Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1911-05-04
4
" vi

- hat which he held In his hand The
size of the Sat was No s. The man was Thomas
A Edison
Before US spread that dream in frozen music,
the buildings fronting the esplanade, mall and
plaza OF the exposition The twilight was done,
and the moment had arrived for the night birth
of that dream into splendor. For the first time
In history architecture to be made alive at
night more living than by day Half million
incandescent bulbs were hid along the transverse
lines of the buildings. The current was turned
on and they simultaneously bloomed Ensued
spectacle for which Caesar would have bar
tered a province-a joy that brought gasp of
ecstacy from every one Of the millions who
saw 1t.
Edison, bare-headed, squinted his eyes. The
poetry missed him The gallop Of scenic history
the verge OF missed him The
glory of the spectacle itself missed him. Instead
he glanced shrewdly and carefully all around on
the enhancing wonder then cautiously into his
battered straw hat and said
Il could put every fament into that hiatt"
Economics, mechanics-these obsessed him.
That brain which required No hat for cover
ing, could think only of the compressed fact
that all the space occupied by the vibrating en-
ergizng and glory-worling source of that gigantic
spectacle could be replaced by about two pints
of water-or quart of human brain,
Edison is rare man. In his speech. of which
he is careful of his flaments, he pulls the
sore from field of ideas and thrusts it at you
as If 1t poniard You think about what he
says for week, month; and in years you don't
forget it.
All of this is leading up to consideration Of
what the wizardsage said few weeks ago when
a select audience sat In his studio and watched
the first performance of the kinetograph, that
fabulous instrument which is destined to repro
duce plays operas public spectaces with the
action. the color and the voice intact
The great old inventor gratifed
again Another thrill had come into his life. His
latest adventure into the unknown had pros
pered, and his friends and associates clustered
about him with congratulations with questions,
with assurances.
For some time Edison silent. He is CRATE
ful that he is deaf Then he squnted from one
to the other, and said:
Before long you'll be working that in an aero
plane for youll be able to pack 1T into soap
bubble,"
A soapbubble! Rather fragile packing-case.
Rather small compass in which to place
grand opera. curious comparison. Did Edison
mean what he said? Did he know what be was
talking about?
Ever since | heard that Edison said that I
have been thinking of moving pictures in
ton withssoapbubbles And not always in the
way he meant bubbles In connection with the
knetograph
A soap-bubble is cheap. 1t is easy to make-if
you know how. 1t Is fragile. 1t is very alluring
1t reflects all colors, all forms. 1t appeals uni
Versally to children. Sages ponder over 1t. Poets
celebrate IT. Artists reproduce It,
Conundrum.--Why is a moving picture like a
soap-bubble?
First, you find them everywhere.
On the back streets of Reno | saw the pictures
of the bull fight at Guadalajara, Mexico The
Guadalajarans now look on the moving pictures
of the prize fight at Reno.
AT Punta Arenas the southernmost port in the
world, saw Chtleans applaud moving pictures
of the Bowery and the New York water front
On the Bowery saw pictures of the battleship
fleet entering the harbor of Punta Arenas
On island 1000 miles out in the Pacific
Ocean the exied lepers of Molokai gather daily
before the pickering wonders of a world which
before had been but vaguely In their dreams
The Sunday evening young peoples class OF Eau
Claire, Wisconsin, looks in pity on the trans
planted and resurrected life of Mookai which
passes before their eyes-on the screen.
group of travellers in the luxurious saloon
of an ocean liner study the ifelke pictures Of
the country for which they are bound. The beg
ing backsheesh give up their pennies to see the
living presentment Of their prey bounding to
them the ocean wave.
In Iceland excited Eskimos applaud the hero
Ism OF cowboy who rescues captured maiden
from the redskins. Halfway round the world
In Northern Russia fearful peasants sorrow over
the pictured plight of French lover
The Bengalee moves down Mowringhee Road
and gives up two pennies to see the funeral of
King Edward-to see it actually move The
Moro in the alleys of Zamboanga goes without
extra shirt. that he may view the reception OF
Universal as Froth.