The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-02-12
in HONOR
OF WIZARD
Banquet at WaIdOrf-Astoria on
Occasion of Edison's 57th
Birthday.

NEW YORK, Feb. 12.-At u banquet
that for novel effects in decoration, in
genious souvenirs and noteworthy mes
sages of congratulation probably never
was eclipsed the American Institute Of
Electrical Engineers last night at the
Waldorf Astoria celebrated the fifty
seventh birthday of Thomas Al1a Edi-
son.
Besides being the natal day of the
wizard Of SIenlo park" it was also the
twenty-fifth anniversary of the sue
cessful introduction Of the incandes-
cent electric lamp and the founders
day of the Edison medal for the best
thesis on current improvements in cleo
tricity, which is to be given annually
by the institute.
Mr.. Edison sat in front Of galaxy
Of flags and under a pyramid of cleo
trio lamps, tifty-seyen in number with
a painting of his humble birthplace in
Ohio and the shield of the Buckeye
State over his head, the coats Of arms
of New Jersey, where his inventions
have been made, and the Empire State,
whence his great achievements have
been sent broadcast throughout the
world.
In front Of him on the guest table
stood miniature confections showing
his inventions. Across the room stretch
ed wires connecting with poles, whence
ran cables to a Marconi apparatus. At
his right hand was the original quad
rupleX sender which he invented when
hardly more than boy. At the receiv-
ing end was a quadrupleX, the last one
that was used In the Postal Telegraph
company's Baltimore office when the
operators were driven out by the fire.
The room was aglow with thousands
Of electric bulbs strung around the dou-
BILE galleries and the walls and festoon-
ed ON the dozens Of small tables, and
when the smiling inventor sounded
"73" (compliments) the room fairly
shook with the cheers Of the guests,
and the tiny lamps twinkled a silent
wireless message of congratulatlon.
The president of the institution, Bion
j. Arnold, told Of the suggestion OF
celebrating the occasion by raising
fund for giving an Edison medal an
nually TO the student in the American
or Canadian college who writes the
best thesis on current electrical
achievements. Mr. T. c. Martin, toast
master, introduced Mr. Edison in the
following words
The American Institute of Elec-
trical Engineers is proud to embrace in
its membership the foremost inventors
Of the age ana the greatest captains
Of industry and has placed upon its
golden tablets many mn suspicious dis
cuvpry and art To celebrate. hut il
surely could find no wOrthier hero
among them and no greater gift 10
mankind TO signaliZc than the man
and the lamp around both of whom
we Irvine tonight the laurel wreathS
Of our admiration and our love: the
prolific patentec who kept the path
way 10 the patent office hot with his
footsteps for nearly forty years; the
genius, our comrade. who took this lit
tie crystal bulb in his promethean
hand and with il helped to give the
world n glorious new light which new
er was before on land or sea, Thomas
Alva Edison"
The following message was received
from President Roosevelt:
II congratulate you ms one Of the
Americans to whom America owes
much, MS one Of the men whose life
work he's tended to give America no
small portion of its present position
In the international world"
From Signor MarcOni:
Hearty congratulations Sorry |
cannot he present to celebrate the
twenty-fifth anniversary of your great
invention "