New-York tribune., 1920-02-12
Edison at 73
Is the Center
OF Reunion
Unable to Hear Birthday
Greetings of Friends and
Co-Workers, He Bege Wife
to Make Speech for Him
Has Great New Invention
Believes Flashes From Mars
Possible; Bets s'5O-5O'
OH Sir Oliver Lodge|

Floneers, an organization of about
fifty men, who became associated with
him between 1870 and 1885, gave a
luncheon in his honor at the Edison
Laboratories, in Orange, N. J.
Shut off by defective hearing from
reactions to felicitous speeches that
praised his past achievements, the in
ventor of the electric power and light
Ing system that traps and harnesses
energy for countless tasks on land and
sea. sat needless of their voices.
While the ytalked in the way Of post
prandial speakers and while kilograms
were read that expressed the ocngratu-
lstions of President Wilson and Henry
Ford and other men who identified
themselves as "Milt" or Theodore"
Ct N. Valid, Mr.. Edison's blue eyes
squinted until his bushy dark brows
knit to shut out the smoke of long
cigar uptlted from the corner of his
mouth. He was ruminating over new
marvels that he promises will be as
astonishing to this generation as his
talking machine was to that which
thought the idea was fantastic dream.
Mrs. Edison Speaks
Occasionally Mr.. Edison cupped his
hand behind his ear and one of the
bearded scientists or inventors leaned
over to speak, but when Major William
J. Hammer and John w. Lieb urged
him, one at either shoulder, to make
speech he whispered directions for
them to seek a spot warmer than the
When Mrs. Edison, few places dis
tant, leaned toward him and smilingly
motioned for him to get he laughed
and said:
''You do the talking" and Mrs. Edi-
son did, thanking everybody becom-
ingly.
Then John Edison Sloane, two and
half years old, in pink rompers, ap-
peared in the arms of his governess
behind his grandfather, and lurking in
the background was Thomas Edison
poked an experimental finger in their
chlns and tummies. and the pioneers,
aware that either of these frail human
envelopes might contain an inherited
spark of genius, unanimously voted the
children into their organization, to the
delight of Mr.. and Mrs (Madelein
Edison) John Eyre Sloane, of South
Orange.
Souvenirs were distributed, porcelain
incadescent lamps with likeness of
the inventor printed on the white sur
Shaking hands and exchanging all sorts
of gossip, MI. Edison started back to
work, but at the door he was sur
rounded by newspapcrmen, to whom
he admitted his belief in the poss bility 1
OF lnter-planetary wireless messages.
The question about the wireless "strays"
which Marconi thought might be mes
sages from Mars. evidently appealed to
Mr.. Edlson's imagination. He ran his
hand through his thatch of white hair
and spoke convincingly of the possi-
bility of such a thing.
Disguised at Rocket Plan
Some one was foolish enough to
divert Mr.. Edison with a question about
the possibility of travelling to Mars
in a rocket and he waved his hands
downward with gesture expressive
of disgust.
mo, no." he said and then turned
to another questioner who asked de-
tails of Mr.. Edison's invention which
gossip credits with the ability to per-
NIT the nation welding it to defeat
IN SIX months of war a power as great
as Germany was at the first Marne.
II don't want to talk about the work
done then" protested Mr.. Edison and
then whetted the news appetites of his
audience by adding:
"If the war had gone on, though we
would have saved a lot of cargo boats.
But / don't want to talk about it.
There was lot of turmoil
He was asked if he was working on
new invention which might be con-
sidered as fantastic as his earlier
achievements.
"Oh, I'h working on forty inven-
tons; I'm always working" he laughed.
Then, SOLDERING:
"But there is one that is great
Can't talk about it until its ready.
But,.-she's going to work." He rubbed
his hands together and his eyes shone.
"Fifty-Fifty" on Sir Oliver
Then he was diverted into the past
wit ha query as to what he considered
his greatest invention. Mr.. Edison
seemed bit embarrassed but an
swered:
We'll. think the electric power and
lighting system was most important"
Then after a minute of reflection: ~
think motion pictures are pretty good.
tool" eN'
Inc Pioneers, however, showed what
they thought about it by their enthusi-
astlc applause of the statement bv
Major Hammer IN his speech that the
greatest Edison invention was the phY
nograph, a thing hardly dreamed Of by
scientists until it was an ACCOMPLISHED
fact.
Hot w you want TO invent Z"
shouted one interviewer, fearful that
the wizard would retire for lack of
questions to answer. and Mr.. Edison
grlnned and said:
"Oh. lot of things"
g. linen somebody had happy thought:
40 you believe in Sir Oliver Lodges
ttions?' ''A ~"
Its fifty-hfty," was the reply, and
.tne whlsKered pioneers crowdne on
xhe reporters heels, shouted with glee
ana translated the eptgram variously
2o mean half mortal and half spirit and
"aaa ..r, eruth and half buncombe.
= Ihs trouble with that sort OF
tnlng' continued the inventor, "is the
personal equation. Neither Sir Oliver
1.oose nor any one else who depends
Su nealums ~ at all convincing. The
Huilan LUNAR factor is too damned uncertain.
wye . me a machine, and if l get re-
suI.s they are worth something as eyi-
tsnce: .s ~ IS entirely possible that with
VIC !Isns KIND OF machine spirit COM
"'u,scat'ons .., could be received.
~ I was to try anything along that
Hhe Ia try machinery. If had to Do.
reha on man for my facts I'd quit.
"a want to get off by myself so that
could be sure that wasn't being IA.
ceived. But as for spirit cabinets and
rspplngs and that rot-shucks."
Mission for Darling
An excited man at this point broke
through the human hedge that sena.
rated Mr.. Edison from his WAITING
FAMILY: 1t was William H. Meadow.