Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-07
TRIBUTE TO EDISON
One of the Worlds Greatest
Creative Geniuses.
BENEFACTOR OF MANKIND
Invention of Electric Light Alone
Should Immortalize Him.
STORY OF HIS FIRST SUCCESS
How the Awkward, Badly Dressed
Jay" Made Good at the Bos-
ton Key.

In S'r-Tmlng up the debt or gratitude that
pres nj and future generations owe to the
great inventor. Thomas Alva Edison. a we'll
known writer once sad that as Athens at
her height was known as the age of Peri
c,es sn would our day be known as the age
If Ei5son
Perhaps this need of praise was too
great The civilized world has gone on
apatr since Pericles ruled in ancient
Greece 1t is doubtful II any one mans
personality could now leave its imprint
as F,Iiylcs left his upon Athens. So long.
how y.r as the incandesCent electric lamp
-Edtsous greatest invention-lights up
humanity N the earths four corners his
maine is never likely to be forgotten. His
other great inventions in the field OF cleo
trical syience-the duplex and quadruplex
system of telegraphy, the photograph, the
stock quotation tcker-in themselves entitle
him to a foremost place among the greatest
of the worlds creative geniuses. More
than any man among the living or those
who have passed away he has led the way
in discovering methods by which the subtle
electric fluid which permeates the Amos
phere has been controlled and applied TO
the needs and ConSenienCes Of humanity,
says the New York Tribune
Tha secret of EdiSon's marvellous success
IS no doubt his great natural gifts. but the
results lie has attained have depended in a
larg. degree upon his inordinate capacity
for hard work Born and brought up in
poverty, ne was compelled to earn his own
living and educate himself at the same
time. The world was his school, and a
hard one he found it in those early years.
This habit of hard work acquired in his
bOyhuOd has stuck to him through life, and
is responsible in a great degree not only
for the measure of his accomplishments.
hut also for. characteristics which make
him one of the most interesting PERSONAL
ties of modern times.
Loves to Work.
Asked at one time why 1t was that he in
sisted upon making hermit of himself by
working night and day. now that he had
succeeded In getting both fame and fortune
for himself. the inventor thoughtfully re-
Piled
Il don't know! like my work and am
not happy unless / am always at 1t. Like
the old cart horse. L am irritable unless 1
can feel the shafts"
Like many another before him. il was in
New York that Mr.. Edison got his start IN
life. Before coming to the metropolis he
had proved himself an expert telegraph op-
orator and had worked upon the idea,
which he afterward perfected. of sending
more than one telegraph message over the
same wire at the same time This story Is
told Of him In those early days when he
worked at the telegraph key:
The Western Union Telegraph Company
needed a good operator to take charge of
the Boston end OF the heaviest wire from
place had been tried and had failed. A friend
OF Edison's recommended him for the post.
He at that time working in Post Huron.
A telegram brought him to Boston, and
when he showed up in the office his appear
ance caused general laugh among the op-
orators.
His attire was slovenly and ne wore trou-
sers that reached little more than half way
from the knee to the shoe top His natural
awkwardness of movement was accentu-
ated by the clothes he wore and his gem
orally unkempt appearance At the New
York end Of the wire he was to handle
there one of the fastest sending OPP
orators in the service of the company. 1t
seemed ridiculous that this awkward coun-
try boy should be put up against him.
Without a word young Edison took his seat
at the key, and for four hours received
MESA ges as fast as the man at the other
end Of the wire could send, transcrtbing the
dots and dashes in writing almost copper
plate in its legibility. Not once in the four
hours did he have to interrupt the sender
to have parts of messages repeated When
the trick was done the New York operator
thus expressed his amazement:
Real Praise.
"Who the devil are you?" he licked over
the wire.
Tn the new man. Tom Edison is my
name" came the answer. licked of even
faster than the question.
We'll you good one. Been looking
for you for ten years. You are the only
man that could ever take me without a
break"
After leaving Boston the young inventor
came % New York 1t was soon after his
arrival that he made. his first successful
invention from a commercial point of view.
u was the stock quotation ticker now used
In brokers' offices throughout the world.
lie vas taken up financially by men with
money, and soon established factory in
the city Of Newark where he superintendent
the manufacture Of the new machine
From this time on Mr. Edison's prolific
invy"tive genius and his capacity for hard
work sustained him In phenomenal prog
ress toward both wealth and fame From
Newark he moved to Menlo Park. N J.. In
order 70 get away from the distractions and
interruptions that interfered with his work
IN the city Later he transferred his place
Of residence to IleweIlyn Park near West
Orange, ". J., where he still lives
His Greatest Triumph.
1t was in 1879 that Mr.. Edison achieved
his greatest triumph by presenting to the
world the incandescent electric lamp 1t is
said that he worked for days and nights
without taking either food OF rest from the
time the idea came to him until he had
perfected IT. Congratulations were show
cred upon him from every part OF the world.
For months public attention was focused
upon him Success as great his would
nave turned the head of most men. Not
so with the reCluse at Menlo Park. His
modesty and humility never forsook him
even In the moment Of his greatest triumph.
Asked by a friend II he did not intend to
lie back upon his oars and take a much
needed rest after accomplishing so much he
Cheerfully replied
"Oh. yes: I going to tackle another
kind Of work. That is the kind OF rest I
need
The Wizard of IIewellyn Park as he
is ~ often called. has been twice married
His first wife Newark woman. by
whom ne had three children, two and
daughter Wis eldest son. named after
himself achieved considerable notoriety In
New York few years ago.
The inventors ND wife the
daughter Of James 'rIer. an agricultural
Implement uarufs~ H-or Of Akron. Ohio
In hts second family Mr.. Edison has also
three children, again two sons and a daugh-
ter Charles is the eldest son OF the sec
ond marriage. and hts daughter Madeline Is
the second child or all his children Theo-
dore. boy OF eight or nine years, gives
most promise along the lines which made
his father famous.