The Washington herald., 1914-03-26
HISTORY BUILDERS.
How Westinghouse Came by One Of
His Important Inventions.
written Expressly for The Herald)
BY DIR. E. j. EDWARDS.

(Written Expressly for The Herald)
BY DIR. e. J. EDWARDS.
In the course Of a great esteemed
personal friendship Of twenty-five years
with the late George Westinghouse, I
discovered that he was a man of great
simplicity OF personal life. Of unusual
federation for the weaknesses Of human
nature, of statesmanlike vision Of what
the future of the United States may be,
and also OF nature absolutely free from
jealousy Of any kind. This last attribute
was impressively suggested to me in one
Of the last chats which I had with him.
Mr.. Westinghouse had written at his
office saying that the time had come
when he would make some detailed ex-
PLANTATION to me of one Of his latest In
ventions-
1t was the apparatus which he perfected
by means of which air springs operating
a reservoir Of oil were capable of reduc-
ing to a minimum the jolting Of any
vehicle, especially motor cars.
There was a queer history associated
with this apparatus" said Mr.. Westing-
house. after he had shown me several
photographs which pictured forth the in
vention. THE thing is not primarily my
own. One day two men called on me.
one of them being a clergyman. I think
they lived in or near Troy. New York
They showed me an apparatus which they
had invented which was designed to re-
ceive all the jolting which Is usually pro-
duced when a vehicle passes over a
rough road or pavement.
"I looked at IL few moments and
then l told them that their apparatus
contained the right idea, but that they
had failed to work out perfectly one
or two vital details.
They asked me whether 7 would he
wiling to undertake to perfect it
told them that / would because I was
sure they had in the apparatus they
showed me the germ Of a very valua-
BILE idea. / also told them that II would
| take two or three years to perfect the
apparatus.
They seemed a little astonished that
I named 30 long a time as that. but
l insisted that II did anything at all
with their invention l should have all
the time needed to perfect II.
Well, We made a satisfactory ar
\ rangement and the invention OF these
two men was subjected to every pos
sible test over more than two years
Some were delicate. Some obstacles
were difficult to overcome. This has
all been accomplished. Ny part In the
work was supplementary to that done
!
that ultimately the invention is going
radically to change some features OF
| highway traffic, as I understand is al
ready the case in London"
| ! said to Mr. Westinghouse that
could not help observing that he gave
almost exclusive credit to these two
obscure inventors.
Why nOt?" said he. There is room
! enough for all Of us"
aSka NJ -,
thought it would take so long a time as
two or three years to perfect this little
apparatus.
Il couldn't undertake to say" he re-
piled. how many inventors have failed
because they have not been patient and
head a valuable idea. but it is an en-
tirely different thing to work il out until
II is perfected. Many inventors are i'm
! patient. Yet patience is the vital nerve
Of successful invented apparatus 1t has
always been my rule never to permit an
apparatus TO be placed upon the markets
until have tested it from every possible
angle. l was once two years in testing
ore OF my gas engines. simply for the
purpose of overcoming even a trifiing ir-
regularity OF the stroke OF the piston
have often thought that If I have been
| part due to my caution. which my friends
/ have let patience do its perfect work -
Tomorrov-"How westInghouse
Gave the Credit to NikoIa Tesla
CCoryriSht lel4l