The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-01-22
From the Popular Magazine.

From the Popular Magazine.
-HIS is the first issue to appear on
the stands this year, and it is at
j this season that most OF us are
moved If not to new resolutions. at least
:, some little reflection as to our place III
+ba world and value to the community
We all make some difference, and 1t is
mi. difference we make in the Woriu
about us that gives us the only true PIC
trre of ourselves. What our frlenos say
about us. what our enemies say 10 VI
small consideration. 1t is what coine'
to mass because of US, what ALTERATIONS All
other lives and in things about US 'nae
is the true reflection of our personan'y
In the mirror of life.
AS a material fact what does your me
mean To the world? Everyone who does
ANYTHING useful or reproductive is FACTOR
in the universal scheme, but some are NJ
inevitably more useful than others. CON
slider Edison, for instance Personahs
he appears an unassuming, rather at
troetive. middle aged gentlemen little
hard of hearing. He certainly snriiihs
from the limelight-but let us turn II on
h.., for lust a moment Suppose ne hao
died al Is, instead of reaching his present
90 wear sof life. What has he done III
IN vearsq What has come to pass De-
cause of the fact that he has been iiVihs
and thinking during this period?
A little over 80 years ago many OF the
stores In New York were illuminated ior
the first time with the Edison electric
ltciht II was the first public appearance
30 tho familiar little bulb with the ten
mons filament. Announcement mad pre-
vicuslv been made that Edison mad IN
vented a light better and cheaper than
90. but few had believed the announce
mont Already Edison had been recog-
nized by a few as a man who mad an
unusual quality of mind, the AFFINITY 10
seize the relationship of facts and prihci-
ples. and reduce them to new and con-
c,ste combinations. He could take the
abstract scientific fact and put 1T to some
definite use This was his gift.
II was in this that he differed from
thousands of scientific workers. The pup
lie got a sample of it then for the nrst
tine In all the history of commerce
there Is nothing to equal the swiftness
Of the Industrial revolution wrought py
this invention. 1t spread over the woriu
like a benefcent epidemic. The change
II made in store and street and dwelling
was nothing to it's financial effects.
svndicates controlling tremendous
amounts of capital for investment were
formed at once in all quarters OF the
globe. Thirty-five years ago there were
no incandescent lights. Consider the place
occupied by the insignificant looking bulb
In our civilization todaq. There are co.
900 central electric lighting stations In
Ncrth America alone. Over H,ooocoo'Wo
is invested in the public lighting plants
in the country. How much more money
is represented in the private plants no
one can tell
An average of A, coo are employed in the
public stations, their wages amount 10
more than $s5,000,0oo year. There are at
lenst 32 900 employees in the isolated plants,
and they earn every year more than sl7,-
100000. There are 400 more workers busy
turning out lamps. and they earn at least
s. 600 a year. This is only part oil
the wealth which Edison. as with magic
wand, brought into being. The original
stockholders in the Edison companies,
those who were associated with him in
his scientific work, even the newspaper
man, who first wrote the story of the
new light, have made large fortunes
The incandescent light was only one
Invention. We owe a debt of gratitude
TO any one who makes the world richer
in a physical sense, to the farmer who
irrigates the desert, the scientist who
finds a new metal. These things bene-
lit not only one or two, but all OF us,
and benefit us in the place where II
counts with a good many, in the peck
etbook Considering this. Edison Is
clearly the greatest material benefac-
tor we know of. Founded on his in
ventions and on the inventions OF 9TH
ers to which Edison contributed some
factor that counted are Industries now
capitalized at more than $1,000. 900. 900
that earn more than billion dollars
ANNUALLY.
-Four times the money invested in