THE WIZARD OF MENLO PARK

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 122, 15 February 1908, Page 10

THE WIZARD OF MENLO PARK

f 'STORIES OF THE: WOBLD'S GREATEST

LVVEIS'IOB

No, living man has done more to .demonstrate'.tho. practical nles l of , natural l , forcesthan Thomas Alva Hdisoit,' whoso biography, .Alr.-.F. A. Jones-has just completed. , , Harp is an' interesting: jiassago /which;,takes; us,-,as ,it,.were, : boli'ipd"the inventor's iniind,/ and . shows', us ' the'processes.- by which ho ar.rived. at : s6me"6£'his -most, striking. results-v-tV J //_;Edfso'rt''^trJvi:'S/'at r 'his"conclusions by intui-- ■ tiony"and-'nofby-'irthth^lnaticHr.reasoning. For 1 . iristanco,, when ho invented tho ordinary,pear-, incandescent electric .lights, /he Va'nteil to-ascertain ;its precise cil;bic contents., He gave the problem,to;seve- , ral eminent matheniaticiaiis, and they figured lit' out. /When they/brought their answers he. ,/,t&ld them'tlioy wero'all! wrong. ,:.He could not i tell, exactly ."how 'lj'o'' l l'pitched- his own conclusion, but..lib^khew. , 'what it was, and..wanted ,tb prove' it.<'. ; ' His,; method of .proving ;jt .uhls-; •trato's. tho,.practicality;|df his ways. - He had i'niade a;series'of ; tiii'cubes; forming a "nest," .'each ;/ono",a minuto 'j quantity , smaller than /.tho'.ofi'o'iferidlo^ingiit.;'.Ho filled 'a bulb'with ;,wator : 'and poured it/from'; one :cubp to' the other-'untir'-ne • found'-which of them tho con- : tent 3 -fittetl. exactly. ... ; .. ~. •-... " A PIkTY GOOD CHESTER " •\ ' Mr/j;E;iison^V^..ma'ny.^a tussle with mathe- ' maticiuhs"';whd; endpavoiired to pit' their mathernaticdltlticlu'ctioiis against •; his commonsenso;reasphiii£B/:r-.' - ~... ; ... ■ .

"lij a)t-,the,'work,cp/nhected.with; the .build-

ing ,';,pf/..tji;e...first'Vfi'ytt'tijal electrical' station," "tho greatest oug/bears"l"ii'ad were, the' mathe;.'maticians'/;:.i'fbii'nd after a-'while'that I could a''^'odd.-/ileal'./closeri than; they : oould ; /figijrpt jb/*f 'tfeljit;.pfl:g'ue&ing.'.' His first dynajwos - wero!■built i|,^/", guesswork, : .and; when ! asked ■ how- itv that : , they " were .gouofally'iip/to'tlio'required power, lie would : rt'i>ly'.'wjjji ■;»"emile,"Well,-1 .happened :to be /a, jiretty ,-gppiVgile^spr..'' -;/■■•"''.'■■ . • Edison;;has;,Bn'. apparently inexhaustible fund' .iif good stories,-: and tho best of them are, rel.a.ted'.'in /Mr.'.'Jones's book.' Hero is one

which; of'liis early.days:— ' 1 : ''another;; ,' follpw;; : helpedme pneb'to erect a: jiiiniature: electric , light plant, and 'Vi:hoiV!,the' 'job' complete, ho; was; so pleased ;,nriih.;'hia "part,,of the work''that ho of'pride on his faco: !Mr.. iMisoii; ; after;; working with you like I this,,,J.''F6libvo...l coultl put'.up an electric light .plant;myself.'. .. ;' ' ' •" .'Could yOu ?' ; said' I. - ■ ' ■'-'^1.-bcliovq.toould,'.ho'answored.' 'Thore's .only"bnej'tliihg'iliai.'bgats me.' :• : .":'\Vjiat's : . '■■■■' " 'I;don't "quito see,' he answered, ; 'how' you get tho oil-along-the wires.'-" ■ THE-NEXT . THING TO DO. Y ; Not,.tho least, of Edison's many attractive /qualities is liisextrpmo : placidity of -doriiean,'our "in 'all: -circumsta!ice3.. Nothing ever ■soo'Ms to put.him ! ;b'tit.' A story is told:which •.aptly'ilhistr'a.tcS this''.trait in; his character: ■-. Ho liad; been for some days carrying on a ■ series. of"oxpc'rimoriis in which , he. used -a .great, hVaify'\;oppli -mouthed tumblers. In pnp : '.fiijono, h0... had .-:de;'sirbye<l over four huiitirod tumblers, the ox-' ' porimcht 'itsolF'. omliiig in; complete failure. Then 6h6'''bf,liis'assistants, ; wlio had been i hclpi.iigHho , inventor r for'. many hours, and was somewhat- weary.: of the work, said : v Wf.''.Kdisoh,' : wliat sliall we do.next?" fervo'ntly ;hopjng' that' lie would suggest his : goiiighome.''; ;; Instead, however, Edison scratched"illis'h'ead; for. a. moment, and then, looking .at the'! mountain of broken glass, said' StoWjy;:"*'Why, the next thing to-do is to got some.inoro tumblors.", >. { Although' .Mr. Edison avers that •ho has ; noW ''"(ititt'.'ihoilnVflh'ting. business," and is devoting,'himself'almost exclusively to pure ■science, wo'havo his biographer's comforting '.'a'ssuranco'that-'sbm'oy'at least, of tho secrets wliibli"'NlitUiro , '.still'"'holdß!'-will Ijo revealed through tho Wizard ;of 'Menlo Pnrk.

[■- n They''Say that''llo" married licr for. her .-•''And' what 'did ho <lo when-sho lost lier wealths" ."Ho tost Ins reason." Towne—'-'Yes; Muttlcy is married. Didn't you know that'['" .Browne—"Nowhy he tokl imp.'.litj, f iv.o 11Jtlh ',t 'wanx tho best woman on ■earth.",;; ijWcll, ho didn't." ' ' ' 'f Voii"must" kav6"S~ good .appetite,"- remarked'tlie thirr man,'"enviously. - "What do von -tuko-for it'{".'----"In all rav experience," replied the plump one,-"I hovo found nothing more suitable than food."