The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-05-26
SHUT IN 6 WEEKS
Edison and Employees Went
Into Voluntary Imprisonment
When an Important Problem
Was To Be Solved.

Jitney grand opera, and a Submar-
inc which can stay under water in
definitely by extracting oxygen from
the water for the crew to breathe, are
engaging the attention of the master
mind of Thomas A. Edison, according
to Jos. p. Connolly, who is in Topeka
giving photograph recitals and lee
lures on the Edison inventions in the
schools, churches, and clubs of the
city. In these lectures Mr.. Connolly is
accompanied by ]. E. Harvey. Both
are in the employ of Mr.. Edison They
are laboratory experts and s. have
worked beside the great inventor.
Naturally what they tell of the big
laboratory of the worlds greatest in :
yentor is interesting, but what they
tell of the inventor himself is even
more so.
THE real reason of our being here"
said Mr.. Connolly. lis the war in
Europe. Our supply of chemicals from
Germany was stopped and without
them research work could not be car
ried on. So to give us something to
do, Mr.. Edison sent a number of US
out to talk to the school children, and
give them a chance to hear good
music.
But Mr.. Edison has now discovered
a method of making his own chemicals
and when the new plants he is build
ing are in operation we will be back.
How to make a disc photograph
record, which would receive the cor
rect sound impressions and yet be
hard enough to not wear from the
weight of the reproducer was a prob
lem which nearly stumped Mr.. Edi-
son. With a force of chemists ana
engineers he had worked in vain.
Zone day he called the force to-
gether and made the men a PROPOSE
ton They were to go with him into
room and stay there until the prob
lem was solved. They agreed, and
after kissing their wives and children
goodbye the door was locked behind
them and was not opened for six
weeks except for food to be carried in.
1T was a worn, haggard, stumbling
group that came out at the end of
that time. The Old Man, that's what
we call Mr.. Edison at the plant, looked
like Rip Van Wrinkle. His grizzled
beard was as full of oil and grease as
the flannel suit which had once been
white The other men possibly looked
worse. They had slept, whenever they
their coats rolled up for pillows.
The had solved the problem. They
had found how to make record that
not only did not wear, but was prac-
tically indestructible. Three days later
Mr.. Edison was back at work. All the
others went on vacations to recuper-
ate. 1t took some of them three
months to get over the effects of those
days and nights of toll.
1T is that way with every problem
he takes up Mr.. Connolly said. He
does not stop until it IS solved. He
pays no attention to time and often
Mrs. Edison has to come to the labor
atory and force him to stop working
long enough to eat or sleep. He never
takes anything more than cat maps
often on the table where he is work.
ing After doing for a little while,
he will jump up all of a sudden and
start in where he left off
Sometimes he senses things in a
way that seems almost supernatural
For instance, one of the men will tip
toe into the room where he is asleep.
Without turning his head, he will sud-
denly call the man by name and
plunge Immediately into the discussion
of whatever they have been working
on together"