The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1910-06-23

in honor Of Thomas A. Edison.
In connection with the convention |
in st. Louis there will be a costly ex- |
ihibit at the Coliseum hall, designed to
show the advance Of the last thirty |
years along lines opened by the in |
ventors, and this exhibition will prove
that the greatest proportion Of the |
work Of progress in the electrical field
is directly traceable to the intellect of
Edison.
Some Figures on the Industry.
According to Frank W. Frueauff of
New York, who is president of the as
central electric lighting stations in the
tUnited States. Of this number over
5000 of the companies engaged in
central station work are also in the
electrical supply business, a busincss
that twenty-five or thirty years aga
could have been enumerated in two
figures.
The central station companies of the
United States have an investment of
$780, 100000, according to Frueauff.
They have gross income of upward
of $250,000,000 year, and they de-
velop somewhere between 100000
horse power and 100000 horse power.
There is a track mileage of electric
and interurban railways of 4O,247
miles, using S2,216 cars and represent
ing capital liabilities of $4,557, 100000.
Credit to Central West.
'''The central west must be given
credit for the first commercial mean
descent lighting distribution SYSTEM"
declares President Frueauff. Apple
ton, Wis, is the place. In 1882 CEN
trail station for incandescent lighting
was put in operation in New York, but
about the same time there was small
plant started at Appleton. 1t was
small and could be easily operated,
ia -'4 for that reason it is likely that the
stror Teton plant started before the New
=" * plant, which was located on
Pearl street just south of Fulton street.
Soon after these plants opened for
business there were plants established
in London for exhibition purposes and
in Santiago, Chile, and Milan, Italy.
Frank Sprague made the first seri-
GUS effort at electric railway work in
the United States in 1888, when he
started his electric road at Richmond,
Va. That same year the first central
station was established in Chicago.
Edison had built and experimental
r. little electric road at Menlo
<, but Sprague's line was the first
commercial purposes. Stephen D.
-, cid had also done some work in con-
nection with electric railways prior to
the Richmond road
Enter the lncandescent.
"Elihu Thompson, Mr.. Brush of
Cleveland, Professor Houston and a
few others were engaged in the series
arc lighting business back in 1879, but
that was the only electric light service
that the United States knew anything
about, although in 1873 Edison's ex-
'iments with an incandescent light
VOL g problem were first discussed in the
: newspapers. That talk brought about
an extraordinary fall in the price of
gas shares.
Edison made his first demonstra-
ton at Menlo Park Of his paper carbon
lamp a year later, but not until the
summer Of 1880 did these experimental
lamps find their way outside Of his
laboratory. In 1881 the newspapers
were arguing the question as to wheth-
er the great inventor had succeeded in
subdividing the electric light or wheth-
er he was simply talking.
'"The alternating system came into
general use about 1886, and prior to
that time Edison's three wire system
was introduced, and the amount Of
copper necessary for the direct cur
rent system was cut down about 60
per cent, lending great impetus to
the electric lighting business. Then
establishments for the sale Of appa-
ratus commenced to appear over the
United States. However, thirty years
ago the only material in the electrical
supply line sold was for telegraphic
and house bell work. Today the cleo
trical supply business is Of national
Importance.
I'm 1879 the first miniature electric
railway carrying passengers was put
In operation by Siemens & Halske at
the Berlin exposition. It was merely
m exhibition plant, and not until two
years later was commercial road put
in operation in Europe, mile and
half affair outside Of Berlin"
Frueauff believes that the exhibit at
the st. Louis convention, showing the
various periods Of development in the
electrical field, will be the most costly
ever held in the United States.