The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-04-05

This question was put to Mr.. Thomas
A.. Edison a few days ago. If any mar
| living. by virtue of his W wonderful
successes in the field Of invention, is
competent to answer it, Mr.. Edison is
the man.
The fact that he never speaks of what
he is going TO do. hut always of
he has done. gives his remarks on this
subject the greatest value. his Ca
pacity for taking pains. winch Carlyle
said was the essence of genus. Is in
deed infinite. and his assertion Is that
| this and this alone is what has given
him success.
If YOU want a recipe for how to sue
| coed as an inventor said Mr.. Edison,
Il can give It to You IN 4 very few
words. and it Will do for II other bus
incss in which YOU might wish to ell
gage. First, find out if there is a real
need for the thing which YOU want 10
invent. Then start in thinking about it.
Get up at 6 O'Clock the first morning and
work until > O'Clock the next morning.
| Keep on doing his until something in
your line develops itself. If 1t don't
do 50 pretty soon, YOU had better shorten
your sleeping hours and work a little
harder while you are awake. If you
follow that rule, YOU can succeed as an
inventor, or as anything else for that
matter. 1t was the following Of just
such a rule that led to the invention OF
the electric light, the monograph and
the MICROSCOPE"
ANY ONE MAY BECOME AN IN
NENTOR.
Il believe he continued, that any
person, even of the most limited capac-
ity, could become an inventor by sheer
I.,.l -x.,l- W., c,, IL almost 81 y + Nm.
if YOU keep at it long enough. OF course,
the man with a natural aptitude would
get there first. but the other plOdder
would eventually gain his point. The
constant breeding on the one thing is
sure to develop new ideas concerning it.
and these, in their turn, suggest others,
and soon the completed idea stands out
before YOU. Above all things a man
must not give up once he has outlined
his plan of action. A ball rolling down
hill is sure to reach the bottom ulti-
mately. no matter how many obstacles
stand in the way. 1t is this principle
which finally levels mountains. So,
once fairly on your way. don't stop be-
cause of some seemingly impossible
obstacle in front of you What you
want may be just beyond your nose.
though you do not see it.
Il once had that fact fOrcibly pro-
scented to me. / was working on an in
vention and finally reached a point when
/ could go no further. The thing lacked
something. but. try as / mig ht. | could
not tell what it was. Finally l got an
Cry at it and threw the whole business
out of the window. Afterwards ]
thought how foolish the action was and
] went out and gathered up the wreck.
In putting it together again l saw just
What was needed. Repairing the bro
ken portions suggested it. and it was 50
simple that | wondered ! had not seen
it before. Now that little addition to
the apparatus could have been ascer-
tanned by a little thoughtful experiment.
alton. | suppose l found it OUT quicker
because of the accident but that does
not alter the moral OF the incident.
HOW HE WORKS OUT HIS IN
MENTIONS.
"how do | go about invanting :; con
trivance? Well, that is hard 10 say.
Everything requires different treatment.
First. as / said, | lind ont if there IS ).
real need for the thing. Then / go at
It and attack it III every way | can think
out. This multiplied attack soon sim
mers down, until ] get what might be
called a composite idea-something
which is a combination Of all ! have
thought before, or else the one feasible
idea which really seems to discount all
the rest. Having once got started on
what | think is the right track | keep
up the pace until the goal is reached.
Thc only thing, therefore. | can say to
the young inventor is to so and do like
wise. There IS one piece OF advice | can
give, however. When a man starts in
to invent, let him 40 50 with his mind
free from Ill knowledge of what has
been done already in the particular field
he is investigating. For instance. if
am about to work out something. | ney-
er read up on it. nor do | inquire what
has been done N it by other inventors.
knowledge of this kind is almost GER
tain to prove i snag in the path of the
inventor
inventor. He gets into the rut made by
his predecessors and stops off where
they have stopped. On the other hand,
if he goes in Il direction of his own.
there are no ruts ahead of. him; nothing.
III fact, to obstruct his progress. | lave
several times made inventions in this
manner: then when | hal completed
them | have read up on The subject.
found my wv ideas We're entirely orig
lnal, but at the same tine the ideas of
the other fellows were so GOOD no to q i.
certain point, that ! should have been
tempted to have followed in their foot
steps II | had done any previous read
ing up.
MEN OF THE SANGUINE, SANDY
KIND
"Of course the question of natural an
tltude enters into the matter. and with
out it no man can become Il star: never
thelesS, it is an auxiliary attainment.
logged perseverance, is really the oual-
lty most to be desired. Dogscd per
severance is the keystone of success.
In the arts. such as painting. music.
poetry and 50 forth. Il very special tenn
permanent may be required, but in the
workshop Of science men of the SAN
guinc. sandy kind come out ahead
The mail who keeps 1T one thing and
uaXcr minds he cinck * alArnrS Suro -