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62 3.2 FROM THE FRIST INVENTION TO MENLO PARK Egon Larsen 3.2.1 INTRODUCTION Egon Larsen is a well-known biographer. The lives of Scientists and inventors interested him and so he chose to write the lives of scientists and their inventions. He has the talent of attracting the attention of the readers by narrating and describing the lives of inventors as if they are imaginary stories. It is quite amazing that an author who was excessively bad in science subjects during his student days took to writing about inventors and inventions. With his unscientific-brain he wanted to analyse the working of the minds of scientists and found a simple method of describing their discoveries. His books have the qualities and characteristics of a fascinating short story and so they are called the fairy stories of our times. He has developed a special technique of narrating incidents with anecdotes and dramatization of many incidents. The prescribed extract "From the First Invention to Menlo Park is taken from his Men Who changed the World. The extract tell us the life of a poor and unpopular inventor Edison who acquired wealth and became popular. 3.2.2 SUMMARY From the First Invention to Menlo Park The essay "From the First Invention to Menlo Park by Egon Larson, has three parts. The first part "The First Invention deals with Edison's appointments in various places and dismissals. His invention of vote-recorder and his meeting with the Chairman of the Committee of the House of Representatives are dramatically described. The second part "A cup of Tea and Forty Thousand Dollars" tells us of the free tea offered to the hungry Edison by a stranger. The concluding part of the second section gives us a humorous account of the way in which Edison encashed the cheque for 40,000 dollars. The last section "Marriage and Menlo Park" tells about Edison's marriage with Mary Stilwell and his (Edison) setting up of a well equipped large research laboratory in Menlo Park Edison Learnt Telegraphy Edison rescued a child from being run over by a railwagon in the shunting yard. The child's father was the station master of Mount Clemens Railway Station. As a sign of gratitude the station master was ready to help the poor Edison who was only fifteen at the time. Edison expressed his desire to learn telegraphy. He learnt every thing about telegraphy within four months. When he was 16 his name was recommended for the job of a telegraph operator on the Grand Trunk line. 63 Edisons Experience at Stratford Junction Edison was put on night shift at Stratford Junction a small station in Ontario. He had to send each hour the Signal '6' to the train dispatcher's office to inform the he was not asleep. The "Sixes" came regularly from the Stratford but one day when he was called back there was no response. On investigation he was found asleep. He had designed a gadget which sent the signal every hour automatically along the line when he was asleep. Another charge on him was that he did not a stop a freight train as required and so he was dismissed from service. Edison's Dismissal Then Edison was employed in various states from Indiana to New Orleans and from Cincinnati to Louisville. He trained himself to become one of the fastest telegraphists in the Country. Simultaneously he was experimenting on chemicals. One day he had the misfortune of upsetting a bottle of sulphuric acid in the telegraph room and the acid burnt a hole in a beautiful carpet in the manager's office below. The office needed only telegraphists and not inventors and the result was that he was dismissed. Edison's experience in the Western Union Telegraph in Boston When he was in the Western Union Telegraph in Boston, his duty was to take press cables from New York for the "Boston Herald." His Co-telegraphists played a trick on him and made arrangements for sending the messages by New York's fastest operator. The man in New York tried to confuse the new operator by omitting letters. At last Edison Cabled back and wanted the young man in New York to Change off and send the message with his other foot. His Co-telegraphists never again tried to play tricks on him. In the same office he invented a method of electro-cuting to kill the cockroaches in the office. He fastened two phable sheets of tin to the wall and connected them to the poles of battery. The cockroaches that came out were electrocuted. Edison's Invention of "Vote -Recorder" One of his inventions was a "Vote Recorder". This enabled voting in the House of Representatives and the Senate quicker. And it was fool proof. All that a member iu do was just to press a button and the machine would count "Ayes" and "Noes". The chairman of House of Representatives in Washington stated that it was not good for the House. Edison said" It works to perfection. The chairman replied that the "vote recorder" is too reliable and so if a party in the house wants to prevent certain bills from being adopted by majority, the party cannot question the accuracy of voting figures. The old game of "filibustering" (obstructing) in a legislature would be impossible. He had decided never to invent anything for which there was no demand. Edison invented the stock exchange ticker and took it to New York to find buyers. He had only one dollar when he reached New York. ha 64 A CUP OF TEA AND FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS Free Tea for Edison The 22 year old Edison found it difficult to make both ends meet. Everybody seemed pre-occupied with his own business in New York. The tall buildings, and the shops Full of gods depressed him. He was hungry and uncertain of his next meal. Edison threw a hungry look at a tea taster in front of him. The tea-taster might have observed the hungry face of Edison and offered him a free cup of tea (that was prepared from the tea of Hong Kong). That was Edison's first meal' in New York. He searched for a fellow-telegraphist in London, and the telegraphist could lend only a dollar and arrange a place for sleep in the Gold Indicator Company. Telegraph System of Mr. Laws The Gold Indicator Company was founded by Mr. Laws. Mr.Laws operated the gold-reporting telegraphs. After the American Civil War the value of gold and bank note fell apart. The value of paper dollar sank rapidly and the gold dollar rocketed. Business men exploited the situation and made a lot of money out of it. What interested Edison was the Gold Exchange established in Wall street and the simple telegraph in subscribers office and that could be operated from the Gold Exchange, to indicate the rise and fall of the price of gold. Edison spent his three days in New York still sleeping in the battery room at night and hunting for a job during the day. Edison Employed in Mr. Laws Company Fortune smiled on Edison when the transmitter of the gold reporting telegraph refused to work. Three hundred messenger boys stormed into the building to complain that the tickers were out of order and their bosses suspected some trick. The superintendent was racking his head. Edison who had been studying the transmitter for the last three days, offered himself to mend it. He mended it without much difficulty. The Superintendent was dismissed for his lack of technical knowledge. When Mr. Laws offered Edison a job, his joy knew no bounds. After the formal interview, Edison was offered the salary of 300 dollars a month Edison was delighted and even feared that he would go crazy at the thought of the attractive salary. He moved to decent "digs" (lodging) and opened a workshop where he experiments after working hours. He was pondering over as to how to make the ticker telegraph more efficient, simpler and fool-proof. He was in the centre of money-juggling but he never wanted to join the profiteers. He considered corrupt men as curious and unpleasant animals. To him money was only the means and not an end but money came to him in large quantities in his later life. 65 Edison and 40,000 Dollars When Mr. Laws sold the Gold Indicator Company to the Gold and Stock Telegraph Company, Edison was asked to work out his suggestions for improving the exiting ticker systems. General Lefferts was the president of Stock Telegraph Company. Edison was ready to accept even 3000 for his invention. General Lefferts asked him "What would you say to forty thousand dollars?" These words came as near fainting as he ever got. After three days he was called to sign the contract and receive a cheque for 40,000 dollars. As Edison handed it to the cashier for encashing, the cashier asked him to sign on the back of the cheque, Edison was deaf, and did not hear what the cashier said and thought the General Leffert was playing a trick on him. He went to General Lefferts's office and told what happened there. The General just laughed and informed that the cashier wanted only the sign of Edison. It is true that Edison was only a simpleton as far as business affairs were concerned. After encashing, he stuffed the dollars in every pocket and sat up all night ar home in fear that it might be stolen. The next day the General saw the man with dollar notes in his pocket and asked him "Even heard of a bank account? The man who began his life with a free cup of tea at New York earned 10.000 dollars, within a short span of life. MARRIAGE ADN MENLLO PARK Edison Improved upon Morse's System Edison wrote a letter to his father. He desired that his father should not work hard and he his father) should get anything that his mother wished. His father could draw on him (Edison) for money. He had a shop in which eighteen men were employed. He would set up another shop in which 150 men could be employed Edison was called "Bloated Eastern Manufacturer." But he did not write to his father how he worked hard at an average of nineteen or even twenty hours a day New ideas thronged his mind in a never ending stream. At a time he was working on not less than forty-five inventions simultaneously. In the years between 1870 and 1875 he was associated with telegraphy: 1. In New York, he worked out a new system which allowed four telegrams over the same wires at the same time. 2. He speeded up the telegrams by automatic transmission and reception. About 3500 words a minute were cabled. 3. In collaboration with other inventors he tackled problems of Transmission of ordinary Roman characters by Telegraph instead of Morse's dots and dashes. Morse's system was a time consuming method. Edison had improved upon Morse's system and speeded-up the telegram. 66 Many young men took train in the laboratories of Edison. John Kruesi a Swiss mechanic was one of them. Edison entrusted him with any tasks and later on made him superintendent of his laboratories. John Foot was another. John Ott described Edison as an ordinary young fellow dirty as workmen, and as one dressed like a tramp. But he felt a great deal in Edison. Edison and Mary Stilwell Edison came into contact with Mary Stilwell, a girl whom he met on his way home from the laboratory Edison was impressed by her words and permitted her to do research in his laboratory. Mary Stilwell proved to be an efficient and effective assistant to Edison. One day during the experiment, Edison stopped and looked at Mary and tapped out a telegram in Morse code. The message was "Have been Thinking Much About You Lately, Stop, Will You Marry me Query, She blushed and smiled and her response was "That would make me very Happy The sudden death of Edison's mother in April 1871 resulted in the postponement of his marriage, Edison was only 24 when he married Mary on 26, December 1871. Like many other Scientists, he spent most of his time in the laboratory taking his meals at the desk and his sleep in a chair, Mary never discouraged him. His Laboratory in Menlo Park His 70 years old father Samuel once came from his birthplace Michigan to see his son Edison and asked him whether he had finished his invention. But Edison's reply was that he had only started his invention and wanted his father to find a place to establish a fully equipped new laboratory. Samuel Edison took two weeks to find a spot near the Pennsylvania Rail Road about twenty-five miles from New York. The name of the place is Menlo Park. The first large research laboratory was planned and built in Menlo Park and the word Menlo Park became a household work all over the world. Edison also built a house nearby for his family. His love and devotion for research was such that he called his children "Dot and Dash" They are none other than his children Marion and Thomas Junior. 3.2.3 ANNOTATIONS 1. "The Machine would do the rest and count, the "Ayes" and Notes". (Page 16 1118-191 Egon Larson tells this in the first section of his biographical essay "From the first Invention to vote recorder. Edison read Faraday's experiments and practiced them in laboratories. His shirts were soiled with acid and he even spoiled his own complexion with acid which is inadvertently poured on his body. Some time he was rash enough to touch even live wires and get terrible shocks. 67 In a workshop he prepared a working model of his first invention. It was a This enabled voting in the House of Representatives and other Vote-recorder'. parliamentary assemblies easier, quicker and more fool-proof. All that every member had to do was to press the button. The machine would do the rest and would take the counts, 'Ayes' and 'Noes' Egon Larsen also narrates Edison's demonstration of the machine before the chairman of the committee of the House of Representatives in Washington. 2. "What would you say to forty thousand dollars?" said Lefferts. (Page 20. II. 23-24) This passage taken from the second part of "From the First Invention to Menlo Park" tells us of the generous offer from General Lefferts to Edison. Edison was employed in the firm Gold Indicator Company founded by Mr. Laws. Mr. Laws sold it to the Gold and Stock Telegraph Company. General Lefferts was the president of firm. This firm was operated with ordinary Morse Signals. Edison was asked to improve upon the existing ticker system. Edison had to find out a new machine called Edison Universal Printer. General Lefferts asked Edison that how much would he need for the patent. Edison thought that it would be a good thing to get 5,000 dollars for it. But he was ready to accept even 3000 dollars. He had his doubts whether the General would consider such a huge amount. But the reply of the General was a shock to Edison because he was ready to offer 40000 dollars. As Edison himself stated in his memories, the words of The General came as near as fainting as he ever got. Young men change of and send your other foot (Page 151128-29) 2. Shocking idea girl who works for her living (Page 23 11 9-101 3.2.4 GLOSSARY Morse Faraday He was the inventor of the electric telegraphic system Michael Faraday (1791-1867) an eminent scientist went up excessively rocketed 'Ayes' and 'Noes' - the votes in favour of and against a motion untidy uncombed unkempt Michigan Edison's birth place Menlo Park A place, twenty miles away from New York- Samuel Edison father of Edison 68 3.2.5
INTEXT QUESTIONS Question_01 a) How did Edison lose his job on the Grand Trunk Line? Answer_01
Question_02 b) What was his Vote Recorder? Answer
Question_03 Why was it not accepted by the chairman of the House of Representatives? Answer
Question_04 c) What was his first meal in New York and how did he get it? Answer The 22 year old Edison found it difficult to make both ends meet. Everybody seemed pre-occupied with his own business in New York. The tall buildings, and the shops Full of gods depressed him. He was hungry and uncertain of his next meal. Edison threw a hungry look at a tea taster in front of him. The tea-taster might have observed the hungry face of Edison and offered him a free cup of tea (that was prepared from the tea of Hong Kong). That was Edison's first meal' in New York.
Question_05 d) How did his father help Edison after his marriage?
3.2.6 ASSIGNMENTS e) Sketch the character of Edison as a man and as an inventor. Answer
f) Tell the story of Edison's marriage with Many Stilwell Answer
g) Describe Edison's first experience in a bank. Answer
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