The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-08-21
EDISON'S GREAT SERVICE
Has Helped TO Make This Nations
Prosperity.

GAS Creelman in Pearson's Magazine)
Turning from the sweep and glitter
of American prosperity to the men who
have made it possible, one thinks of
Thomas Alva Edison. His is the on
est life" the useful life, the friendly
life,' tina deserves earnest attention
in this astonishing year Of moral in
cendiarism.
W are cropping on the verge Of
another great epoch in the worlds
history he said to me not long ago.
1t would not surprise me any
morning to wake up n learn that
some one, or some group, Of the 300,-
000 scientific men Who are Investigate
ing all over the earth has seized the
secret OF electricity by direct process,
n begun another practical revolution
Of human affairs. 1t can be done. 1t
Will be done. l expect to see it before
I die. l expect to see airshfps flying
before my death. Such a discovery will
make t possible to drive ships across
the sea by electricity at a rate of 40
or 80 miles an hour-three days across
the Atlanti from shore to shore.
Il worked as a Western UniOn Oper-
ator in Detroit Memphis, Louisville
'iAA DOINDA, H"A1 -Ni- ti'' dlid Oil
the time l studied and experimental
with~electricity. The first serious thing
| invented was an electrical machine
10 cOun votes in congress. / had
been handling press reports as an op-
orator, and | noticed it took a long
time to count the votes after each roll
call. My machine would show the to-
tai vote a few seconds after the roll
call. l thought the device was a good
one. and | think 50 now. But when
| ven to Washington and showed IL
70 the chairman of the committee, he
said, Young man, that works all
right. hut it's the last thing on earth
We want here. Filibustering and a de-
lay IN the count Of the vote are often
the only means We have for defeating
bad legislation / was sorry; but !
ought 10 have thought of that before.
Ny next practical invention was the
quadruplex telegraph. started in
to work il on the Atlantic and Pacific
telegraph line between Rochester and
New York. But there was q chump
at the other end Of the wire and the
demonstration ended in a fzzle. It
was years before the quaduplex was
adopted. Then I TONED
and We got up several improved types
OF stock tickers. These improvements
we're a success. When the day OF set
Element for my inventions approached
! began 10 wOnde how much money
| would get ! was pretty raw and
knew nothing about business. but /
hoped that | might get $3.50. l
dreamed OF what | could do with big
money Xix that. Of the tools and other
things ! could buy 10 work out inven-
tions. But | kne Wall street to be a
pretty bad place, and had a general
suspicion that a man was apt to get
heat out Of his money there. So I
tried 10 keep my hopes down: but the
thought Of $1,000 kept rising In my
mind.
Well. che day I was sent for by
the president OF the Gold and Stock
Company to talk about a
settlement for my improvements. He
was General Marshal Lenerts, colonel
Of the Seventh regiment. / tell you, I
was trembling all over with embar-
-assment, and when / got in his pres
ence my. vision OF $1,000 began to
vanish. When he asked me how much
! wanted I was afraid TO speak. I
that il I mentioned $4,000 I
get nothing at all. That was
one OF the most painful and exciting
Of my life. My, how I peat |
brains TO know what to say. Fin |