La Junta tribune., 1915-11-27
WIZARD OF slENI.o PARK.
What One Great Man Did for EIsc.
tricity-One Of the Heroes ~
Electrical Prosperity Wceh.

tricity-One Of the Heroes n
Electrical Prosperity week.
Stuff! tell you genius d hard
work. stick-to-it-iveneas and common
sens6!"
In this short and trite sentenco
Thomas A. Edison. the wisard oe
Menlo Park. sums up his succsssful
career. But this versatile and brtl-
liant inventor should have added
genius is indefatigable in research.
experiment and discovery and exhib-
its intense concentration OF mind
and love OF learning.
fhomas A. Edison was born at MI
Ian. Ohio, in ls47. but when he was
seven years OF age his family moved
to Port Huron. Mich. where he pass
ed his boyhood. Edison spent but
three months In the public schools,
but received thorough schooling ct
his mothers knee. Before he reach
ed the age OF twelve he had read
Gibbons Rome" Hume's History
Of England" Sears History Of ths
World" and the Dictionary Of Sci-
ences."
The most important Of Edison's In
ventions Is the electric incandeecent
lamp. which was publicly exhibited d
1880. The new lamp proved an i'm
mediate success.
Like Faraday. Edison was news
boy: but. unlike Faraday. Edison
never knew the pangs Of hunger II
his early youth. They came latsr.
and they came In the great big city
Of New York.
When about ten years old Edison
constructed his first laboratory u
the cellar Of his home in Port HUI
ron. Mich. and began cxperimsats
with crude chemical outfit. To Oh
tain funds with which to continue
his experiments ON . larger scale.
young Edison obtained permissiea -
'peddlsd nswspapsrs on The 0raaa
Trunk railroad.
.Bdisoas was auceDs.ful frou ~
very start oi his work. ne eloan
took In - or SO . .day. u Of vhleh
was always turned over 70 his moth
er.
Tho lure Of the laboratory keDt
Edlson's mind on experiments. A.
he had plenty Of leisure time during
the two daily runs. Edison arranged
for quito an elaborate workshop IL
his quarters. which he equipped with
an extraordinary array Of apparatus.
This laboratory on wheels was the
cause OF . disaster which probably
had more TO do with the shaping Of
Edison's career than any other one
thing. One day q violent lurch Of
the train knocked . stick Of phos-
phorous from the shelf. which burse
into flames. The timely arrival oe
the train crew with water saved the
car from conplste destruction. an1
the embryo lnvsntor and his bsloveA
laboratory. printing plant and stock
In trade were put Oft ~ the nsxt
stop.
Edison temporarily diacoatinue1
bis research while hs took up the
study tslsgraphy aad after . sAost
time became . brilliant oDeeatos.
Ills sua lovtag and advsatureeene
spirit ksps hin revtss from seass -
state. He spsst many srduous yeass
In he middle wet bseess ~ ssssAs1
Boston. His skill - . tslsgsaoAse
soea eblslssd for hin Q plaes u ~
New Eaglaad city. vhsrs ~ beonn
biz long lise Of sueeessful iavsatIeoa.
Edison Desssets1 his early slesk
psistss saa wsst = New Yesk =
1858 % ssll he iavsatioa. Ne ~
wleh flaaselal sevsesss asa soea voo
without funls aaa % The sAGOe1
s1ss ef slasvaties.
Few changes 10 fortune ase nogo
suddsa o. nsss dramatic h aay -
rsss thas hat which p)ass1 a y
clal. half seasve1 yeuth = sAafoo g
~. Lawn manufacturing Dleat q .
salasy q oSoo . meath. D1leoa ~
ua1eslakea - reDals . eieees aoooPs
atus thAt 1islslbuee1 seosk uasooo
sews y subesslbess. ~ seu1te1 ~
ln1ieaass theesughly. - poolb
oeoee1 Whego ~ tsoub1e ouo1e y.
- Aaennn - - - nnnnGnoo0 -
weshlng esa1lelsa V1eh1a ~ 49,
| o. leasnla0 g ~ Gh11 ~ -
vlth vhloA Do1ooo han1Doo - p
Ghios p. lAws oeeoso1 ~ - y
= 1ooo ~ lnoeDooosv ~
~ ~ - ~ ooo1cpo
- - lDV1no1Gn unon