New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-11
EDISON 1874 YEARS
OLD, OR IS IT 1000?
Calendar Shows Only bI.
but He Does Two Mems
Work Each Day.
RESULTS ROLL
UP THE TOTAL
Drors Work to Discuss wilson
and Wireless, but Patent
Laws Rouse His Ire.

ID
.,,....., Edison e i7f Years old. cor
-, ,.,.,, according - Dis own calcu'a-
lions. Tr tho calendar no - S'N'.
,o-1ar brf Edison has never p'.a
attention 20 calendars c. clocks. No'N
ro .tfrs that counts aid HE olsrcNf "
81. nation OURS has kept h'm on INC .'N
or.o, more than twenty hours day. l,'
o...,e t,~reforo thst he has done m ms
-......o,o o.. ,.c-~s about a. much Work rs
v,,i1 take tnc average man l3' years
man ro saws. crovs old only "heh "'
g. awake and burning ur his tissues. NM
,,,. .rc running smoothly with FolS
,.o., save so no has becn working o"''
,...,toen hours cav. brt ther" nave o''''
,,r,c- whom his schedule was t"e"N
,or,e o. dav. not 20 mention ''o'0Ne'
.,,e,.r-- ~ sixty hours. when ne Wa
..-,,u.c with some unusually kno'N
..o,ter, So Edison estimates that ne mas
.,,,.,5 little loss than twice &c man
,..,re a.. the average man. and that Is inc
basis ou which he iEures his ''''"
lonscVt".
Nav BE 1000 Years Old
p, ono should includ. IN his calculation
a.. o,,o,.7t % concentration Edison
,,...r.1e INTO his work. producing results
...,,,r 10 measured only 10y comparing
lis achievements 70 the average man =
r,obablv thousand years woulo 10
nearer hls age. But as far as his rnen'd'
,rd physical vlgor goes. save for MS gray
hair. he rht be eighteen.
There was long wait for the ln7ento''
Who was busy going over reports ana -
. suing orders. Finally he entered wearing
HACK suit. low. stiff collar. WHITE
s,srched tie and a golf cap. HIS hanos
we're in hts pockets and a welcoming
smile WAS on his face.
Then n, settled into 2 chair stretched
his lecs out and said; Fire away
As q starter n. was asked. however. FOR
bis op'nion on Marconis announcement IN
Yesterdays Tribune about the W1reless
t,a7srnission Of power for electric lighting
Il don't think much Of that don
.nfrk there is ANYTHING IN g." he SAID.
lie was asked what he thought about
Nm, Ford. the automobile manu'actur-
o. and his profit sharing scheme. MI
FORD is one Of his best friends
Ford is as shrewd as they make en-
le said In his case profit sharing VIII
work out all right. but q wouldn't do 'or
general adoption Ford : foresight Is so
long # sarged in the middle. and he had
Ia take M slack" and he leaned back and
laughed quietly
Ford was making so much money ne
didi.t know what 10 do with II. so he hrst
contemplated sharing his profits with the
r,ibi.c bv reducing the price or his cars
but II wasn't a square deal 70 give il all to
the users. so he decided 10 give some OF II
20 tie fellows that made the car. That
vas square thing 70 do.
Edison said he was going 20 Florida in
fow DAYS with Ford and John Burroughs.
the uaturalst-"going 10 do some botanic
ing and 'brdzing--we are All bird mem
end we are going TO DO some fishing" he
added
speaking Of bird men,. what DO You
think OF the proposed seroplane hight
around the world?" he was asked
We'll. aviation is A sport. ne said, but
tLov ought 70 try H. II would he an
achievement, and every achievement is an
scvonce and IS good for the human race.
!, IS a good thing"
Thinks Wilson Does Well.
So g. went until President Wilson ana
his policies were touched on. Edison has
expressed AZ times no very high opinion OF
President Wilson. but this time he re-
velsed his judgment
lie r. doing remarkably vel" he said.
heartily at first did not think he could
control those Wild men at Washington.
but h. T. doing great things We can AZ
ford - 20 slow I'm Mexico. even II We do
let them ,rample on our dignity a little.
We cont want war. Let them work It out
themselves ! can stand TO have my share
O, dignity trsmpled on.
The patent laws, however. Edison does
not think IRE right He grew epigrs inmate
when asked FOR his ideas.
The inventor has 10 show AZ all he
con p'ained. An inventor 10 no match for
the business men. He is merciessly
ground UP by a merciless business sys-
tom. The law is responsible for this. The
law should he called FOR the discourage
mcnt OF inventors. WheI a man gets
patent the United states practically pre-
sents n m with lawsuit
The question OF reform is very com
pllcated n after. but the inventor should
not he made 70 night 10 maintain his
rights All he should have 10 10 is 10 a.
sert his rights 10 an idea as the first one
10 develop II. nrd n any one wants 10 dis
pute them the burden of proof should be
or the latter. For instance. Wright
should not have had TO fight Curtiss
every orc knows he was the first 10 make
Hylng practical. and he ought not have 10
fight for his rights"
Edison 10 giving most OF mis- attention