The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-10-23

and Nancy EDISON. NE was NOT eS-
pecially bright in school and in his
own words was usually at the
foot of the class" One teacher
went so far as to call him "addled"
and after a year at the school his
mother decided to teach him at
home.
AS a result, before he was Il
had been made to digest such in
tellectual fare as Gibbons decline
and Fall of the Roman Empire,
Sears "HistorY of the World"
Dictionary of Sciences" and Bur-
toms "Anatomy of Melancholy"
Edison's intense interest in sci
ence was noticeable at an early
age he first became interested in
invention when at years he dis
covered what propelled locomo-
tive. He next became fascinated
by chemistry after trying an ex-
pertinent described in a textbook.
One of his early inventions was
an improvement on the stock ex-
change ticker which he noticed one
day was running an hour behind. !
He received $4,000 for it from |
the president of the Western I'm
ion. That gave him his first real
start. 1t was Sept. "a, 1869, and
his economic security settled he
proceeded to devote his entire time
to invention.
He bought an old building at
Menlo Park, N. ]. in 1870 and de-
veloped his laboratory which was
unequalled in its day. A toy made
to amuse his assistants led him to
invent the monograph. Chance
played an important part in many
of his great inventions.
He and his workmen started out
to create an electric light that
would burn indefinitely in a glass
bulb. On Oct. 81, 1879. after spend
ing $4,000 and personally conduct
ing more than 10000 tests, Edi-
son, almost totally discouraged,
met with success. He succeeded In
carbonizing a length of cotton
sewing thread which, when placed
in an air tight glass bulb, burned
for 40 hours.
An argument led him to invent
the first successful motion picture
camera.
Edison was married twice, his
first wife dying in 1884, leaving
three children, Thomas Alva, Jr.,
William Leslie and Marion Estelle.
He was married to the present
Mrs. Edison, the former Miss Mia
S Miller, two years later. Three chill
dren resulted also from this mar
e riage, Charles, Madeline and The
: odore. Charles is actual head of
e the Edison plant at West Orange
;, today.
f West Orange, N. J., Oct. 21.-
: In the drawing room of the spa
s cious Victorian mansion where he
/ had lived for many year, a simple
i and moving tribute was paid 10.
l. day to one of Americas greatest
It peace time heroes-.Thomas Alvs
% Edison.
d The wife of the president of tn,
k United States, whom the inventor
4. counted among his friends, wal
st present, but there was about tn,
d. funeral little of the stately cere
i mony one would associate with tn,
a obsequies of man of worldwid,
g fame.
y. In death Edison appeared serene
n showing little of the ravages of hi
a prolonged illness. James Fraser
,e a sculptor of Westport, Conn.
j. made death mask of the inven
p tors face and also an impression
e of his hands.
p "He had a marvellous, powerful
81 face" Fraser said" The beautiful
Is full forehead, the nose, the mouth
ne the chin-practically all the grea
10 qualities are in that face.
ne "The hands, too. are wonderful
p Delicate, sensitive nails and finger
ne tips, yet withal they show grea
nd power.
"I was surprised how well b
- looked. After weeks of illness,
- expected he would be emaciateC
- but it was not So"
Plans are to fashion Likeness
of in bronze or marble from the mas
i Fraser is completing a clay figul
- of Mr.. Edison, probably the las
~ made during his lifetime.
- The service opened with two {
- Edison's favorite songs: "Littl
~ Gray Home in the West" and "I'
~ Take You Home Again Kathleen
lai PLAYED on the violin by his Ol
- friend and bushes Sassociate, Al
thur L. Walsh.
There was more of his favorit
music from Bach and Beethoven,
reading of the 2Srd psalm, Il
G; butte from Arthur ]. PoImer, OF
y of Edison's old associates in Il
laboratory and a prayer.
Then the body was borne avs
OF to rest under a giant oak tree
gs Rosedale cemetery near that of
'rs assistant, John OFT. Who died Mo
ms day of grief and shock over Il
led passing of the inventor.
or The bronze casket was take
or under escort, to Glenmont the EC
lk- son home, for private funeral Sc
On vices at 2:3O this afternoon. o
" the closest friends were invit
the to Join the family, vet the list
of mourners numbered more than AZ
APP The burial at Rosedale cemete
of was, like the service at the hon
300 arranged to avoid ostentation
non pomp.
ISL President Hoover, pressed wi
All - c+oAo ,oI v~vskl ~.~~~-~