Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1910-10-13
A CHAT WITH EDISON
ON MUNICIPAL PROGRESS
How Wizard of America Stands To-
wards Socialists of Milwaukee. Sci
entific Rebuilding of Cities by
Walter Thomas Mills

1 water everywhere. The houses Will
be real houses and they are To ha
provided 10 the workers at ne cost
Of production and that when the pro-
duction shall be large scale produg-
ton as well
! IL seemed 10 me that Milwaukee
and Edison could work together Any
| way ! went 10 West Orange. Nv
Jersey-found my way to tho great
manufacturing plant hD calls Hs
laboratory and sent in my card
Very soon l was told that Mr.. r'l-
son would see me and | was directed
which way 10 90.
In large room with twenty grst
ceiling,a balcony all the way around
end half way up and cases for models
shelves for books and keepsakrs and
suggestions everywhere-at aanl,ul-
mt points We're working tables. mg,
in the center OF it all sat the msr I
was looking for. His swinglus rhair
reached both Ways to well equipped
working desks and he was absorbed
I in his work
As ! approached him ho suddenly
looked up and said. MY cars ara
failing me. You will need TO sp,.R
very distinctly" And then This ls
Mr.. Mills. Nos. you are Scotch
man"
touched the proper spots on ms
vocal organs and he seemed pleased
with the result
Il can hear you perfectly" he said.
renewing his assertion that was a
Scotchman-after had said | was a
Yankee. But have been born nine
times over In the United States"
said. Doesn't matter, the tenth timc
backward was in Scotland"
No, my ancestors were from Eng
T land. That's probably true All the
Mills family are the same family and
they all came from Scotland before
they ever came from anywhere else.
Admitting that could not dfsproy,,
his statement ! stated the natur, OF
my erran" and without interrupt 100
until had told my story OF our city-s
plans. Then J said, Il am here esp. -
cially 10 learn about the progress of
your plans for cement houses anu I,.
II be found that our city could make
use Of your plans whether va cuufI
deal with you as direct muulr.-
pality.
He was on his feet Instantly. .Irt
me show you what l am doing lr
said, and at once turned tu "a nearby
table with model uf the cement
h"us" completed in full Every room
with double lights ana cross ventila-
ton, all high, light. brautiful-thp
porch a model "f comfort The roof
OF red tile, the cement work incIud-
Ing foundations, walks all complptcly
reinforced, floors, stairways ana roofs.
the joints In the house pipes ot every
KIND, effected by electric welding. an
modern comforts and conycnicnccs IN
a working mans home.
lie showed me samples of the stone
Gs IL win show in the completed wal
called attention 10 the extensive art
work i'm design for both exterior and
interior decoration lie showed me-
the men working in clay whose de-
signs are afterwards made into plast r
and finally cast into solid iron. Door
ways, ceilings, windows. the cornices,
all portion. OF the house whore orna-
mentation would be in ordcr-nonc
arc being neglected.
when IL is remembered that the
men still engaged on this work had
been two years busily producing these
designs. IL can he understood how
varied are these models.
lie showed me where the casting
into iron was taking place and finally
on great machine Of his own inven-
ton, the east iron forms are so care
fully milled that the parts are made
TO III together with such accuracy that
not cross line will be visible in the
finished work.
He showed me the half finished
structure rising as rapidly as the
forms are ready.
lie explained how the cement would
be mac hine mixed, machine carried 10
the molds. how completely the cement
was protected from bubbles. and final-
ly how In process OF use the forms
would not be- completely unbolted In
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