The Greenville times., 1910-05-27

parts Of the United States, Canada and
Mexico are in attendance at the TWEEN
ty-ffth annual convention of the Ma
tional Electric Light association at
St. Louis, Mo.
The convention will continue thro-
ugh the week, and one Of the princi-
pal features will be the celebration of
Edison day, in honor of Thomas A.
Edison, whose genius alone is respon-
sible for more than two-thirds of the
progress of electric lighting during
the last thirty years. In connection
with the convention there is great
and costly exposition at the Coliseum
hall, which shows in chronological
form the progress made in electric
lighting and the utilization of cleo
erical power since the first electric
light plant was established in Apple
ton, Wis, in 1882
During the seventies Edison began
to experiment with the problem of
lighting by incandescent lights and
his work was first discussed in the
newspapers in 1873. The enthusiastic
reports of the newspapers, which pre-
dicted a great future for Edison's sys-
TEN, caused an extraordinary decline
in the price of gas shares. Edison
made the first demonstration of his
paper carbon lamp a year later at
Menlo Park, but not until the summer
Of 1880 did these experimental lamps
come into practical use outside of his
laboratory.
Now, according to the statement OF
Frank w. Frucauf of New York, pres
iIent of the National Electric Light
association, there are about six thous-
and central electric lighting stations
in the United States alcne. More than
one-balf Of these companies are also
engaged in the electrical supply bus
mess. The central station companies
Of the cal ntry have = investment ct
&1.25O,OOO 900 They have a gross in
come Of more than $250,0OO,OOO
year, and develop nearly 100000
horse power.
In 1879 the first miniature electric
railway carrying passengers was Pur
in operation by Siemens and Halske
at the Berlin exposition. 1t was mere
~ an exhibition plant, an not until
two wears later was a commercial road
put in operation in Europe, mile-and-
a-haIf affair just outside of Berlin.
At present there is a track mileage
of electric city and interurban rail
ways Of 4O,247 miles in the United
States, using 82,216 ears, and repre-
semting capital liabilities of $4,557,-
100000
Equally marvellous was the develop
ment of the telephone industry. 1t
was at the Centennial exposition in
1876 when Alexander Graham Bell ex-
kibited his first telephone. Today
there are more than 5,5O0,0O0 tele-
phones in use in the United States and
the amount invested in exchanges and
lines amounts to more than $55O,O0O,-
600. The investment is steadily grow
ing at a rapid rate.
The first storage battery, a French
invention, was built in 1881, and was
exhibited at the Paris exposition. 1t
was many years after that time when
the invention was put into practical
use. In 1883 Tesla contributed mater
iaIly to the development of the elec-
trical power industry by his valuable
inventions and discoveries in relation
to alternating currents. Not until
then was it made possible to make
practical use of the transmission OF
electrical power.
The first electrical power transmits
sion plant was established in 1890 in
a small town in the Colorado noun
tains, where the plant furnished power
for a mine. Since then the most mar
vellous progress has been made and
power transmission is one of the most
important features of electrical indus
try.
The discovery of the XRays by
Roentgen in 1895 was at first only OF
scientific interest, but has developed
in a great measure and has made the