the age of invention-第23章

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e　saw　a　moral　in　the　old　man's　exile。　His　father　had　taken　the　King's　side　and　had　lost　his　home；　Samuel　would　make　no　such　error。　So；　when　the　Canadian　Rebellion　of　1837　broke　out；　Samuel　Edison；　aged　thirty…three；　arrayed　himself　on　the　side　of　the　insurgents。　This　time；　however；　the　insurgents　lost；　and　Samuel　was　obliged　to　flee　to　the　United　States；　just　as　his　father　had　fled　to　Canada。　He　finally　settled　at　Milan；　Ohio；　and　there；　in　1847；　in　a　little　brick　house；　which　is　still　standing；　Thomas　Alva　Edison　was　born。

When　the　boy　was　seven　the　family　moved　to　Port　Huron；　Michigan。　The　fact　that　he　attended　school　only　three　months　and　soon　became　self…supporting　was　not　due　to　poverty。　His　mother；　an　educated　woman　of　Scotch　extraction；　taught　him　at　home　after　the　schoolmaster　reported　that　he　was　〃addled。〃　His　desire　for　money　to　spend　on　chemicals　for　a　laboratory　which　he　had　fitted　up　in　the　cellar　led　to　his　first　venture　in　business。　〃By　a　great　amount　of　persistence；〃　he　says；　〃I　got　permission　to　go　on　the　local　train　as　newsboy。　The　local　train　from　Port　Huron　to　Detroit；　a　distance　of　sixty…three　miles；　left　at　7　A。M。　and　arrived　again　at　9。30　P。M。　After　being　on　the　train　for　several　months　I　started　two　stores　in　Port　Huronone　for　periodicals；　and　the　other　for　vegetables；　butter；　and　berries　in　the　season。　They　were　attended　by　two　boys　who　shared　in　the　profits。〃　Moreover；　young　Edison　bought　produce　from　the　farmers'　wives　along　the　line　which　he　sold　at　a　profit。　He　had　several　newsboys　working　for　him　on　other　trains；　he　spent　hours　in　the　Public　Library　in　Detroit；　he　fitted　up　a　laboratory　in　an　unused　compartment　of　one　of　the　coaches；　and　then　bought　a　small　printing　press　which　he　installed　in　the　car　and　began　to　issue　a　newspaper　which　he　printed　on　the　train。　All　before　he　was　fifteen　years　old。

But　one　day　Edison's　career　as　a　traveling　newsboy　came　to　a　sudden　end。　He　was　at　work　in　his　moving　laboratory　when　a　lurch　of　the　train　jarred　a　stick　of　burning　phosphorus　to　the　floor　and　set　the　car　on　fire。　The　irate　conductor　ejected　him　at　the　next　station；　giving　him　a　violent　box　on　the　ear；　which　permanently　injured　his　hearing；　and　dumped　his　chemicals　and　printing　apparatus　on　the　platform。

Having　lost　his　position；　young　Edison　soon　began　to　dabble　in　telegraphy；　in　which　he　had　already　become　interested；　〃probably；〃　as　he　says；　〃from　visiting　telegraph　offices　with　a　chum　who　had　tastes　similar　to　mine。〃　He　and　this　chum　strung　a　line　between　their　houses　and　learned　the　rudiments　of　writing　by　wire。　Then　a　station　master　on　the　railroad；　whose　child　Edison　had　saved　from　danger；　took　Edison　under　his　wing　and　taught　him　the　mysteries　of　railway　telegraphy。　The　boy　of　sixteen　held　positions　wt　small　stations　near　home　for　a　few　months　and　then　began　a　period　of　five　years　of　apparently　purposeless　wandering　as　a　tramp　telegrapher。　Toledo；　Cincinnati；　Indianapolis；　Memphis；　Louisville；　Detroit；　were　some　of　the　cities　in　which　he　worked；　studied；　experimented；　and　played　practical　jokes　on　his　associates。　He　was　eager　to　learn　something　of　the　principles　of　electricity　but　found　few　from　whom　he　could　learn。

Edison　arrived　in　Boston　in　1868；　practically　penniless；　and　applied　for　a　position　as　night　operator。　〃The　manager　asked　me　when　I　was　ready　to　go　to　work。　'Now；'　I　replied。〃　In　Boston　he　found　men　who　knew　something　of　electricity；　and；　as　he　worked　at　night　and　cut　short　his　sleeping　hours；　he　found　time　for　study。　He　bought　and　studied　Faraday's　works。　Presently　came　the　first　of　his　multitudinous　inventions；　an　automatic　vote　recorder；　for　which　he　received　a　patent　in　1868。　This　necessitated　a　trip　to　Washington；　which　he　made　on　borrowed　money；　but　he　was　unable　to　arouse　any　interest　in　the　device。　〃After　the　vote　recorder；〃　he　says；　〃I　invented　a　stock　ticker；　and　started　a　ticker　service　in　Boston；　had　thirty　or　forty　subscribers　and　operated　from　a　room　over　the　Gold　Exchange。〃　This　machine　Edison　attempted　to　sell　in　New　York；　but　he　returned　to　Boston　without　having　succeeded。　He　then　invented　a　duplex　telegraph　by　which　two　messages　might　be　sent　simultaneously；　but　at　a　test　the　machine　failed　because　of　the　stupidity　of　the　assistant。

Penniless　and　in　debt；　Edison　arrived　again　in　New　York　in　1869。　But　now　fortune　favored　him。　The　Gold　Indicator　Company　was　a　concern　furnishing　to　its　subscribers　by　telegraph　the　Stock　Exchange　prices　of　gold。　The　company's　instrument　was　out　of　order。　By　a　lucky　chance　Edison　was　on　the　spot　to　repair　it；　which　he　did　successfully；　and　this　led　to　his　appointment　as　superintendent　at　a　salary　of　three　hundred　dollars　a　month。　When　a　change　in　the　ownership　of　the　company　threw　him　out　of　the　position　he　formed；　with　Franklin　L。　Pope；　the　partnership　of　Pope；　Edison；　and　Company；　the　first　firm　of　electrical　engineers　in　the　United　States。

Not　long　afterwards　Edison　brought　out　the　invention　which　set　him　on　the　high　road　to　great　achievement。　This　was　the　improved　stock　ticker；　for　which　the　Gold　and　Stock　Telegraph　Company　paid　him　forty　thousand　dollars。　It　was　much　more　than　he　had　expected。　〃I　had　made　up　my　mind；〃　he　says；　〃that；　taking　into　consideration　the　time　and　killing　pace　I　was　working　at；　I　should　be　entitled　to　5000；　but　could　get　along　with　3000。〃　The　money；　of　course；　was　paid　by　check。　Edison　had　never　received　a　check　before　and　he　had　to　be　told　how　to　cash　it。

Edison　immediately　set　up　a　shop　in　Newark　and　threw　himself　into　many　and　various　activities。　He　remade　the　prevailing　system　of　automatic　telegraphy　and　introduced　it　into　England。　He　experimented　with　submarine　cables　and　worked　out　a　system　of　quadruplex　telegraphy　by　which　one　wire　was　made　to　do　the　work　of　four。　These　two　inventions　were　bought　by　Jay　Gould　for　his　Atlantic　and　Pacific　Telegraph　Company。　Gould　paid　for　the　quadruplex　system　thirty　thousand　dollars；　but　for　the　automatic　telegraph　he　paid　nothing。　Gould　presently　acquired　control　of　the　Western　Union；　and；　having　thus　removed　competition　from　his　path；　〃he　then；〃　says　Edison；　〃repudiated　his　contract　with　the　automatic　telegraph　people　and　they　never　received　a　cent　for　their　wires　or　patents；　and　I　lost　three　years　of　very　hard　labor。　But　I　never　had　any　grudge　against　him　because　he　was　so　able　in　his　line；　and　as　long　as　my　part　was　successful　the　money　with　me　was　a　secondary　consideration。　When　Gould　got　the　Western　Union　I　knew　no　further　progress　in　telegraphy　was　possible；　and　I　went　into　other　lines。〃*

*　Quoted　in　Dyer　and　Martin。　〃Edison〃；　vol。　1；　p。　164。


In　fact；　however；　the　need　of　money　forced　Edison　later　on　to　resume　his　work　for　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company；　both　in　telegraphy　and　telephony。　His　connection　with　the　telephone　is　told　in　another　volume　of　this　series。*　He　invented　a　carbon　transmitter　and　sold　it　to　the　Western　Union　for　one　hundred　thousand　dollars；　payable　in　seventeen　annual　installments　of　six　thousand　dollars。　He　made　a　similar　agreement　for　the　same　sum　offered　him　for　the　patent　of　the　electro…motograph。　He　did　not　realize　that　these　installments　were　only　simple　interest　upon　the　sums　due　him。　These　agreements　are　typical　of　Edison's　commercial　sense　in　the　early　years　of　his　career　as　an　inventor。　He　worked　only　upon　inventions　for　which　there　was　a　possible　commercial　demand　and　sold　them　for　a　trifle　to　get　the　money　to　meet　the　pay　rolls　of　his　different　shops。　Later　the　inventor　learned　wisdom　and　associated　with　himself　keen　business　men　to　their　common　profit。

*　Hendrick；　〃The　Age　of　Big　Business〃。


Edison　set　up　his　laboratories　and　factories　at　Menlo　Park；　New　Jersey；　in　1876；　and　it　was　there　that　he　invented　the　phonograph；　for　which　he　received　the　first　patent　in　1878。　It　was　there；　too；　that　he　began　that　wonderful　series　of　experiments　which　gave　to　the　world　the　incandescent　lamp。　He　had　noticed　the　growing　importance　of　open　arc　lighting；　but　was　convinced　that　his　mission　was　to　produce　an　electric　lamp　for　use　within　doors。　Forsaking　for　the　moment　his　newborn　phonograph；　Edison　applied　himself　in　earnest　to　the　problem　of　the　lamp。　His　first　search　was　for　a　durable　filament　which　would　burn　in　a　vacuum。　A　series　of　experiments　with　platinum　wire　and　with　various　refractory　metals　led　to　no　satisfactory　results。　Many　other　substances　were　tried；　even　human　hair。　Edison　concluded　that　carbon　of　some　sort　was　the　solution　rather　than　a　metal。　Almost　coincidently；　Swan；　an　Englishman；　who　had　also　been　wrestling　with　this　problem；　came　to　the　same　conclusion。　Finally；　one　day　in　October；　1879；　after　fourteen　months　of　hard　work　and　the　expenditure　of　forty　thousand　dollars；　a　carbonized　cotton　thread　sealed　in　one　of　Edison's　globes　lasted　forty　hours。　〃If　it　will　burn　forty　hours　now；〃　said　Edison；　〃I　know　I　can　make　it　burn　a　hundred。〃　And　so　he　did。　A　better　filament　was　needed。　Edison　found　it　in　carbonized　strips　of　bamboo。

Edison　developed　his　own　type　of　dynamo；　the　largest　ever　made　up　to　that　time；　and；　along　with　the　Edison　incandescent　lamps；　it　was　one　of　the　wonders　of　the　Paris　Electrical　Exposition　of　1881。　The　installation　in　Europe　and　America　of　plants　for　service　followed。　Edison's　first　great　central　station；　supplying　power　for　three　thousand　lamps；　was　erected　at　Holborn　Viaduct；　London；　in　1882；　and　in　September　of　that　year　the　Pearl　Street　Station　in　New　York　City；　the　first　central　station　in　America；　was　put　into　operation。

The　incandescent　lamp　and　the　central　power　station；　considered　together；　may　be　regarded　as　one　of　the　most　fruitful　conceptions　in　the　history　of　applied　electricity。　It　comprised　a　complete　generating；　distributing；　and　utilizing　system；　from　the　dynamo　to　the　very　lamp　at　the　fixture；　ready　for　use。　It　even　included　a　meter　to　determine　the　current　actually　consumed。　The　success　of　the　system　was　complete；　and　as　fast　as　lamps　and　generators　could　be　produced　they　were　installed　to　give　a　service　at　once　recognized　as　superior　to　any　other　form　of　lighting。　By　1885　the　Edison　lighting　system　was　commercially　developed　in　all　its　essentials；　though　still　subject　to　many　improvements　and　capable　of　great　enlargement；　and　soon　Edison。　sold　out　his　interests　in　it　and　turned　his　great　mind　to　other　inventions。

The　inventive　ingenuity　of　others　brought　in　time　better　and　more　economical　incandescent　lamps。　From　the　filaments　of　bamboo　fiber　the　next　step　was　to　filaments　of　cellulose　in　the　form　of　cotton；　duly　prepared　and　carbonized。　Later　（1905）　came　the　metalized　carbon　filament　and　finally　the　employment　of　tantalum　or　tungsten。　The　tungsten　lamps　first　made　were　very　delicate；　and　it　was　not　until　W。　D。　Coolidge；　in　the　research　laboratories　of　the　General　Electric　Company　at　Schenectady；　invented　a　process　for　producing　ductile　tungsten　that　they　became　available　for　general　use。

The　dynamo　and　the　central　power　station　brought　the　electric　motor　into　action。　The　dynamo　and　the　motor　do　precisely　opposite　things。　The　dynamo　converts　mechanical　energy　into　electric　energy。　The　motor　transforms　electric　energy　into　mechanical　energy。　But　the　two　work　in　partnership　and　without　the　dynamo　to　manufacture　the　power　the　motor　could　not　thrive。　Mo