Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-10-21
CIRCUMSPICE
WHY We HONOR
EDISON
Thirty-sixth Anniversary Of
the Electrical Industry

The debt that humanity to Edison
matter of fact, in its ultimate analysis is ncaculabe.
Some of his inventions and discoveries well known like
the ncandescent lamp the phonograph but the great
preponderance of his many achievements wholly unknown
merely the layman and indeed the majority
of electrical For example, the duplex and the quadru
pex telegraph systems by which two can
be sent the time wre the asimeter nstru
ment delicate heat that will record that received from
distant In railways power storage batteries in
motion pictures telephony his contributions have been well
nigh endless When is stated that up 1909 Edison has
been granted less than GIG patents begin per-
how enormously prolific his work has been few indeed
have any conception of what Edison has done.
But without doubt his greatest service the world the
that has had the most far reaching results and has been
most beneficial to humanity is the invention of the ncandescen
electric light Perhaps all may know that in the words
'ncandescent electric light is embraced merely lamp
alone, but entire lighting system Before ncandescent
lighting could be made not only the lamp had be
invented but dynamo perfected distribution system plan
ned and switches sockets, and nnumerabe
vices invented His whole idea of incandescen lighting
fundamentally concept The scientific world at large
scoed at the idea that the electric current could be Sub
dvded and the lights made Independent of other
that if out the other would continue burning
And in many other respects his invention stand forth
unique in the history of Inventions Among scientists will
always remain the classic example Of the technique of
nvenon and to the rest of mankind will in equal
be the great scientific The scientist always
study and attempt initiate the patient and persistent in
vesgaton of facts and the brilliant nducons herefrom in
the realm of the unknown for only scientists and electrical
engineers comprehend the breadth of the field covered by
Mr. Edison in those few months of indefagabe work. The
lamp itself scarcely than detail the major part
of the effort involved equally brilliant work in the whole
theory of the generation and application of elec
trio crrental vay necessary and important parts to the
commercial production of light from the ncandescent electric
lamp
His early life it is not to describe Everyone
became telegraph operator and by those characteristics of dill
and tenacy of forged his the forefront
of his profession.
His achievements in telegraphy and telephony epoch max
ing though they must omit restricting ourselves to
that phase of his work which relates electric lighting
In passing may be said however, that is largely due
to Edson inventions in telephony and telegraphy that the
growth of these industries has taken place.
In $780, for example, the Western Union had 100000 miles
Of wire in operation Today the American Telephone and
Telegraph Company has 100000 miles of exchange wre
and 100000 miles of toll line in service These figures do
not include connecting companies but merely the Bell
In the face Of all adverse criticism Edison pursued the
tenor of his way investigating and experimenting; for
Edison impossible is impossible word Day after
day and far into the watches Of the night he and his
cae adhered to their researches snacng hasy meals at
odd times and sleeping vcariousy the and buck
cts the closet under the stairs stretched exhausted
laboratory table OF the investigation that carried
before suitable lamp flament discovered Edison
merely said, We that carbon what wanted The
next question what kind of carbon? began to try var
things and finally carbonized strip Of bamboo from
japanese fan and found what seeking.
Some of the substances experimental upon electric
light carbon made into and rolled into threads cotton
thread ucanized fibre carbonzed flax threads made of r