The evening world., 1902-04-18
Woods Claims Right
to Its Controller
System.
IS INVENTOR OF NOTE.
Until Nineteen Years Ago
He Had Never Seen a
Telegraph instrument.

II is In the power OF negro VINO IS
the Edison OF his race. man OF re-
msrkable genius ss an inventor. to pre-
ven; the running OF a single electricsiy
propelled car. as at present equipped on
the Manhattan Elevated road system
Two important patents have just been
issued TO him by the Government reeos-
mixing him as the inventor OF the elee-
tr.caI controller system used on the new
electric trains OF the Manhattan Eie-
waited roads
~. conceived his Invention In isss
ana had the good fortune to Gle cave.
At In that year. To-day he received
from Washington his patent papers
and the possession OF these papers
makes him master o! an interesting
situation.
Will he tie UP the elevated railroad
electrical system by an Injunction This
IN his answer to that query. Il viii not
adopt suot a radical attitude. says
the enlightened negro. Il have. how
ever. through my lawyer. entered Into
communication with the Manhattan
Railroad Company officials seeking 20
amicably adjus. the difficulties which
are bound TO arise II my rights are not
recognized. am willing TO dispose OF
INV patents to the company. They are
worth now at least $1,000. That i a
most conservative price. / am informed.
by my lawye-s.'
This man Is Granville T. Woods
lie resides at No. 80 West Forticth
street but was seen to-day by an Even
ing World reporter az the ONCE ~ MS
attorneys. Townsend 4 Decker. No. IA
Broadway. lie is ls black as the ace
OF spades. His asc il forty ycars.
When ten years old he became an np-
prentice IN a machine shop lie Is a
machinist by trade. A. twenty-five
years OF age he was a locomotive en-
gineer on the Dayton and South East
ern Railroad. Ohio. Four years before
he for the iirst time IN MS li'e HsN q
telegraph instrument iu operation.
His curiosity was anpussI. lie nas
bern asking why oil those vear-
While running Ms locomotive be- stud. d
electrical force suddenly "a" prarch"i
out as an !nventor IL conceived the
idea Of transmitting e., atFieal m,sEa - S
ElpNsAs tAaAhaH aafA F'HH%a'@ - -
patent-his first paient-in 1876 He has
since procured ciEaty ave patents. some
OF them for vin,les- tsl"graphy inY'n-
tlors He was the pioneer .u the saf'ty
third rail system. which employs 90"
Isolated button method nuD 10 b. used
In the YeTkcs urIess!ound roads .H
London,
He has created new ideas "a m"caan
les and chemistry - Ne md surn
companies As the General Electric and
westinghous. CompaUi.7 have indorsed
his wonderful electrical inventions. H."
believes that the elevated railroad com
pany will not contest his claim 10 she
present controller system.
The patent provides. rs ingenious me
ohanical devices. for the gradual aftPli-
catpn of the electric prop" lins power
and for the control 81 several motor
cars from any platform %; any car : a
train. There is in addition a safety lie
vice which. BY autnmatt. al! N, .1-
stantly cuts of the current from tho
moving train and simultaneously applies
the brakes. A part OF this latter fea-
turc Is now employed on the Manhattan
trains. IL prevents accident In the
event of the mOtorman suddenly be-
pming powerless and acts tn" moment
he releases his hold of the unsrati1.
handles. The operations 81 motors on
several cars Is not new wits Woods.