Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-10-16
"A TALK With Mr.. EDISON
Great Scientist Gives World Of His
Wisdom.
THINKS POVERTY CAN Be ELIMINATED
II is His Belief that in the Course Of
Time Men Will Eat Less, Sleep Less
and Work in Double Shifts-He
Thinks That There Should be No


Stimuiants.
! said Edison to me, writes Edward
Marshall of the Philadelphia Public
Ledger: Humanity will have to live
in double shifts, by and by, because
the world will be so crowded; and i
will have to sleep less.
"Ey sleeping less it will enormously
increase its productive power, fol
sleep is an absurdity. "A bad habit.
1T will have to eat less because
the worlds population will be sc
great that its productiveness will moi
keep pace with a per capita con.
sumption as great as that of the pres
ent time.
by eating less it will enormously
increase its efficiency and happiness
and will do away with poverty"
These statements by the great in
ventor were drawn out in the course
of a long talk occasioned by the 35tf
ANNIVERSARY of his invention of the
electric lighting system which occurs
this month.
Edison expects more rapid progress
in the future than the past has ever
known.
l asked him to tell me something
of his estimate of what his invention
of the electric lamp really has ac-
complished.
1T seems to have been the start
ing point of the whole era of electri-
cal development" he answered. You
see," he went on, slowly, "as soon
as the light was proved to be a prac-
teal thing it was plain that it was
of paramount importance. 1t was
clear that it must speedily and COM
pletely be developed. l estimate that
per cent of the work of developing
our present electric lighting system
was devoted to the perfection of the
lamp, and that 81 per cent was de-
voted to the perfection of the sys-
tenn which makes the lamp avail
able for practical usefulness.
THE problems involved in the
distribution of electricity for lighting
purposes throughout large communi-
ties and its sale TO the consumer, by
meter measurement, involved an
enormous amount of study and hard
labor. To make each light independ-
ent of all other lights was a great
task.
f1,A N1ry hn1rN N
development of the electric light lay
in the fact that the scientific world
was all against me, and recited Ohm's
law to prove the case.
1T was an interesting situation.
turned the Ohm's law around and did
what was regarded as the opposite
of that which it provided for, and
found that it applied to the revers-
ed situation perfectly. But l wasn't
satisfied with this success. / wanted
to furnish power as well as light as
soon as the wires were spread through
the streets.
Presently we put up the worlds
first electric railway into operation
at MEMO Park. and / was sure that
the idea was practical Its develop
ment needed money. though, and
capital was hesitant. Indeed, I was
assured by the greatest financial fig
ures in Wall street that this scheme
of operating railroads by electricity
was the craziest idea that ever had
been advanced by any one assuming
to be sane.
Il had carefully gathered all the
figures of the cost of horse cars anC
their operation and was sure that the
substitution of electric power fol
horse power would result in an enor'
nous saving Indeed, l knew, anC
my knowledge was exact. | knew
electric traction was the coming
thing. and a very big thing. But i
fooled me.
Had Underestimated 1t.
| 1T was bigger than l thought i
was. / had made a better guess thar
Wall street had, but my guess hat
/
1t was so big that it amazed me. l
increased traffic startingly. AS
matter of fact, electric traction ha'
Increased street car traffic, estimate
500 per cent.
THE first electric cars revealed {
facility of operation and a rapidit!
of movement which no one but mysel
seemed to have expected.
Their multiplication Of traffic wa
enormous, their effect upon stree
railway receipts was very great. TheI
the men in Wall street. who had de
clared them to be a crazy dream, be
gan to speculate in electric Traction
stock. They have been at it evel
since.
Electricity Expands Day.
| 81 don't believe the electric ligh
has ever stirred much sentiment il