The Washington times., 1920-01-15
Dcanition Of Genius.

Edison some time ago said What
IL genius" Why. genius is simply
hard work. stick and
common sense.
The only way to keep ahead of the
procession il to experiment. II you
don't, the other fellow will When
there's no experimenting, you go
backward. II anything goes wrong,
experiment. until you get at the bot
tom Of the trouble" And this Edison
has done, with metals. with men, and
the minds OF men.
Mr.. Edison found that a great de-
feet in the phonograph was its in.
adequate rendition of the oVertoneS
in music and an accentuation OF hiss
ing CouSonants in speech. So lie
worked for, NOR" than "a year, twenty
hours every day in the week. to get
u perfect recording and reproducing
Of the one wtNr specie" When this
was done. he says that he knew
everything else could be done. Could
you work that long and that con
tinuously to effect that one accom-
plishmcnt?
There's an old saying. IF at first
YOU don't succeed try. try again.
But most Of us don't try again. We
~ something new, something that
seems easier.
Mr.. Edison says: I'm always
afraid OF things that work the first
time. When 7 made my first voice
recording on the phonograph, shout
ing in il Mary had a little lamb, with
fleece Of whitest snow and ii repro
duced it perfectly, ] was never so
taken back in my life
Edison's favorite remark. when he
ia told that a new experiment is salts
factory. is. "Well. boys. now let's
find the bugs" and the tireless hunt
for defects is on.
Everyone knows that Mr.. Edison's
inventions Nav" always been ones
mat spoedcd the progress OF the
world Just think Of what the incan-
descent lamp alone meant to the
world Edison gave the world Broad
way. the magnificent. the wcll-lightcd
stores Of this city and your own clcc-
tric reading lamp that takes the place
or the kerosene lamps that your
father used If YOU go to the movies
thank Edison, for he invented the
modern notion picture. You have
him ~ thank for hundreds of other
inventions and his monograph.
Edison has one great ambition, owe
chief hope--which is, that every home
shall have the happiness. tho content
ment and Ne Inspiration to lofticr
ideals that good music brings. The
homo without music in II is incom-
rlctc. The heart without song in
it has an empty void. The state or
the nation without the melody of hap
nv music in its soul lacks something
material to national inspiration and
national progress.
perfected Machine.
Thomas \. Edison gave the. world
the phonograph in 1877, andf then.
moro than thirty years later sptut
SO, 900 900 and five years Of ceas ,less
labor IN new research work TO perfect
II so that every home. from the lowli-
csi to the highest. might have at It's
Hrcsidc the message OF an Inspired
singer, the breathing soul OF genius
bowed violin. tho hearCr Of the In
spircd music OF n Rschmanlnoff. tho
great pianist. II Edison could hav"
lived in the times OF Herod, to have
pcrpctuatcd tho voice of the DiviEa
Master. what It WOULD have meant TO
this restless world today.
OF practically every working day
for seven wears. except during the
war. Edison has given two hours ev-
cry morning and two hours every af-
trrnoon io listening TO the compost.
tious Of al time and 10 choosing thr
orcs that viii make better the lives
or all people. II ~ probable that he