The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1904-02-18
B.. Arnold, Of the Kenosha Street
Railway Company, Speaks of
Thomas A. Edison.
HoNoRED GUEST AT BIG BANQUET
Kenosha Railway Manager Presides at the
Banquet Given in Honor of Great In
ventor.-G Great Future of Electricity.

bon j. Arnold, president of the
Kenosha Electric Railway company
and president of the American Insti-
tute of Electrical Engineers, paid a
glowing tribute to Thomas A. Edison,
the inventor, at the dinner given for
the famous man by the American
societygat the Waldorf Astoria in New
York. In presiding over the meeting
during the evening Mr.. Arnold spoke
in part as:fo11ops:
NEARLY thirty years ago when as a
boy in the public school of a Western
prairie town, was designated by my
teacher .totwrite biography, chose
as my hero the man whom we honor
tonight. (App1ause.) My boyish eff
fortsswere the best that l could com
nand, and while aspired with the
great hopes and ambitions of youth
for career of achievements my en-
vironments were $50 foreign to those
necessary for technical calling that
| little dreamed would ever have the
honor of representing such colleagues
on such an occasion as this. While /
realize that important ceremonial
events have taken place during the
administrations of predecessors and
that similar events will take place
during the administrations of my sue
cessors, am grateful that this par
ticular event has happened now and
that am allowed the privilege and
pleasure of again paying tribute to
the hero of nysyouth. applause
1--WE have met on this, the day of
our annual feast, to not only renew
those friendships incidental to those
engaged in common cause, but to
assume an obligation which, if adj
ministered faithfully by us and our
successors, shall tend to stimulate the
ambition of many of our student class
and bring to some of them that in
tangible something called Success
If you ask me what is success I can
not answer, but those whose ambition
it is to add to the sum of human
knowledge or to accomplish some
thing for the advancement Of the
race, need no answer
1T is to this..c1ass of young and am
bilious men that our attention is di-
rected tonight, and if, in the future.
they need inspiration let them recall
this occasion and remember that
around these tables sat men who were
the exponentsHand active agents of
one of the:greatest forces in nature,
and that through their achievements
in mastering this silent force there
was effected in a.:brief period of but
little over twenty years, one of the
greatest ARRANGEMENTS in material
wealth and scientific knowledge in
the history of thewor1d.
either around these tables sit, or
associated with us in similar societies
across the waters, are the men who,
through their efforts, have converted
our cities from darkness into day;
increased the range of human speech;
bridged our oceans for the transmits
sion of intelligence; with and with
out wires; made it possible to pre-
serve the human voice long after the
speaker has passed away; emanci-
pated the horse; made accessible the
energy of the water power of the
world, and who are gradually e1imi-
mating the element of distance in the
transmission of electrical energy
until the steam locomotive, formida-
bic rival that it is, may eventually be
superseded.
1T is right that we should, from
time to time, select from among our
number thoseH0most deserving and
honor them by establishing in their
names such marks of distinction as
may seem proper. It is especially
fortunate that our profession is SO
young that we can select for our first
distinction the one whom we all agree
is now the most deserving and in
stead of honorit1g him after he has
passed beyond the appreciation of
earthly honors, we are able to have
him with us tonight, to see and to
feel the esteem in which he is held
by his proteges, who recognize in
him not only man of great natural
genius, but also the exempliication
Of what has been defined as genius
itself, the ability for, hard work
applause.
Therefore as the dean of the.
greatest technical school Of the work,
through which the graduates Of all
other schools must pass, the school
of practical experience, and in which
school he has ec1ipsed us all in indi-
vidua1 achievement in those arts
which tend for the material benefits
of the race, do we recognize him and
by these ceremonies, honor ourselves
in thus honoring and officially per-
petuating the name Of Thomas A1ya
Edison. =
e x-Mayor James German is being
pushed forward by his Democratic