The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1911-05-20

II
II was a short, chubby man in an old
~ suit of clothes, a negligee shirt ana
| a string tie that had come unoone
w ~ and was Topping over his capacious
Nv vi chest It was warm evening ana
~ | he had removed his battered straw
- hat which he held In his hand Inc
.,,. =, the hat was No. 8. The man was Thomas
A. Edison rs,.
before us spread that dream in frozen music.
the buildings fronting the esplanaoe, man anu
nlaza of the exposition. The twilight was aone'
and the moment had arrived Tor the nien. o,ien
of that dream into splendor. For the nrst ''ne
a. h,storv architecture was to be made alive al
night more living than by day. Hair miihoh
incandescent bulbs were hid along the transverse
lines of the buildings. The current was turneu
on and they simultaneously bloomed. Ensuea
spectacle for which Caesar would nave par
tered a proyince-a Joy that brought gasp OF
ecstacy from every one OF the mlions VIM
saw It,
Edison. bareheaded squnted his eyes The
poetry missed him. The gallop OF scenic history
over the verge of a new era missed MIN. Inc
glory OF the spectacle itself missed him. Instead.
he g,arced shrewdly and carefully all around on
| the enhancing wonder then cautiously into his
battered straw hat and said:
81 could put every fament into that nat!
! Economics mechanics-these obsessed him.
That BRAIN which required No. hat for cover
| ing. could think only of the compressed fact
ergizing and glory-working source OF that gigantic
spectacle could be replaced by about two pints
| of water-or quart Of human BRAIN
| Edison is a rare man. In his speech, OF which
he is as careful as of his flaments he pulls the
| core from field of ideas and thrusts 1t at you
as n II were a poniard You think about what he
saws for a week, month; and in years you don't
forget it.
All of this is leading up to consideration OF
what the wizard-sage said a few weeks ago wnen
a select audience sat in his studio and watched
the first performance of the kinetograpn, that
fabulous instrument which is destined to repro
duce plays, operas, public spectacles with the
action the color and the voice intact
The great old inventor was gratihed once
again Another thrill had come into his iife his
latest adventure into the unknown mad pros,
pered and his friends and associates clustered
about him with congratulations with questions.
with assurances.
For some time Edison was silent. He is CRATE
, full that he is deaf. Then he squinted from one
to the other, and said:
} Before long you'll be working that In an aero
) plane. for you'll be able to pack 1t into soap
e bubbe!"
A soap-bubble! Rather fragile packingcase
Rather small compass in which to place a
+ grand opera. A curious comparison. Did Edison
\ | mean what he said? Did he know what he was
talking about?
Ever since | heard that Edison said that
V have been thinking of moving pictures in connec
y ton with soap-bubbles. And not always In thu
r way he meant bubbles In connection with thu
kinetograph.
% YOU know how It is fragile. 1t is very aluring
It reflects all coors, all forms. 1t appeals uni
versally to children. Sages ponder over 1t. Poet
celebrate it. Artists reproduce 1t.
m Conundrum.-Why is moving picture like
g. soap-bubble?
First, you find them everywhere.
r. n Z he r,icfr, 70
of the bull fight at Guadalajara. Mexico Tn
Guadalajarans now look the moving picture
,r of the prize fight at Reno
At Punta Arenas the southernmost port In tn
world saw Chileans applaud moving picture
he of the Bowery and the New York water from
On the Bowery pictures of the battlesh
- fleet entering the harbor Of Punta Arenas
On an island 1000 miles out in the Pacii
Ocean the exiled lepers of Molokai gather dai
before the pickering wonders OF world whi'
? before had been but vaguely In their dream
The Sunday evening young peoples class OF FL
Claire. Wisconsin. looks in pity on the trar
planted and resurrected life OF Molokai WI
passes before their eyes-on the screen
, group of travellers in the luxurious salo
of an ocean liner study the lifeiike pictures
| the country for which they are bound The b
| CARS who line the pathways OF the tourist lmpi
| ing backsheesh give up their pennies to see
living presentment OF their prey boun0ng
them over the ocean wave
y In Iceland excited Eskimos applaud the ne
~ ism of a cowboy who rescues a captured malo
from the redskins Halfway round the VOL
In Northern Russia, fearful peasants sorrow O.
the pictured plight of French lover
Tho Rengalee moves down Mowringhee RI
- and gives up two pennies to see the funeral
l King Edward--to 1t actually move
Moro in the alleys Of zamboanga goes with
an extra shirt that he may view the reception
n Universal ~ Froth