The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-11-05

glow of Aladdin's lamp on that cold
bitter day in New York. This is
the story of starting to fame and
wealth of the grandest and greatest
inventor the world has ever known
Alva Edison.
Today, his name stands as a guild
ing light in the world of electrical
science. He has done as much for
the benefit of mankind as any king,
statesman, or any author.
The life stories of many inventors
have out-stripped in interest any
romance ever dreamed CT penned.
George Westinghouse is another
example of worldly benefactor.
Not only has he benefited mankind
by his inventions, but has encourag-
ed and assisted other men with ideas.
Mr.. Westinghouse most important
invention is the air. brake. On one
occasion driver attempted to cross
the railroad with his team, In front
of moving train. Man, horse and
vehicle were annihllated. 1t then
occurred to this inventor that more
powerful and quicker acting brake
han man power could be devised
by COMPRISING air into a reservoir
and working it in conjunction with
a piston enclosed in cylinder con-
necled with a falcrurn arm. Thus
has the invention of the automatic
air. brake saved millions of dollars
worth of property from destruction
and thousands Of lives from being
lost.
The story of Seldom is remark
able one. When his idea was first
suggested it was not hailed as some
thing of practical possibility. The
inventor received a newspaper pub
licity that made him laughing
stock OF the country. But instead
of being discouraged he redoubled
his energies and continued to work
with unabated zeal on his machine,
and by his patience and energy we
have today, the self-propelled veh-
icle: an article which is almost in
1espenslble. and an industry worth
millions of dollars.
Take the new science of flying in
the air; thing which was hooted
at few years ago when Prof. Lang
ly tried to interest the National
Government with his idea. 1t was
only short time afterward that the
Wright brothers proved to the
world the possibilities of man glid-
ing through the air with the grace
of an eagle. With these inventions
here mentioned and with thousands
of others, there are none that have
reached perfection. Nothing in the
field of human endeavor is yet per-
fected. No Invention now in use
to conserve the convenience, the
comfort or the use of mankind has
reached its perfection. And every
defect that it has is an invitation to
another invention for Improvement.
The whole world is full of utilities
in their initial stage of creation,
needing amendments and improve
ments to make them perfect and
acceptable; and with all these await
ing for improvement there are thou
sands of things that the world wish
es and needs that have not been
invented. These needs are not only
confined to complicated machines,
but are demanding simple devices
which have practically no mechan-
ical movements.
The vast field is enlarging every
day. and increases with the popula-
lation of the world. Many inven-
tions of today which are luxury
become the necessities of another
day; and therefore call for improve
ment in every description. There
is NO field in the world so prolific.
so wonderful, so unexhausted as the
field of invention.
y
Inventions that have been useful
to mankind and profitable 10 the
inventor must devise one of two
things. either accomplishing some
work by cheaper method than
was ever known before, or the
entertaining of the public by some
novelty or machine for which the
public was willing to pay.
In this era of lightning like me-
chanical and industrial develop
ment. nothing is considered unless
it economies. The prime object of
invention is to abolish waste of pow
err. supertluity of labor, or throwing