooner or later obtained without tho
waste of force. Inc
Time and time again he has tried 70
utilize the electrical currents - ~ ~
air He has abandoned that tbao,.+S
he says that the force manifested in
the air is the result of conflict of
natural force, and exists in the air oc
form of energy. 1t NAV have haa-o
llght or heat before it was CHANGED 70
electrlclty. He does not think II can
ever De turned back into electricity FOR
the generation of power. -0'
Prof Gray talks thus of Tho oo,,;x-
inventions. even in the midst 81 t-'i ,,;s
personal failure He is no LONGER obio
TO provide for himself a studio wbint
is free from invasion. There =
house full of children. The nreoi,7o+ d
which have heretofore been sacrad -
him are now the haunts of roistarino
boys and girls. The reception room IS
perpetually strewn with TOYS rTha
boarders flock to his house AZ fba In ne
OF the whistle. The young women
Whack at the piano in the sitting room
The grounds have been neglected The
art treasures have disappeared. Tho
fine tapestries and statuarv are conc
The cid cry for reward in fame has
been supplanted by a lament that
guardian was not selected while If was
not too late.
Began as Farm Roy.
This state of affairs is of more worry
to the aristocratic neighb0rs in Hiob-
land Park than it is to the inver+o-
himself Poverty has no terrors fo,.
him. Riches have been the eycan4ior
rather than the rule His first wei,
was as farm boy His father ,pd
mother were Quaker farmers in Rel
mont county. Ohio David Grav H.
father, died when Elisha was twaI,-e
years old. The best work the bow co,id
get was as apprentice to the VILLAGE
blacksmith.
1t did not take him long TO master
this trade. but he found his arms VeYa
not big enough to stand the swing of
the hammer from early morning until
late at night. He thought he would
make better success as a carpenter \
friend Of the family at BrownsviIle
Pa, consented to take the youngsttr
as a joiner.
This sort of work pleased him until
he became Of age and began to think.
He had always been a close reader,
The desire for an education led him
to change his plans. He saw not much
of a future as carpenter. Some cir
cumstance or other brought his atten-
ton to Oberiin college. where a young
man without money was as welcome as