The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-08-05
ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL

copies. One Of these copies goes to
the records of the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition, and the others are distributed
in different places, SO that there may
be no danger of loss by fire or flood
This oigest has now been issued for
five years, and the work already com
prises thirteen volumes. each Of which
is as thick as the ordinary law book
having pages as large as those of an
old family Bible. Each volume con
tains 500 pages, and roughly esti-
mated about 10000 words. In the
whole thirteen volumes there are
more than 2,0O0, 000 words, and these
represent the condensation Of the
workings Of DR.. Bells mind for the
past five years only. In addition are
the manuscript notes of more than
twenty years proceeding. constituting
althogether a mass which makes the
mind Of the ordinary man buzz like an
electric fan.
The thirteen volumes comprise the
working Of DR.. Bells mind after he
had passed the DR.. OlSer period.
Take, for instance, volume III, giving
the last three months Of 1909. The
index to the volume covers twenty
pages. and the subjects include,
among other things, experiments on
aerial navigation, ideas as to the
scientific breeding Of sheep, and as to
. the utilization of waste heat, suggest
ions for a new metric system for the
United States, experiments on pre-
serving foods in pariffin, notes on
, eugenicS and the detailed biological
history of a cat.
AS l o over this book, I asked
DR.. Bell as to whether his mind work
. ed as we'll now as in the past. He
, replied:
I Il have never felt stronger intel
lectually. My mine has a greater
t power Of concentration than it ever
had. 1t seems to be quicker, and it
n does not tire along the line in which
l am interested. l sometimes work
I for eighteen hours at a stretch"
y Later in the conversation I asked
DR.. Bell as to his habits Of work.. He
9 follows the same program as he al
ways used. His afternoons and eve
nings are devoted to social and bust
ness engagements, and it is only some
O hours after dinner that he begins his
% intellectual work. His best work i:
done at night. and he tells me tina
his mind is at its brightest from mid
night on. He is then free from inter
,e ruptiOns and can give his soul t.
70 abstract thought and scientific inven
w ton. Until very recently he has no
gone to bet until 4 o'clock in tn,
ia morning, and his present time Of re
firing is. a little after 3. He sleep
cs from 8 until 10 or II and finds tina
this is all that he needs. He sleeps gu
of doors. He has an open-air porcl
n back of his library, n he uses thi
to as his bedroom. He has no trouble i
tic sleeping Notwithstanding the porch !
right over a playground where a itt1
In Montessori school Of boys and girl
ms are making the usual noises Of chill
er dren ranging in 6 from four e
~ q eight wears. He saws that the nniS
In affects him much the same as that {
en- a sleeping car. One gets used to
Us and the mind takes no note OF it.
K This program for six days Of tn
CHI week goes on regularly, except whe
a DR.. Bell becomes especially intereste
tn. in some subject. At such times h
he may not 60 to bed at all, but wi
at continue his work until he has con
nv pleted that stage OF his thought
OF investigation. He may work far {
he into the day, going for hours witho'
sleep, AND then sleeping for mar
w. hours at q stretch to make it up.
nd have said for six days OF II
all week" He has one day in every sew,
which is entirely devoted to his Ov
nd intellectual existence. separate al
apart from every other human bein
At paddock he has a sort Of retire
are consisting Of an old houseboat viii,
AL az A~o O' 49, oAN AA1OA
hidden away far in the woods. He h
ted a similar retreat in a cabin in sol
led woods which are easily reached fro
,ri- Washington. On this day he leaves t
linn madding crowd and goes off by hil
self to do such special work as he m
it have on hand. He takes some cam
ure food, and other so-called digestibl
ac- with him and cooks his own meals,
He that he is absolutely free from hum
.ry- interruption. This feature of his wo
,er- is not generally known, but DR.. B
and tells me that he finds it OF great val
red in the product realized. and in t
DRY, maintenance OF intellectual and psyt
ical health.
Ight -
iur- As to his night work, DR.. Bell ket
lese this going from day to day., year
phS, and year out. When he is travelling
train he has the drowning room OF
by sleeper and carries on his night We
ype- there, and he does the same in
ties. cabin on his long ocean trips over