The New York herald., 1922-02-11
Mr.. Edison l. rs.

This is the seventy-fifth birthday
Of THOMAS A. EDISON. 1t is we'll to
remind him of it. because otherwise
it might be to him just another
day of twentyfour hours, eighteen
of them to be spent in work. Mr..
EDISON is three-quarters of century
old, but he probably is much more
interested this morning in some bit
of carbon, some battery plate, some
ray of light than in mere years.
Mr.. EDIsoN's idea of a birthday
party seems to be full days work
in the shop. For sixty years he has
made Industry look like a Stacker
and Patience like hothead. 1t is too
late for him to start new habits; he
is too busy starting new inventions.
He has only thousand or so patents
now and the world is waiting at his
door for something new.
All America, in fact most Of the
civilized world, will celebrate Mr.
EDIsoNs birthday by taking advan-
tage of what the magician has given
to humanity. People will ride to
work in street cars or automobiles
run by EDIsoN's battery. They will
read news sent by EDIsoS's quadru-
plex telegraph. They will buy stocks
on quotations forwarded by EDIsoNs S
ticker. They will telephone with the
aid of ED1soN's carbon transmitter.
They will hear speeches magnified
by EpIsoN's megaphone. They will
spend an hour watching motion pic
lures produced by EDIsoN's kineto-
scope. They will dance to the tune
of EpIsoN's phonograph. And they
will walk safe streets and read and
work ~and play under the light Of
EDIsoN's greatest gift to mankind,
the incandescent lamp.
No other individual has done as
much as EDISON toward making
physically easier the journey through
this vale of tears. Long ago he in
vented something just for the sake
of showing that it was possible, but
that was a waste of time he never
repeated. Since then he has devised
only the things that the human race
has needed. the things that make
more bearable the life of all men and
women. He has snatched the thun-
derbolt from Olympus and turned 1t
into a kitchen slave, an errand boy,
torch bearer and an artist. He has
made existence brighter and softer
in home and factory and Office, by
day and night. The electric lamp Of
EDISON has revolutionized industry
and given eyes to medical science to
penetrate to the hidden recesses of
the human frame. His motion pic
ture machine has of itself created one
of the greatest of American indus
tries. His inventions have indirectly
made fortunes for thousands Of men
and work for millions.
For forty years EDISON has kept
the lead in his field. Other men
have flashed up, won fame and
wealth and faded out of the scene.
He has kept on, seemingly oblivious
of time, of money, of glory. One sue
cess accomplished, he has passed on
to the next job. He knows what he
wants to accomplish. He learns how
far the world has gone in that direc-
tion. He plans a campaign of action
and fights it to the end. A thou.
sand failures mean to him only that
he will not fail in one Of these
thousand ways again.
Untiring, undaunted. EDISON goes
on. "Time and 1" was the old part
nership OF the wise. Work and T.
is the firm for EDISON. Needless of
the clock, he drives on toward the
mark. Behind him he has piled up
mass of triumph. but ahead is the
fascinating world of the Undone.
Seventy-fve. and still boring into
the unknown with the inquisitiveness
and fury Of youth.