The New York herald., 1921-02-13
Edison the Curious.


The most wonderful thing about
THOMAS A. EDISON, who has plunged
enthusiastically into his seventy fifth
year, is his contempt for clocks and
calendars and his respect for time.
He might have stopped working more
than forty years ago, for he patented
the phonograph in 1873 and the incan-
descent lsup in 1885, Either patent
would have R2sie him rich and famous
II he had gone no further with 1t but
had left the development Of those
devices 10 other men.
But EDrsoN's respect for time,
which he knows to be infinite Of It
self but sadly finite so FAR as he him.
self is concerned, has kept him at the
work bench. He knew forty years
ago that he could have life of leis~
ure, but he preferred a life of pleas
ure-for that is what work means to
him-so long as time should let him.
And we suppose that during these
long years OF his own enjoyment he
has afforded more worldly pleasure to
more fellow creatures throughout the
earth than any other man, living or
dead, with the possible exception OF
CoIUMKUs and the unknown gentle
man who discovered fire.
For it is because of EDISON that
men and women, whether in the
quaint villages of the Caribbean, the
towns OF Siberia or the apartment
houses OF Riverside Drive, are able
TO read in comfort under the glowing
filament, escaping the danger, heat
and inconvenience Of oil lamps. 1t is
because Of Epson that music of the
best kind has been brought into mill
ions of households which otherwise
might never hear a pleasing or in
spring strain.
But instead of resting on these
laurels Mr.. Edison goes on as if he
did not know of the flying years. His
interest in science and mechanics is
as great as it was in the days Of the
late seventies when he swapped plug
tobacco with AMOS CUMMINGS at
Menlo Park and told that lively re-
porter about the possibilities of the
incandescent light. If EDISON uses a
clock il is to time an experiment.
His own days and years he measures
by progress. He let's the past pile up
and digs into the future. Not that
the past Is dead. 1t Is full of life
and triumph and it's a safe guide
part way into the future. but while
you may look at the past you cannot
change it. The future is mutable.
No better example OF the deep in
terest Of EDISON in to-day and to-
morrow can be had .han his recent
announcement that he wishes to in
vent a device by which the source of
certain psychic phenomena may be
determined. We don't believe that
Mr.. EpIsoN's interest In this Is In
spired by any uncertainty Of soul. 1t
is likely that st. PETER, who knew
the inconvenience Of the oil lamp,
will gladly turn the stile for the In
ventor Of the incandescent Light. No,
MT. EDIsoS's curiosity about the
things that puzzle the psychic, re-
searchers is the old curiosity of the
workshop. Something is defying sci
ence and making people nervous. Let's
poke into it, says the Wizard, and see
IL we can't reduce it to waves and
coax it into registering ON dial.
If the Fates keep the great Jersey
man on the job few years more we
hope to hear that he has reduced
telepathy TO the simplicity OF teleg-
raphy and has devised a method by
which the subliminal consciousness
can he tapped at will. II he doesn't
succeed in doing these feats 1t viii
certainly not be because OF laziness
or lack Of interest.