New-York tribune., 1907-08-25
THE AGE OF EDISON
Man Who Has Led the Way in Con.
troll of the Subtle Electric Fluid


inventor. Thomas Alva Edison. well known
writer once said that as Athens at her height
was known as the age of Pericles would our
day be known as the age of Edison.
Perhaps this need of praise was too great
The civilized world has gone apace since
Pericles ruled in ancient Greece II is doubtful
if any one mans personality could leave its
imprint as PericIes left his upon Athens. So
long however. as the incandescent electric lamp
-EdfsOn's greatest inventiOn-lights up human
fly in the earth's four corners his name is never
likely to be forgotten His other great inven-
tions in the field of electrical science-the duplex
and quadruplex system of telegraphy the phono-
graph, the stock quotation ticker-in themselves
sntite him to a foremost place among the great
est of the worlds creative geniuses- More than
any man among the living those who have
passed away he has led the way in discovering
methods by which the subtle electric fluid which
permeates the atmosphere has been controlled
and applied to the needs and convenience Of
humanity.
The secret of EdisOn's marvellous success is
no doubt his great natural gifts. but the results
he has attained have depended in a large degree
upon his inOrdinate capacity for hard work
Born and brought up in poverty, he was com
PEELED to earn his own living and educate him
self 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 boy
hood has stuck TO him through life. and is re-
sponsible in a great degree not only for the
measure of his accomplishments, but also for
characteristics which make him one of the most
Interesting personalities of modern times
Asked at one time Why it that he insisted
upon making a hermit Of himself by working
night and day, now that he had succeeded N
getting both fame and fortune for himself the
inventor thoughtfully replied:
'I don't know! I like my work and am not
happy unless i am always at it, Like the old
cart horse I am irritable unless 1 can ieel the
shafts.'
Like many another before him. IT was IN New
York that Mr. Edison got his start in life Be-
fore coming to the metropolis he had proved
himself an expert telegraph operator and had
worked upon the idea which he afterwari per-
fected. of sending more than one telegraph mes
sage 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 opera
tor to take charge of the Boston end OF the
heaviest wire from New York Successive ap-
pIicants for the place had been tried and had
failed a friend Of EdisOn's recommended him
for the post. He that time working IN
Port Huron a telegram brought him to Bos-
ton. and when he showed up in the Office his
appearance caused a general laugh among the
operators
His attire was sI0venly and he wore trousers
that reached little more than half way from the
knee 10 the shoe top. His natural awkwardness
of movement was accentuated by the clothes he
wore and his generally unkempt appearance At
the New York end of the wire he was to handle
there was one of the fastest sending operators
i'm the service of the company. IL seemed ridic-
uIous that this awkward country boy should be
put up against him Without a word young
hours received messages as fast as the at
the other end of the wire could send tTanserib-
ing the dots and dashes in writing almost cop
per plate in its Iegibility. Not once In the four
hours did he have 10 interrupt the sender TO
have parts OF messages repeated. When the
trick was done the New York operator thus ex-
pressed his amazement:
wire.
I'm the new man. Tom Edison is my name
came the answer tfcked of even faster than the
question
Well you are good one Been looking for
YOU for ten years. You are the only man mat
could ever take me without break"
At this signal tribute TO the skill displayed
bv the raw looking boy who thus blew into The
office to take on it's hardest post the derisive
laughter which had first greeted him gave place
to wholesome respect It is said that even