The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-11-04
EDISON AND THE MYSTERY OF
LIFE AND DEATH.

An interview with Thomas A. Edi-
son published in a recent issue of the
Scientific American has attracted
much attention among those who are
ever vainly seeking an answer to the
whence and whittier" of human ex-
istence Mr. Edison disclaims any
fixed belief in the passage through
death to another sphere of existence.
and less in the claims of those who
profess to hold communication with
those who have passed on through
means of the ouiia board or more
pretentous and scientific methods.
However if there is a spirit world
and the inhabitants thereof desire to
communicate with their friends in
this vale of tears he is preparing a
device on scientific lines which will
enable them to do so with the least
possible resistance His discussion Of
the subject is interesting and is here
given in part:
81 have been thinking FOR some time
OF a machine or apparatus which
could be operated by personalities
which have passed on to another eX-
istence or sphere Now follow me
] don't claim that our per
sonalities pass on to another exist
ence or sphere. I don't claim any
thing because / don't know anything
about the subject For that matter. /
no human being knows But do .
claim that it is possible to construct +
an apparatus which will be so delicate I
hat if there are personalities in an
,ther existence or sphere who wish to
get IN touch with MS in this existence (
,r sphere this apparatus will at least I
give them a better opportunity to ex-
,ress themselves than the fitting
ahles and raps and ouija boards and i
Mediums and the other crude meth
IDS now purported to be the only
means of communication. L
I'm truth, it is the crudeness of the i
resent methods that makes me doubt ,
ne authenticity of purported com {
with deceased persons ]
Why should personalities i'm another 7
Nistence or sphere waste their time f
.orking little triangular piece of d
.ood over a board with certain let t
aring on il? Why should such per- "
Qualities play FRANKS with table? h
he whole business seems so childish n
b me that I frankly can not give il v
~ serious consideration believe n
'at If we are TO make any real pro-
-ess in psychic investigation we must
D it with scientific apparatus and in
scientific manner just as we do in
edicine. electricity chemistry and
her fields OF
Now what ! purpose to do is to pl
nish psychic investigators with an Il
'paratus which will give a scient- II
aspect to their work This appar- te
MS. let me explain, is in the nature ma
a valve. so TO speak That is to IN
" the slightest conceivable effort is m
lde TO exert many times its initial ma
wer for indicative purposes 1t is su
nilar TO a modern power house. ed
lere man. with his relatively puny eff
e-eighth horsepower turns valve fe
Iich starts $4,000 horsepower Sc
am turbine My apparatus is along tn
use lines in that the slightest eff do
t which it intercepts will be mag qu
led many times. so as to give us as
atever form of record we desire for fes
purpose of investigation. Beyond cat
{ I don't care to say anything fur phi
r. regarding its nature I nave been fec
rking ont the details for some time: of
eed. a collaboration in this work Blu
q only the other day In that he VIII
w exactly what / am after in this fee
FIX, / believe he ought to be the the
{ to use it if he is able to do so. OF pow
rise don't forget that I am making the
claims for the survival of person ciei
y; / am not promising communi- A
on with those who have passed as
of this life / merely state that lit il