New-York tribune., 1911-12-06
EDISON LIKES NOVELS
{ Especially the Dime Variety,
Where One Needn't Think.
REVISES CARNEGIE'S LIST
Disagrees with the Ironmaster
on Qualifications Needed in
True Greatness.

Thomas A. Edison likes dime novels. This
interesting fact was discovered yesterday
at the Edison laboratories, in West Orange.
when Ia mon from the electrical school or
the Brooklyn Navy Yard. under command
Of their chief Commander George F. Coop
or. went there by special train to be IN
structed in the details and use OF the new
Edison storage battery which the navy IS
thinking of adopting.
incidentally. Mr. Edison offered several
amer dments to Andrew Carnegie's list OF
twerty-Cne great men. reiterated his health
formula Of little food and little sleep ana
said that this worlds Inhabitants were
still too near the chmpanzee 20 he think
ing of general peace.
The talk was on the qualifications or
writer's for greatness when the crucial quas-
tion was put. Have you ever read any
dime novels?" II ran.
Hosts of them was the inventor
quick reply Il like EN-"
Mr.. Edison confessed that he hadn't read
any for several years, but that was BE-
cause he was too busy TO read. His reason
for liking them, he said. was that he didn
have to think in reading them.
Il do enough of that at other things" he
explained
1t was the mention Of Mr. Carnegie's list
of world movers that started The converse
ton Mr. Edison promptly announced that
he did not wholly agree with it.
1t contains a great many steel men,
he said i'm explanation. Every man II
every line Of business Is narrow. | sup
rose If President Taft made a list II would
he considerably different from Mr.. Car
negie's"
Would YOU include Mr.. Carnegie in your
ust?' his interrogation wanted to know.
Mr. Edison hssitated. That's little er-
sonal." he replied However. Carnegie
has done great deal He is the exponent
of rapid America. If a man can take 5V'-
ton machine and get 1,Goo tons out of II. II
stands to reason that he's great teen
nician. Carnegie brought the steel business
up to a high degree perhaps not Of quality
but Of output"
Asked for few Of tho men he would
have chosen. Mr.. Edison Immediately named
Gutenberg When reminded that he had
been on Mr. Carnegie's list. ne advance"
Watt and Stephenson. Recalling that these.
too had been named by Mr. carnegie, he
suggested Pasteur. "a farreaching man,
as he described him
Il don't think ! would pat any poets on
the inventor continued. I'm response to ,
question to that effect But | would re-
tain Shakespeare for his power of express
sion. his capacity for original sentences lie
was not a world mover. but he was won
derfu inventor Of statement.
Il would choose Herbert Spencer for the
poetical temperament. for the meat in his
books. He is a great generalizer. lie
proved from statistics that in all parla-
mcntary bodies the resultant was always
below the intelligence Of the least intelh-
gent member 10y reference t. thirV-onc |
acts f Parliament thirty Of which pro |
duced the opposite effect from that intend !
ed His works briste with such state
ments. and they are based on absolute
data"
Here was Mr. Edison's criterion Of genius. |
It was not enough that man should be |
able to reach a truth by induction: he had
to be able to deduce it from accumulated
facts at his command 10 come mp to the
inventors idea of greatness.
"Marconi now. is very good. He is pra'-
tical. and is entitled to the honor of he
ing called the father of wireless telegra- F!
ply"
Speaking Of himself Mr. Edison said that
he never expected to retire, Tor If he lid
he would die, he felt sure. His latest in
vention. he said was the speaking pictures,
which he expected to demonstrate to the
Society of Mechanical Engineers at West
Orange on Friday. His work on his con
crete house. he said. he had put aside i"r
a time. since il was only a hobby with hlln'
not commercial undertaking. -.
"Poeides" he remarked, there ain I
enough people saving I can't do II
The inventor was emphatic IN ms aSSer-
lion that there was more chance In the
world now for young men than ever h"-
fore While observing that ;hc colleges
were a little better than they were twenty
years ago he said they were StllI s"od oniV |
for LAWYERS and men Of literary habits. !
Wbat the country wanted, he inainiaineI'
was engineers. and the colleges, he sali'