The Bismarck tribune., 1931-10-19
(Official City. State and County
Newspaper)
Foreign Representatives.
), SMALL, SPENCER, LEVINGS
& BREWER
(1ncorporated)
CHICAGO NEW YORK BOSTO.
Thomas Alva Edison

History probably records no man
who had more of the creative fac
ulty than Thomas Alva Edison. What
better memorial can be written Of
him now that he is dead than the
encomium which honored him while
living: "He illuminated the path oi
progress by his inventions"
A most fruitful, busy life has come
to an end. He truly sought out many
inventions, but he was withal great
citizen, keenly interested in the gen.
eral progress OF the nation. His lab.
oratory was no hermit's retreat, fol
he walked and talked with men. Edi-
son was intensely practical and FOL
an inventor was less of dreame,
than most. More than one thousand
patents registered in his name attest
to that.
What progress has been made ir
electricity in the span of time meas
ured by the experiments of Benjamin.
Franklin and the man who mad
the great force the servant of all
Experts decry Franklin as an anna
teur in the field Of invention. but
had not politics turned him aside
from science who can tell what might
have happened. Franklin had many
of the same characteristics Which,
marked the career of Edison. Both
sought eagerly after inventions. When
Franklin flew his famous kite and
proved lightning an electrical force
he changed many theories of elec-
tricity. Edison, too, exploded many
fallacies in science. Both men hac
much in common; both were indefa.
tigable workers; both "illuminatec
the paths of progress"
History doubtless VIII place Fdi'
sons contributions to the science oi
electricity as among the greatest ol
his achievements. Edison once sale
that his inventions in that field wer:
the most important of his career
The invention of the incandescent
light bulb, in the public mind al
least, will always be given frs
place. His skill and ingenuity of con.
trivance were matchless. Expert
ments in his laboratory blazed tht
trail for most workers in electricity
He did most of the pioneering and
like all inventors, secured in none
tary compensation little compared tc
their intrinsic worth. An official o.
the New York Edison company is re.
ported as saying that the value oi
the enterprises originating in the
genius Of Edison was five times more
than all the money in circulation
That visualizes the material side o1
his contribution in graphic man
ner.
There are other and more import.
ant evaluations Of Edison's great CO.
reer. He typified the best in Ameri.
can citizenship. Modest and retis.
ing, he dedicated his whole life tt
science, and toll to him was really
the Joy of living. He was stricken
at his work. Edison had left thu
field in which he excelled some tim.
before his death. He plunged into
the mysteries of synthetic chemistry
seeking to produce much-needed raw
materials to cheaper production ol
essential commodities. This he dc
without desire for great wealth. Tt.
umph over the potent forces of ma
ture was more to him than great
riches. He cared for none Of thei,
allurements.
When President Coolidge presented
Edison with q special congressional
gold medal, he reduced to q few
words a fitting estimate Of the man
Noble, kindly servant Of the United
States and benefactor Of mankind"