Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-04-08
ELISHA GRAY's WAYS.

Inventions That Made More Money
for Others Than for Himself.
Prof. Elisha Gray, the inventor of
the telephone, and the owner of
brain which was the means of max
ing millionaires Of 20 men, one of the
three greatest inventors of the cent
ury, found himself poor man at 65,
and in the very shadow Of the palaces
of some of the men who have Toasted
| from the products of his brains he
| lived in humble house, the half of
whose rooms and table were shared
! by day boarders, who pay the regula-
ton price of the weekly meal ticket.
He could sit in his place in Highland
Park, ILL.,, and call the names of a
score of powers in the world of
| finance who have caught him in a cor
ner, found him without a penny, and
fooled him into selling his patents
latter days is that he did not have
conservator appointed when he had
money.
Prof. Gray knew his failing better
than anyone else. He made fortunes
and spent them. He never had any
considerable amount Of money that
he did not think it was enough to last
forever. 1t never occurred to him to
be scientist for money. He never
looked for any return save the fame.
70 Ia sci,
plan for an improvement in the work
of the telephone. The Improvement
was caught up on sight. It brought
him check for $4,000. He thought
this was enough to last him the bal
ance of his life. He ordered his wife
and family to pack the trunks. They
sailed for Europe the next week.
There was nothing too good or ex-
pensive for them buy They brought
home pictures, statuary and art treas
ures, and the home was decorated
like a palace.
This season of extravaganza was
followed by one of reduced circum-
stances. The professor became filled
with an idea that it would be prac-
ticable to send autograph messages
by telegraph. The plan took so much
Of his time that he forgot to pay the
grocer and the butcher. The barn
on his homestead became his study.
He borrowed all the money he could
get his friends to loan him. This went
for wires, batteries and machinery.
To
on his mind that time and again he
was carried by his station in his trips
to Chicago for material He lived
like man in a perpetual dream. The
men who knew him knew that some
emasculate it. Suppose, for moment,
thing great was to transpire. They
waited.
"The time to deal with Gray is when
he is dreadfully hard up" said the
president of one of the telegraph com
panies. ut is never good business to
make him an offer when he has
money. He has now on the string an
invention which is going to revolu-
tionize telegraphy. He wants a big
price for his idea, which is in practi-
cal working order. His figures are
away up. The thing to do is to wait
until his bills get away up. He will
then sell for song
The professor spent year in i'm
proving bicycle lamp. The improve
ment was quickly gobbled up by man
who had money and paid cash-the
smallest possible fraction of it's ac-
tual worth. This trait, possibly more
than his greatness, made him one of
the most sought-after men in Chicago.
His neighbors were most solicitous
keeping tabs on his habits for a quar-
ter of a century. He said that he had
more friends after a long season Of
confinement and study than at other
times. He thought he was watched
like vultures watch feeding-ground.
His friends increased as the evidences
of his poverty increased.
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
people who were so intensely intercs-
ted in hin that he could find no time
for his research. company was or
ganized. A majority of the stock was
aold in New York. His little share
has since disappeared. The company
yhich now controls the invention has
about brought it to actual perfection
md Prof Gray got nothing
This sort Of thing has been going or
Q long that he came to xpect it. H
'rst met hard luck in 1875 He he
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