West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-04-15

Below we reproduce an article from
ihe american Magazine for March for
The benefit of our subscribers who
may not be readers of that estimahle
publication:
EDISON UNDER FIRE
oh December 9th. 1914. the huge
manufacturing plant OF Thomas A
EDISON situated on the Valley Road.
West Orange. New Jersey. was visited
oy devastating fire which devoured
buildings apparatus and supplies
whose value can, at the time of writ
ihg' only be loosely estimated.
Inc inventor watched the fire with
one thing uppermost in his mind
"hat do you suppose It was? What
would you be thinking about under
those circumstances. with the labor of
years, and nearly all you own i'm the
world going up in ruin and loss?
Ihomas A. Edison was intently ex-
amining the fre-resisting qualities OF
reinforced concrete construction. 80
'hat hereafter buildings may be truly
flre-proof.
rhere's a mighty expensive expert
ment'' he said, pointing TO the blazing
pile, but It's good one. There will
be mobilization around here tomor-
row If that stun cools off enough and
when those buildings 20 up again.
they'll go up fire proof"
What an examplel Especially I'm
these times, when so many show the
white feather and croak about hard
times or bad luck or some kind of
petty trouble or grievancel Here "a
the living incarnation of American
spirit and courage. Not a thought
OF the past! Not a regret. except for
the single life lost-one of his work
men who died doing his dutyl Not
mint OF complaint or discourage
ment' but every power of thought and
will concentrated on what he Was 90
ing to do next
IN sixty-seven years DID," he asid.
"but I'm none too old to take a fresh
start tomorrow morning. Nobody ia
ever too old TO take n fresb startn
magniflcently ana nng sstag hnnesr, Imors
than this? Can the inspiration OF such
an example ever weaken? Can one
even forget 1t, or let II lose its power
over us? We take this occasion 10
publish chronology of Edison's life.
showing the things he has achieved
in the realms of physical sciences.
We are grateful for them. But we are
most OF all grateful for the ideal
standard pattern of American bravery
and spirit that we see outlined in bold
relief against the blazing background
Of the Valley Road.
NOTABLE EVENTS AND ACHIEVE
MENTS IN THE LIFE OF
THOMAS A. EDISON
Arranged for The American Maga-
zine by VIM. II. Mcadowcraft, thirty
years Edison's chief assistant.
lS47-Born February 18th, at Milan,
Ohio.
1854 Moved to Port Huron, Michi
gan.
1S57-Started chemical laboratory.
i'm cellar OF his home.
1S59-Became newsboy and "candy
butcher" on trains of Grand Trunk
Railway. running between Port HUI
ron and Detroit.
CThe whirligig of time brings about
peculiar developments. The Edison
storage battery, the Edison primary
battery and the Edison debating ma
chine are now used by the Grand
Trunk Railway Company. on whose
trains Edison commenced life as
"newsie")
1862 Printed and published
newspaper. "The Weekly Herald" on
the train. The first newspaper ever
printed on a moving train.
1862 Saved from death young son
OF J. u Mackenzie. station agent al
Mount Clemens, Michigan. In graft
tude. the father taught Edison telegra-
ply
1862 Put up telegraph line from
Port Huron railway station TO village
and worked in lccai office.
lS63-First position as regular teie-
graph operator on Grand Trunk Rail
way, at Stratford Junction, Canana
1SGS-186s- Spent nearly five arduous
years as a telegraph operator in var
ions cities OF the Central Western
states. always studying and exyori-
mentns tc improve the apparatus.
1868 Entered Office of Western
Union in Boston as operator. Later.
resigned to experiment on duplex sys-
tenn OF telegraphy, and went into pri-
vate telegraph line business
1868 Made his first patented in
vention. electrical vote recorder. The
application for patent was signed Oc-
tober II, 1868.
1869 Landed in New York City
from Boston boat. poor and in debt
Shortly afterwards. while looking for
work. was in operating room OF Gold
& Stock Telegraph company when ap-
paratus broke down. No one but Edl-
son could FIX II, and he was given
job as superintendent at 5000 a month.
1869 Went into partnership with
Franklin l.. Pope as electrical engi.
neers. Improved stock tickers and
made new inventions. among which
was the Universal stock ticker, also
the Unison device.