Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-11

''Do YOU believe that there is really any
such thing as growing oldY
This is the question that was put 70
Thomas A. Edison, grand old man ol
American science, on the occasion of ms
sevepty-third birthday. And here is
Thomss Edison's reply:
.'If man delighted in studying the nat
ural element in which he exists. and If nc
used this knowledge to protect his body
against the malignant sactions OF .lis en-
vironment, | think that he would live ~
least twice as long AS now, with his men
talitv unimpared at the end of life. As
man learns more of his environment and
is thus able to protect himself more and
More, there is no reason that can see why
his firm of life should not be as long rs
that of the Sequoia trees of California
which is several thousand years.
HOW EDISON TALKED.
Ii was under unusual circumstances that
the wizard Of electricity, who makes 1t a
rule never to give out interviews, consented
10 talk for publication. Several weeks
ago national campaign was instituted
Tor the placing IN every American home
of the two Edison biographies, The Life
and Inventions Of Thomas Edison" by
DYER and Martin, and William H. Mead
owcroft's The Boys Life of Edison. y
representative of Harper Il Brothers. tie
publishers. called ut the inventor 5 office III
the Orange New Jersey. laboratories. and
was introduced to ''the old man 10y Mr..
NIeadowcroft, who, i'll addition to being
Mr.. Edison's biogranher is his business
assistant.
so you re from Harpcrs, are you? said
the inventor. with "a kindly smile, as he
shook hands With the visitor. y on know,
I'm not literary. Some people can write
long things off hand. and get up before II
great crowd of people and make smooth
speeches, but can understand how they
do it, lie paused rcfectively, and
shaking his head, repeated, No, m not
literary
The aged scientist, whose bearing is
moor. though his constitution is otherwise
robust. put his hand to his ear for the
reply. Thank God for that said the
publisher
\ smile started In q corner of MIR. Edison S
iuout and grew in both directions until 1t
completely overspread the Imposlngly
handsome face You want an interview
do vou?" he said Write down your
questions. and III see if | can dictate
the answers for YOU.
Three questions in ddition TO the one
gwen above were asked. The question
and answers follow:
TRY HOBBIES.
I'Do YOU believcIt is good thing for q
bdy TO map out his career years ahead, or
ju1 peg away?
No, the boy. while being educated,
,htAald try many hobbies, changing from
one 10 another rs many times as he de-
sires. The more the better. until he finds one
that delights him-one that he Is sure he
will succeed In after he leaves School-bc-
cause he Is happy while pursuing II after
trying many other hobbies. With this
hobby he can succeed, and with no other.
because when man is vitally Interested
i a thing his memory becomes highly
efficient in that pursuit, but in all other
lines normal. \ good ncmor means
executive ability, snd with this comes
DO Ii Now
WHAT Is SUCCESS
What in your opinion, constitutes sue
cess was another question.
The above combination means sue
cess. 1t never fails, was Mr.. Edisons
reply.
The question, "Wto were the friends
whose confidence gave YOU encourage
ment when you were struggling for Il
foothold9" br ught forth this charateris-
tic reply:
Il had no such friends. They were not
necessary. la fact, they are disadvantages
Gus. The hard path gives one experience.
One loses this if they are helped by friends.
Il Is like having rich father.
Mr.. MEADowcRorT RENINIsCESCEs.
For once, the spirit OF business that
hovers over the laboratory IL Orange
Thomas Edison IS q hard taskmaster
seemed to have been dispefied. Mr.. Mea-
dowcroft, ''the oil man bio vapher and
assistant, who has worked side by side
with him for many years, neglected the
hea, OF papers on his desk long enough
to tell i tase or two from his store of
"reminiscences of his beloved chief
My mind is SO filled up with business
matters that IT is pretty hard to get down
TO spinning yarns, . declared Mr. Meadow
croft, rubbing his grizzled mustache re-
nectively.
''Yo know, it was only out of love 70
the old man that | took the time TO write
he Boys Life OF Edison. showed him
the Life and Inventions OF Thomas Edi-
son. with It's diagrams and plates OF his
inventions, when the first copies were
ready after two years of work. and he
looked at the volumes and said: Are folks i
StAAS, " 4tt-U 1hiA OA hilsat
= Even at the age of 20, continued Mr.. /
Meadowcroft. MIR. Edison Is as energetic +
as ever and there seems o. be no diminu-
ton of his mental activity. He comes
down to his laboratory ever morning and /
plunges right into the activities of the day /
with his accustomed vim. While he does
not work late into G night at the labora-
tory as regularly as he used TO, he works /
every night until eleven or twelve o'clock I
at home and comes down to the laboratory !
primed for the days work, frequently /
q lot of memoranda he has writ /
ten to numerous officials and heads of /.
the night before He has an
and exact knowledge of every
thing that is going on IN the enti plant /
nnd Is the habit of asking pointed
questions as TO the progress Of matters.
showing that he is conversant with what
has gone the day before. The ment a.
nctivity and intimate knowledge Of affairs
frequently fdnazes our people whose
Efforts are along certain definite hines,
while his knowledge covers the entire