Evening journal., 1918-02-12
edison BUSY ON
HIS BIRTHDAY
Spends Day in Seclusion
Working on Invention TO
Outwit U-Boats
NATION EXPECTS
MUCH FROM HIM

NEW YORK. Feb. i2-Thomss A.
Edison was "A years old yesterday.
wherever he was but he was too busy
10 receive congratulations or TO t0lk
with any one about the anniversary.
The assumption was that he was busy
20 or more hours day on an invcn-
tion destined 10 outwit The German
submarine.
He is In good health. and that was
The only thing said authOritatively for
him. he arrived az the Royal Palm
Hotel, Miami. Fla on January 81, and
that was The last heard OF him public
ly. Tie has a winter resting place at
Fort Myers. Fla.
Tho University Of Pennsylvania de-
sired 10 bestow an honorary degrees
upon him. but an aid sent word he was
too busy TO 20 TO Philadelphia, even for
that high honor
Secretary Daniels sent the following
telegram 10 him. as chairman OF the
Nays Civilian Consulting Board. at his
Orange laboratories:
Congratulations upon your birthday.
Your friends rejoice In your youthful
/ optimism and clear vision OF national
needs 10 has been a pleasure to be q
co-worker with you"
Forty-two OF Mr.. Edlson's old-time
associates met at the Lawyers Club.
+ No ii5 Broadway. to celebrate his
J birthday anniversary with a luncheon,
but he was with them only In spirit.
The forty-two call themselves the Ed
son Pioneers. Every man there had
worked for or with Mr. Edison prior
| 10 1885 Most Of them were with him
about the time that the invented the
incandescent electric light. and some
Of them long before that. one Of the
Pioneers. Francis r. Upton. OF East
Orange. ~ j.. dated his association with
Mr.. Edison from 1870.
All the Pioneers signed the following
tlegram. which was sent 70 Mr.. Edi-
son. his secretary. William II. Meadow
craft. undertaking TO see that u was
properly addressed. The telegram read:
we. the Edison Pioneers, assembled
at our first annual luncheon to cele-
brate your birthday. express our pride
In your present patriotic occupation
and send YOU our warmest love and
hearty congratulations on this ami
versary."
Mr.. Meadowcraft announced that Mr.
Edison had sent a telegram to the Pio-
ueers. saying that be was well, that his
INAIfflINfniH WiNN NNtNr 10 Hfo 'hfA .
satisfaction, and sending his best TO
CARDS 10 all his old friends.
To Collect "Edsonia."
10 was decided that those eligible "a
membership in the Edison Pioneers
should be those men who had been as
ISOLATED with Mr.. Edison up 10 1896. an,
their descendants. male and female.
John W. Lieb. Vice-presidcnt of tp
New York Edison Company. suggestc'
that A collection Of "Edlsonia' !,
started, for the purpose Of getting "a
geiher all things pertaining 10 "a
great inventor. so that eventually The
might be placed In a museum and pre-
served Intact The Edison Pioneer
present pledged themselves TO con
tribute all the "Edisonia" they had
and they will also contribute bio
graphical data which otherwise womb
be lost 10 the world.
Lewis II. Lattimer, a Negro. win
was with Mr.. Edison many years ago
read an original plem, and Mr.. Upton
told Of his long association with The
inventor. and paid an eloquent tribute
10 his genius and 10 his worth as a
man.