The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-20
GENIUS NOTHING BUTHARD
WORK AND COMMON SENSE
Says Thomas A. Edison, Whose
y Wonderful Achievements
Are Reviewed in Brief. w

"Stuft! tell you genius is hard
work, acknowledgements and COM
mon sense!" @
In this short and trlte sentence
Thomas A. Edison, the Wizard of
lMenlo Park, sums up his successful
career. But this versatile and bril-
liant inventor should have added
genius is. indetatigable In research,
experiment and discovery and exhib-
Its intense concentration OF mind and
love OF learning.
| Thomas A. Edison was born at
Milan. o., in 1S47, but when he was
seven years OF age his family moved
to Port Huron, Mich, where he
passed his boyhood. Edison spent
but three months in the public
schools, but received thorough
schooling at his mothers knee. Be
fore he reached the age Of twelve he
had read Gibbons Rome Hume's
History OF England" SeaS's His
otory Of the World" and the "Dictlon-
ary Of the Sciences"
The most important Of Edlson's In
yentions is the electric Incandenscent
lamp. which was publicly exhibited
in 1880. The new lamp proved an
immediate success.
Like Faraday, Edison was news
boy; but, unlike Faraday, Edison
never new the pangs OF hunger in
his early youth. They came later,
and they came in the great big city Of
New York.
When about ten years old Edison
constructed his first Laboratory in the
cellar or his home in Port Huron.
Mich, and begin experiments with
crude chemical outfit. To obtain
funds with which to continue his ex-
periments on large scale young
Edison obtained permission to peddle
newspapers on the Grand Trun rail-
road. t5ali
Edison was successful from the
very start of his work. He often
took in So or $40 a day. 81 Of which
was always turned over to his moth
er. at l
The lure of the Laboratory kept
Edlson's mind on experiments. AS no
had plenty of leisure time during the
two daily runs, Edison arranged for
quite an elaborate workshop in his
quarters, which he equipped with an
extraordinary array Of apparatus.
This laboratory on wheels was the
cause of a disaster which probably
had more to do with the shaping Of
Edlson's career than any other one
thing. One day violent lurch Of the
train knocked a stick Of phosphorus
from the shelf, which burst Into
flames. The timely arrival Of the
train crew with water saved the car
from complete destruction. and the
embryo inventor and his beloved la
boratory, printing plant and stock in
trade were put Off at the next stop.
Edison temporarily discontinued
his research while he took up the
study of telegraphy and after short
time became a brlllian operator. HIS
fun loving and adventuresome spirit
kept him rowing from state to state.
He spent many arduous years In the
middle West before he reached Bos-
ton. His skill as o telegrapher soon
obtained for him place In the New
England city, where he began his
long list OF successful inventions.
Edison perfected his early stock
printer and went 10 New York in 1868
to sell his invention. He met with
financial reverses and soon was with
out funds and on the ragged edge OF
starvation.
Few changes In fortune are more
sudden or more dramatic in any ca
reer than that which placed an Ill
clad, half starved youth in charge Of
DR.. Laws's manufacturing plant at n
salary OF $500 month. Edison had
undertaken to repair ticker appara-
tus that distributed stock market
news to subscribers. He studied the
indicator thoroughly. He readily
sensed where the trouble ought to be
found and had the apparatus in work
Ing condition within two hours. On
learning Of the skill and ease with
which Edison had handled the machine
DR.. Laws offered him the responsible
position.
In 1886 the laboratory at Orange
was built, and then followed invention
after Invention until today the Wiz
ard Of Menlo PARK stands unique
among the men Of the nineteenth CEN
fury who have adapted scientific dis
coyeries to the use Of man. His Dhon-
ograph and motion picture Inventions
have more audiences in week than
all the theaters In America have for
an entire year. His storage battery Is
most unique in design and OF great
commercial value. t48 ssit
Foreign governments and interr1a-
tional expositions have showered hon.
ors on the modest man whose cleo
trical inventions and discoveries have
done so much to bring about the pres
ent advanced condition OF the cleo
trical industry. sv
next time he came to this city.
For the first time in thirty years he
returned to WATERFOWL. and after
shaking hands with old-time friends
he started in search Of his cane