Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-04-14


elastic admirers OF his lifelong
friend Edison claim they saw exper-
mental telephone instruments in the
Menlo Park laboratory OF 1he swiz-
ard little before that, which gave
as much as Bells in the way OF
conversation, it is now generally
agreed. he believes. that the credit
for the telephone must go to Ben
Just as the credit for the invention
OF the carbon transmitter. Insult be-
iieyes. must go to Edison.
In 1879 the only electric light ser
vice in this country was under de-
veiopment by Bush, of Cleveland. and
by Elihu Thomson. They were an
arc lights. Edison's work in mean
descent lighting was just beginning
to be talked about among experts,
and was first discussed in the pub
lie press in December, 1878.
In 1879 Edison first exhibited. at
Menh Park, his paper-carbon lamp.
but 1t was not until 1880 that any
OF these experimental lamps found
their way outside the laboratory.
When insult came to America IN
March. 1881. the papers were won
dering il Edison had really "subii-
vided the electric light" The sec
ond night insult was in this country
ne visited Menlo Park and was as
tonished to find the laboratory and
fieids around it and the houses OF
Edison and his assistants all illumin.
ated by the wonderful new light. In.
sui the next day cabled the news
TO London. where many supposed he
was fooling the English public. From
one half to three quarters of Amer
lean electrical development, as Judged
by Patent Office records. according
to insult, can be traced fundamentally
to Edison
In 1882 the first central station for
incandescent lighting was put in op.
Grafton in New York City in Pearl
street, just south of Fulton street.
The fight between the Bell and Ed.
son telephone interests had then been
settled. The first incandescent light.
ing plant outside of New York was
put up in Appleton. Wis, a little in
advance of the New York plant. The
next plants after New York were in
Santiago in Chile and in Milan in II.
ally.
In 1888 came the first serious effort
in electric railway work. AS early
as 1880 Edison had built an exper,.
mental road in Menlo Park, and Ste.
phen d. Field had done some work.
but 1t was in 1888 that Sprague.s
electric road was started in R.cn.
mond. Va. In 1888, too, the first
central station was established. Tpis
was In Chicago Nikola Tesla, in
1888. developed his poly-phase cur
rent inventions, which largely form
the basis of the alternating dynamos
and motors of today.
In 1890 came the first electric
power transmission This was in a
small town at one of the mines in
Colorado. The first general electrical.
display was at the Worlds Fair IN
Chicago in 1898.
In 1895 Roentgen discovered the
X-rays, and Marconi in the same
year established wireless telegrapny.
This was in Italy. The first large
American steam turbine unit started
in 1909 in Chicapn
insult gave his hearers figures
! showing the present enormous ex-
tent of electrical development. There
are in the United States, he saws
$55o,OgG,000 capital, or about 500 for
every rnone. There are in this coun
try 40,247 miles of electric railways
using S9,216 cars and capitalized az
$4.557,000,0O0 There are 5000 cen.
trail stations, costing $1,25O.0 900 900.
earning $25O,000,OOO a year and de.
veloping 100000 horse power. IN ali
about $6,0OO,OOO,OO0, insult says. Is
invested in the electrical business IN
the United States. This is equal q,
about $75 for every man, woman ana
child in the country and all in IN
years.