The Green Forest tribune., 1910-04-01
Edison as a Prophet.

Ihomas A. EdlsOn mas been talking to the Independent about some of the wonders and problems which make this old world such an interesting place in which to live. Radium, for instance, moves him to enthusiasm, the greater perhaps because even Edison himself hasn't got on confidential terms with the substance.
 He has some of it, though. Oh, yes, Says he: "l have spinthariscope, which is a tiny bit of radium, of size that will go through the eye of needle mounted over piece of willemite. It has been shooting off millions of sparks for the six years that have had it, and expect it will be shooting sparks the same way for thousands of years.
 "While only small quantities of ra- dium have been isolated, it exists every where in water, rock and soil. The possibility of harnessing this force for our use is somewhat of a speculation. A radium clock has been made, and it will go several hundred yards without winding.
 "The problem of fuel is one of the big problems of the future. We may find out tomorrow how to get all the power from our fuel we get only 15 or 20 per cent now-and on the other hand it may take long time. Water power is being rapidly developed. Maybe the utilization of the tides will follow. More practical are windmills connected with storage batteries to lay up the energy of the winds in electrical form.
 "Sun engines arc promising contriv- ances. In Arizona there is a thirty horsepower sun engine run by focusing the rays on water and using a steam turbine. In steaming volcanoes there is power which might be converted in- to electricity and distributed.
 "To get rid of frictions in our ma- chimes is one of the future prob lens. The only machine without fricti on that we know is the world, and it moves in the resstless ether.
 "The monorail does not appeal to me. It was fundamental mistake that our railroads were built on a 1 foot g 1-2 inch gauge instead of 6 foot gauge, which we will probably have to come to yet.
 .'The aeroplane of the future will, think, have to be on the helicopter principle. A successful air machine must be able to defy the winds. If Wright's aeroplane had one-twentieth of it's surface the wind would not effect it,
 "rhe helicopter principle is the only way to rise above atmospheric condl- tions. By increasing the velocity of propeller revolutions the size of the machine can be diminished, and there by we vanquish the hostility of the wind. A helicopter could have foot size planes distributed on a 100 to 15O | foot circle and controlled from the cen- ter by wires.
 "Chemical food has been worked out pretty well. but it won't be d conner cial proposition. There are lots of synthetic things being made, but you can't beat the farm as a laboratory in that line.
 "The clothes of the future will be as cheap that every young woman will be able to follow the fashions and there will be plenty of fashions. Artificial silk that is superior to the natural ar ticle is now made of wood pulp. l think that the silkworm barbarism will go in fifty years, just as the indigo of India went before the synthetic pro- duction of indlgo in German labora- tories.
 "In 200 years by the cheapening or commodities the ordinary laborer will live as well as man does HOW with $200,0O0 annual income. Automatic machinery and scientific agriculture wi Il bring about this result.
 "Not individualism but social labor will dominote machines; you can't have | individual machines and every man working by himself. Industry will constantly become more social and in- dependent. There w.li be no ms nual labor in the factores of the future, fhe men in them will ee merely super iuten3aala ~atanlng t2e machtaefy io ! see ha it W1rfzS.