Arizona republican., 1902-04-21
TOLD OF MARCONI.
Social Side of the Youthful Italian
 Inventor.

One of the best friends of Marconi, the youthful Italian inventor, recently called him a most unsocial individual. The observation is interesting, but it is not quite true. Marconi is not social in the sense of being devotee of pink teas. receptions and the like, but he is the sort of man who makes a good companion to his intimates who know how to keep within the range of his interests.
 And his range of interests is not linn ited, by any means. There are few sub jects in the line of physical science or invention which he has not studied and he is acquainted with the work of many inventors in other subjects. He plays the piano fairly well, having studied under a master for several years of his childhood. He is an all round athlete. He speaks several lam guages. Now, a man does not have to be all of these things in order to be successful inventor of wireless teleg- raphy. He is them because he is great man in more ways than one.
 The fact is, Marconi really wants to be sociable toward every one, but his scientific side does not allow him to carry out his inclinations.
 ''I should like to go away from all the work and worry and stay among pleasant people for month or so.' he said one day, but I know that I should no sooner be away from my work than l would begin to think that I ought to be back at it and that I was wasting my time. That's why I cannot take rest. I even work as hard on an ocean voyage as I do when I'm at one of my experimental stations. But I guess I have as much fun out of my work as most people do out of social diver sions.'
 Marconi likes American women. and judging from the scores of invitations which he has received since his return to this country from leading society women of New York and other cities, American women like him.
 He is essentially man of simple habits He is an aristocrat of the com mon people, and, although he has al- ways had more money than he cared to spend, he has never changed his style of living. He lives well, enjoys good dinner drinks little wine and occasionally sE.okes a cigarette. The most important thing in the world to him is his work; the greatest affection he has for any person is for his mother. If he had his own way he would live a quiet life in some country place where he could work undisturbed by newspaper reporters or lion hunters The glare of publicity has been on him so long that it Is little wonder that he wearies of the attention, no matter how kindly meant it may all be.
 To strangers Marconi is a curious mixture of reserve. modesty, diffidence and indifference, if such a mixture of terms may be taken at one breath. He cares little for the praise of men, for the sake of the honeyed words them selves. He does care for the good opin- ions of the men who really understand his work and for the recognition of the leading men of the world.
 He was asked one day what his out look on life and his work was. and he replied.
 'I feel that I must do the work that I am in, and that nothing shall stop me. When the work wins the commen- dation of those who understand it I am pleased. The one thing I do like about the success which I have attained is that it has brought me into close touch with the greatest living men of the world. That is worth something
 In that remark Marconi revealed all of the social ambition he has. He wants to know the leading men of the world and for a man not yet 2S years of age one must admit he has made a good beginning. He is intimately ac- quainted with King Edward VII of England and with many of the royal family. The king of the Belgians is an acquaintance, and scores of princes, dukes, counts, lords and knights are proud to claim this young man as their friend. Lord Kelvin, one of England's most distinguished scientists, takes the highest interest in Marconi's work It was Lord Kelvin, the inventor of the system by which cable messages are sent across the ocean, who sent the first paid message by wireless telegra phy about three years ago. In our own country, Edison speaks of the young Italian as a worker" ''He is in my class" wrote Edison to a body of cleo tricians who were giving Marconi dinner. Among the social set the young man is in great demand. When he at tended the opera recently with Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt fiaring headlines of a sensational newspaper proclaimed that the four hundred had adopted Marconi. It is safe to say that the four hundred would not have an op- portunity to adopt him.-Washington Star.