The New York herald., 1922-09-05
FIRST EDISON PLANT
HAS 4OTH BIRTHDAY
Men Who Pioneered With In
yentor Visit Pearl Street
Power House.
HANG A LAUREL WREATH
'Herald's' Description Of Lamp
as Mellow Light of italian
Autumn Recalled.
HANG A LAUREL WREATH

Frank A. Wardlaw and Francis Jehl
two Edison pioneers who were with the
inventor when he was still an obscure
experimenter, celebrated the fortieth
birthday of commercial electric lighting
yesterday by making a pilgrimage to the
site of the first Edison station, 255 and
2E7 Pearl street, and hanging beneath
the bronze tablet which marks that his
toric spot wreath of laurel The cere-
mony, as simple as II was reverent, was
performed exactly at o'clock, just forty
years to the hour from the moment
when John w. Lieb now vice-president
of the Edison company, but then young
man barely out of college, pulled the
switch which sent the current into the
1,284 incandescent lamps on the com
pany's first line.
Earlier in the day Mr.. Wardlaw and
Mr.. Jehl had sent to Mr.. Edison the fol-
lowing telegram:
1.-TWO loyal Edison pioneers still on
the job will pilgrimage to the old Peari
street station at o'clock to-day. its
fortieth birthday, to place iaurei
wreath on the building consecrated by
your marvellous gepius. Congratulations
and deep affection to you"
telegram in commemoration OF ms
part in that event was sent to Mr. Liep'
Few witness Ceremony.
After they had placed their wreath
in the gloom of Pearl street with .hs
rain water dripping from the elevated
structure and only a policeman, by
stander and a NEW YORK HERALD re
porter to witness this simple act OF
devotion the two old pioneers became
reminiscent.
How different 1t was then from what
IL IS to-day" said Mr.. WardlaW. w
were all half crazy with excitement as
the hour for throwing the switch ap-
preached. Out in the street there were
lot of people. many of whom had come
down here expecting to have a gooo
laugh when the thing proved a fizzle
Mr. Edison had us all set our watches
alike in order that none of US would
miss being on hand when the current
went on. We all left our jobs-few OF
us had any specialized work in those
days. you might be working around
| the dynamos one day and digging
trenches the next. Some of us remained
at the station, but a lot of us went
down to the offices OF j. p. Morgan al
the corner of Broad and Wall streets
where there were SeVeral ramps. Anu
then the light came on and there was
more excitement than ever"
shows "HeraId' of 40 Years Ago
Mr.. Jehl exhibited copy of THE NEW
York HERALD of December 21. 1879, II
which whole page. complete with
sketches, was given over to descrip-
tion Of the Edison marvel. the electric
| light. The flame was described as q
bright. beautiful light. like the mellow
summit OF an Italian autumn" "a littl,
globe of sunshine" "a veritable Al
addn's lamp 1t was the best descrip'
tion carried by any of the papers a.
that time. Mr.. Jehl said and photo.
graphic copy of 1t had been framed anc
will be hung In the Grand Contra
/ Palace during the exhibition next month
when all of Edisons inventions will be
displayed in the order of their develop
ment for the observation of the public
! New York electrical men are planning
/ to commemorate the anniversary with
\ a dinner at the Hotel Commodore next
Monday night. at which Thomas A. Edi-
son and his associates of forty years
ago will be the guests of honor.