Edison believed in independence of thought. He was very impressed with the book Age of Reason written by Thomas Penn. About it Edison wrote, “Penn is supposed to be a believer but infact he was not. Penn believed in the highest talent or attribute that ordinary folk define as God or Deity.”
In a October 2, 1910 interview he clarified, “Nature is what we know and understand. But the religion projected God is what we don’t knowlike know nature. The nature is not merciful, forgiveful and not affectionate. According to the legend God had three basic characteristics of being kind, forgiving and loving as I understand. God created fish which I catch and eat. Then how is God kind, forgiving and livng to poor fish? No—the nature has created us and we act according to our nature and by no means according to God as defined by the religion.”
That statement made Edison a confirmed atheist, a non believer. Edison generally stayed clear of controversaries. In a private letter he explained, ‘You have taken that statement in a wrong sense. You jumped at the conclusion that I don’t believe in God. That was not my idea or meaning. The force you address as God is nature for me and it shows itself with clarity and sublime talent in all acts, situations and events. In my opinion our talent, soul or whatever you call ever exists even after death, I doubt in it. We are made of bones, flesh, blood, skin, nerves, tissues, muscles, body etc and when they all are destroyed in death—nothing is left behind and we don’t exist in any form.’
Menlo park
All great people are link to a certain place which represents his battle ground or filed of action. In case of Edison Menlo Park has been his karmabhoomi and witness to his explosive talent working at its best. His father oversaw its construction and it contained what every scientist or a researcher will dream of—a well equipped lab with required stocks and latest facilities, machine shop, space, seclusion, place, green unobtrusive surroundings and above all the independence, being the master of all. Here Edison researched, invented and planned the commercial essay of his inventions. Under his guidance a number of associates, researchers, assistants and workers performed their assigned duties. Edison’s business talent kept creating funds for its running. His research groups included engineers and other types of workers who functioned in his presence.
In 1879 William J. Hammer worked as advisor on electrical engineering as Edison’s assistant. He contributed to works on phonograph, telephone, electric railway, ore separator, electric lighting and other inventions. He first was given the task of noting down results of lamp tests. Hammer became chief engineer in 1880. The plant incharge F. Uptron produced 50,000 lamps in the first year working upon the advices of Hammer whom Edison called ‘Guide of the electric lamp’.
Menlo Park inventions proved very useful, gainful and productive related to electrics, engineering and chemistry. They were patented, some of them only at conceptual stage and it took years for them to mature into inventions. A vast number of patents of Edison were only in respect of upgradation, innovation and improvisations. Those were the products that Edison made really useful and commercially viable to be worthy of a patented status.
But phonograph was a new inventon. It was the first device that recorded a sound and replayed. Electric light bulb was not original idea of Edison. Earlier scientists had designed them and Edison had to buy rights from them. He did play a steller role in creating bulb in really practical form that was commercially gainful. Earlier bulbs were short lived and very costly. Their large scale commercial production was impractical. In 1878 Edison introduced filament in bulbs and made it light for all device from a laboratory condition wonder.
Quadruplex telegraph was another product of Menlo Park. It made transmission of four signals on one wire possible. Western Union paid $ 10,000 for the patent rights of Edison. It was a first jackpot for Edison. Edison expanded his lab and upgraded it saying,
‘I want a stock of almost every conceivable material’.
Menlo Park lab had 8,000 chemicals, screws of all types and measurements, needles of all sizes, wires, thread, human hair, horse hair and hair of all other animals for experiments, silk cocoons of all types, hooves, teeth, fangs, horns, feathers of birds, corks, gums, varnish, oils, stones, rubbers, raw materials, ores etc’.
The motto of Edison was, ‘There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labour of thinking’.
Later, Edison added an Industrial lab to the Menlo Park facilities. The scientists used to pay visit to Menlo Park merely to see the facilities Edison had created there for his research and development. Even politicians came to see it.
Edison and associates
Behind every successful businessman stands a woman and behind every successful scientist stands a group of associates, assistants and workers. Same thing happened with Edison. But associates do not always stand by. For better prospects they link up with others. And when cooperation was not coming as expected Edison did not hesitate in getting rid of that associate. Here we give account of some of his associates who made his success possible.
Frank J. Spregue was a good mathematician and an ex-naval authority. In 1883 he joined Edison. He was expected to upgrade Edison’s mathematics. Edison had a weak mathematical knowledge but he was ready to learn. Earlier it was said he worked on trial and error basis. After association with Frank his calculations improved. Because of Frank while working on lamp resistance Edison was able to explain electricity mathematically. By analysing the ‘Ohm’s Law’ and ‘Joule’s Law’ Edison was able to come up with correct and desired resistance.
Nicola Tesla had a bad experience in working with Edison. It casts shadow on the image of Edison. According to Tesla she had joined Edison for the task of upgrading and improving D.C. Generation plant. Edison had promised that successful upgradation would earn her a bonus of $ 50,000. After accomplishing the job Tesla asked for promised bonus. Edison mocked, ‘When you will become fully American you will understand the American joke.”
Tela had resigned. But the claim appears very doubtful. Tesla used to get a weekly salary of only
$ 18. Some people say Tesla resigned because Edison refused to raise her salary to $ 25 a week. It appears unlikely that Edison would promise a whopping sum of $ 50,000 for upgradation assignment.
But ironically later, Tesla won Edison Medal while receiving the award Tesla remarked, ‘For amusement Ed had no healthy nature. His life was not based on health principles. His methods would reach the extremes yet remained insufficient. Edison could not accept limits and was in the habit of interference. Basically as I have understood from my study, had Edison known correct calculations he could have saved 90% toil. But Edison had a natural habit of reading and naturally lacked understanding of mathematics. As inventor Edison believed in himself and in his inner self there appeared to exist a practical Americans businessman.’
When Edison was on his death bed he reminisced and admitted he had made a great mistake and the mistake was that of not correctly evaluating the contribution of Nicola Tesla.
It is not possible to detail all associates of Edison but there were some who even sacrificed their lifes in the line of duty for Edison. They deserve a mention. Edison had met roughly 28 people who proved associates and guides as well.
Clarence Dolly was one of them. He was working on X-ray subject. He was trying to get a clearer picture by using Berium. At that stage X-ray picture used to be very foggy and unclear. The basic design remains the same as Edison had made. But to reach to that level even Edison had to risk his eyesight. An assistant had started lisping due to radiation effect. But Dolly was a daredevil and risked his life to do dangerous experiments. He unfortunately got exposed to a dangerous level of radiation. It wounded his body and he died of those wounds.
In 1903 Edison said, “Don’t talk of X-ray. It gives shivers to me.”
Edison was fortunate that he got the cooperation of great associates who were courageous, daring, gifted and dedicated to their duty. In childhood Edison got the affectionate protection of his mother and in later professional life he had people like Dolly who could die for him.
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