The Detroit times., 1912-03-04
FBinstQE Edison Doesn't Believe LII It

shout into his right ear to be under
stood
Edison Is very tall, bent man,
with spindllng legs. He has big,
rough hands and his dress is care
less. II was noticed that his desk
was orderly, systematic. The top OF
II was covered with vases filled With
Fink roses" -fs-the- distIhR uISn1u
Edison head that attracts instant at
tentlon A large well-rounded dome,
the scant gray covering being drawn
down over the temples in stringy
disorder; Edison frequently rubs his
hands over his head and face. There
Is a big, bright light In his blue eyes
and he expresses emotion by free
laughing or dark scowling. When we
started to talk he was smoking
cigar; presently he discarded the
smoke and took a chew OF fine cut
The balloon man told Edison about
his invention and the writer asked
the great inventors opinion OF it's
worth.
II don't believe in dirigible bal
looms and have not much use for
acroplanes, answered Edison. They
are not getting anywhere With them,
There has been but little improve
ment upon the Wright machine.
They are not safe aud 30 they are not
practical | don't pretend to know
much on the subject, except what
read. but | wonder why the aeronau-
tic experts do not try an extended
and gas-nled plane, something that
will at least give partial buoyancy
and equilibrium make. those ma
chimes safe.
/"Of course those machines do not
do much good In the world. They
will not displace the railroads or
ships. | am not interested In them
because | am commercial. have 10
know that there Is an urgent need
for an invention and that 1t VIII pay.
/ work pretty hard. and try 70 be
practical, but i have a dickens or a
time TO get ten per cent OF the pronts
of my inventions.
There's that concrete house, for
instance. It's there" pointing TO
model of his invention, but no one
seems to be very much excited about
it."
The balloon man said something
that brought out these remarks from
Edison: "One must not be easily dis
Outraged in this invention work L
think | am making fine average II
one OF twelve things / think good
pans out to be worth anything at all.
/ call my junk pile liberal educa-
ton. but 1t has been mighty expen-
sive. The most valuable ideas are
the simplest ones and they are the
hardest to think OF. Some times We
kunt for weeks or years for the Solu-
ton OF a problem that finally turns
out 10 be so obvious and simple that
when we find IL we also find that We
have been standing on IL all or the
time-so plain that we didn't think
IL worth while picking up"
The balloon man told Edison about
his proposed dirigble, said that 1t
would be 30 constructed that the gas
volume would be constant, unchang-
ed by varied atmospheric tempera-
lures would rise or descend at the
will of the operator and would be abb
solutely safe, in that it would sustain
perfect equilibrium in the air for
days or weeks at time.
That's all right" said Edison.
you have hit upon a principle that
is obvious and could be demonstrated
in this room. But what are you go
ing to do with it?"
Il am going to pilot it across the
Atlantic ocean, with so passengers
aboard and with a fuel cost of $3.50"
That's cheap enough" said Edi-
son. but do not think that dirigible
balloon is commercially practical.
What important everyday use will
you put 1t to? / suppose that there
is a certain class OF mail matter that
is SO urgent that people will pay well
TO have 1t rapidly transported. But
such transportation must be run on
schedule time and every day and the