heroes of the telegraph-第36部分

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Mr。　Milliken　was　the　first　of　Edison's　masters；　and　perhaps　his　fellows；　who　appreciated　him。　　Mediocrity　had　only　seen　the　gawky　stripling；　with　his　　moonstruck　air；　and　pestilent　habit　of　trying　some　new　crotchet。　Himself　an　inventor；　Milliken　recognised　in　his　deep…set　eye　and　musing　brow　the　fire　of　a　suppressed　genius。　　He　was　then　just　twenty…one。　The　friendship　of　Mr。　Milliken；　and　the　opportunity　for　experiment；　rendered　the　Boston　office　a　congenial　one。

His　by…hours　were　spent　in　a　little　workshop　he　had　opened。　　Among　his　inventions　at　this　period　were　a　dial　telegraph；　and　a　'printer'　for　use　on　private　lines；　and　an　electro…chemical　vote　recorder；　which　the　Legislature　of　Massachusetts　declined　to　adopt。　With　the　assistance　of　Mr。　F。　L。　Pope；　patent　adviser　to　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company；　his　duplex　system　was　tried；　with　encouraging　results。

The　ready　ingenuity　of　Edison　is　shown　by　his　device　for　killing　the　cockroaches　which　overran　the　Boston　office。　　He　arranged　some　strips　of　tinfoil　on　the　wall；　and　connected　these　to　the　poles　of　a　battery　in　such　a　way　that　when　the　insects　ran　towards　the　bait　which　he　had　provided；　they　stepped　from　one　foil　to　the　other；　and　completed　the　circuit　of　the　current；　thus　receiving　a　smart　shock；　which　dislodged　them　into　a　pail　of　water；　standing　below。

In　1870；　after　two　years　in　Boston；　where　he　had　spent　all　his　earnings；　chiefly　on　his　books　and　workshop；　　he　found　himself　in　New　York；　tramping　the　streets　on　the　outlook　for　a　job；　and　all　but　destitute。　After　repeated　failures　he　chanced　to　enter　the　office　of　the　Laws　Gold　Reporting　Telegraph　Company　while　the　instrument　which　Mr。　Laws　had　invented　to　report　the　fluctuations　of　the　money　market　had　broken　down。　No　one　could　set　it　right；　there　was　a　fever　in　the　market；　and　Mr。　Laws；　we　are　told；　was　in　despair。　　Edison　volunteered　to　set　it　right；　and　though　his　appearance　was　unpromising；　he　was　allowed　to　try。

The　insight　of　the　born　mechanic；　the　sleight　of　hand　which　marks　the　true　experimenter；　have　in　them　something　magical　to　the　ignorant。　　In　Edison's　hands　the　instrument　seemed　to　rectify　itself。　　This　was　his　golden　opportunity。　　He　was　engaged　by　the　company；　and　henceforth　his　career　as　an　inventor　was　secure。　The　Gold　Indicator　Company　afterwards　gave　him　a　responsible　position。　　He　improved　their　indicator；　and　invented　the　Gold　and　Stock　Quotation　Printer；　an　apparatus　for　a　similar　purpose。　　He　entered　into　partnership　with　Mr。　Pope　and　Mr。　Ashley；　and　introduced　the　Pope　and　Edison　Printer。　　A　private　line　which　he　established　was　taken　over　by　the　Gold　and　Stock　Telegraph　Company；　and　soon　their　system　was　worked　almost　exclusively　with　Edison's　invention。

He　was　retained　in　their　service；　and　that　of　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company；　as　a　salaried　inventor；　they　having　the　option　of　buying　all　his　telegraphic　inventions　at　a　price　to　be　agreed　upon。

At　their　expense　a　large　electrical　factory　was　established　under　his　direction　at　Newark；　New　Jersey；　where　he　was　free　to　work　out　his　ideas　and　manufacture　his　apparatus。　　Now　that　he　was　emancipated　from　drudgery；　and　fairly　started　on　the　walk　which　Nature　had　intended　for　him；　he　rejoiced　in　the　prolific　freedom　of　his　mind；　which　literally　teemed　with　projects。　　His　brain　was　no　longer　a　prey　to　itself　from　the　'local　action；'　or　waste　energy　of　restrained　ideas　and　revolving　thoughts。　　＇The　term　　'local　action'　is　applied　by　electricians　to　the　waste　which　goes　on　in　a　voltaic　battery；　although　its　current　is　not　flowing　in　the　outer　circuit　and　doing　useful　　work。＇　　If　anything；　he　attempted　too　much。　　Patents　were　taken　out　by　the　score；　and　at　one　time　there　were　no　less　than　forty…five　distinct　inventions　in　progress。　The　Commissioner　of　Patents　described　him　as　'the　young　man　who　kept　the　path　to　the　Patent　Office　hot　with　his　footsteps。'

His　capacity　for　labouring　without　rest　is　very　remarkable。　　On　one　occasion；　after　improving　his　Gold　and　Stock　Quotation　Printer；　an　order　for　the　new　instruments；　to　the　extent　of　30；000　dollars；　arrived　at　the　factory。　　The　model　had　acted　well；　but　the　first　instruments　made　after　it　proved　a　failure。　　Edison　thereupon　retired　to　the　upper　floor　of　the　factory　with　some　of　his　best　workmen；　and　intimated　that　they　must　all　remain　there　until　the　defect　was　put　right。　　After　sixty　hours　of　continuous　toil；　the　fault　was　remedied；　and　Edison　went　to　bed；　where　he　slept　for　thirty…six　hours。

Mr。　Johnson；　one　of　his　assistants；　informs　us　that　for　ten　years　he　worked　on　an　average　eighteen　hours　a　day；　and　that　he　has　been　known　to　continue　an　experiment　for　three　months　day　and　night；　with　the　exception　of　a　nap　from　six　o'clock　to　nine　of　the　morning。　　In　the　throes　of　invention；　and　under　the　inspiration　of　his　ideas；　he　is　apt　to　make　no　distinction　between　day　and　night；　until　he　arrives　at　a　result　which　he　considers　to　be　satisfactory　one　way　or　the　other。　　His　meals　are　brought　to　him　in　the　laboratory；　and　hastily　eaten；　although　his　dwelling　is　quite　near。　　Long　watchfulness　and　labour　seem　to　heighten　the　activity　of　his　mind；　which　under　its　'second　wind；'　so　to　speak；　becomes　preternaturally　keen　and　suggestive。　　He　likes　best　to　work　at　night　in　the　silence　and　solitude　of　his　laboratory　when　the　noise　of　the　benches　or　the　rumble　of　the　engines　is　stilled；　and　all　the　world　about　him　is　asleep。

Fortunately；　he　can　work　without　stimulants；　and；　when　the　strain　is　over；　rest　without　narcotics；　　otherwise　his　exhausted　constitution；　sound　as　it　is；　would　probably　break　down。　　Still；　he　appears　to　be　ageing　before　his　time；　and　some　of　his　assistants；　not　so　well　endowed　with　vitality；　have；　we　believe；　overtaxed　their　strength　in　trying　to　keep　up　with　him。

At　this　period　he　devised　his　electric　pen；　an　ingenious　device　for　making　copies　of　a　document。　　It　consists　essentially　of　a　needle；　rapidly　jogged　up　and　down　by　means　of　an　electro…magnet　actuated　by　an　intermittent　current　of　electricity。　　The　writing　is　traced　with　the　needle；　which　perforates　another　sheet　of　paper　underneath；　thus　forming　a　stencil…plate；　which　when　placed　on　a　clean　paper；　and　evenly　inked　with　a　rolling　brush；　reproduces　the　original　writing。

In　1873　Edison　was　married　to　Miss　Mary　Stillwell；　of　Newark；　one　of　his　employees。　　His　eldest　child；　Mary　Estelle；　was　playfully　surnamed　'Dot；'　and　his　second；　Thomas　Alva；　jun。；　'Dash；'　after　the　signals　of　the　Morse　code。　　Mrs。　Edison　died　several　years　ago。

While　seeking　to　improve　the　method　of　duplex　working　introduced　by　Mr。　Steams；　Edison　invented　the　quadruplex；　by　which　four　messages　are　simultaneously　sent　through　one　wire；　two　from　each　end。　Brought　out　in　association　with　Mr。　Prescott；　it　was　adopted　by　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company；　and；　later；　by　the　British　Post　Office。　　The　President　of　the　Western　Union　reported　that　it　had　saved　the　Company　500；000　dollars　a　year　in　the　construction　of　new　lines。　　Edison　also　improved　the　Bain　chemical　telegraph；　until　it　attained　an　incredible　speed。　　Bain　had　left　it　capable　of　recording　200　words　a　minute；　but　Edison；　by　dint　of　searching　a　pile　of　books　ordered　from　New　York；　Paris；　and　London；　making　copious　notes；　and　trying　innumerable　experiments；　while　eating　at　his　desk　and　sleeping　in　his　chair；　ultimately　prepared　a　solution　which　enabled　it　to　register　over　1000　words　a　minute。　　It　was　exhibited　at　the　Philadelphia　Centenial　Exhibition　in　1876；　where　it　astonished　Sir　William　Thomson。

In　1876；　Edison　sold　his　factory　at　Newark；　and　retired　to　Menlo　Park；　a　sequestered　spot　near　Metuchin；　on　the　Pennsylvania　Railroad；　and　about　twenty…four　miles　from　New　York。　　Here　on　some　rising　ground　he　built　a　wooden　tenement；　two　stories　high；　and　furnished　it　as　a　workshop　and　laboratory。　　His　own　residence　and　the　cottages　of　his　servants　completed　the　little　colony。

The　basement　of　the　main　building　was　occupied　by　his　office；　a　choice　library；　a　cabinet　replete　with　instruments　of　precision；　and　a　large　airy　workshop；　provided　with　lathes　and　steam　power；　where　his　workmen　shaped　his　ideas　into　wood　and　metal。

The　books　lying　about；　the　designs　and　placards　on　the　walls；　the　draught…board　on　the　table；　gave　it　the　appearance　of　a　mechanics'　club…　room。　　The　free　and　lightsome　behaviour　of　the　men；　the　humming　at　the　benches；　recalled　some　school　of　handicraft。　　There　were　no　rigid　hours；　no　grinding　toil　under　the　jealous　eye　of　the　overseer。　　The　spirit　of　competition　and　commercial　rivalry　was　absent。　　It　was　not　a　question　of　wringing　as　much　work　as　possible　out　of　the　men　in　the　shortest　time　and　at　the　lowest　price。　　Moreover；　they　were　not　mere　mechanical　drudgesthey　were　interested　in　their　jobs；　which　demanded　thought　as　well　as　skill。

Upstairs　was　the　laboratory　propera　long　room　containing　an　array　of　chemicals；　for　Edison　likes　to　have　a　sample　of　every　kind；　in　case　it　might　suddenly　be　requisite。　　On　the　tables　and　in　the　cupboards　were　lying　all　manner　of　telegraphic　apparatus；　lenses；　crucibles；　and　pieces　of　his　own　inventions。　　A　perfect　tangle　of　telegraph　wires　coming　from　all　parts　of　the　Union　were　focussed　at　one　end　of　the　room。　An　ash…