The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-10-26

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 Copyright 1881 NEA Service. Inc)
 Thomas A. Edison had one trait both peculiar and valuable as an employer. He expected those work ing for him to think ahead. They were not to wait to be told.
 Major Hammer recalls the first morning he went to work for Edi- son when he was very quickly broken into the Edison way of work. On that morning the inc ventor was operating a press with a couple of assistants which was pressing out chalk cylinders used in his loud speaking telephone. He approached Edison and asked him what to do.
 "Find something to do," growled Edison, and from that time on Hammer never asked Edison what to do. And to-day as he witnesses the numerous crutches that are extended to new workers to find out where they would like to work or to dole out to them a prescribed task of definite duration. he won- ders if an old-fashioned employer like Edison was not invaluable in developing the sturdy self-reliancA which is really the bottom of most genius.
 Edison was very fond of nick names. He frequently called Ham, mer Michael Strogoff' because of his pompadour. At the time that his nickname was conferred the play, "Michael Strogoff," was pop ular in New York. The hero. courier to the czar, wore a full and flowing pompadour, and as Hammer fixed his hair the same way. he was dubbed Michael
 Another assistant Edison called his Chinese India Rubber Idol in a Storm" Here there seemed to be no obvious basis for the compari- son. No one knew what Edison meant by this name, but 1t attached itself to one victim.
 One of Edison's chemists was q man named Lawson. Edison called him "Basic Lawson" Here the nickname was translatable. Edison considered that Lawson had too much basic material in him-in fact was too solid and substantial a fel- low--and hence the endearment "basic."
 This "Basic" Lawson and Michael Strogoff" one day nearly blew up Menlo Park. The two had become interested in high ex- plosives. One day Lawson, who was stirring about in tube a com position known as illuminate of mercury-one of the highest ex- plosives in that day-happened to set the tube down on the edge of nearby table rather sharply. A ter- rible explosion resulted. The near by windows were cleared of their glass.
 Basic" and Michael" were knocked hat on their faces and were Joined by nearby workers. The whole side of the tough hick- ory table was torn to bits. Edison rushed up frantically from his house and that ended experiments with explosives at Menlo Park. It was . good thing 1t did, for Basic" and Michael" had decided to fiirt seriously with disaster. They were planning to make chloride of nitrogen--an explosive so delicateiy balanced that 1t goes off almost in the wink of an eye.
 Compensation at Edison labora- tory didn't increase in leaps and bounds. An Edison worker was eventually fairly paid, but he had to establish his worth exclusively. After Hammer had been work ing at Menlo Park for . week he was given an envelope. Eagerly he tore 1t open. Inside was $7. Two or three months elapsed. Then his pay was raised to $9 a week. A little later 1t was increased to SIP and then to $16 and then to $19. Edison normally had a very equable nature. But at times a fiery temper broke loose. However,
 Hammer got along 50 well with
 Edison that only once in 50 years
 was ever an unkind word said to
 him. And the major well remem-