Edison's Method In Inventing - 12

Edison's Method In Inventing - 12

 Nor is it generally appreciated in the industry that the adoption of what is now regarded

as a most ob- vious proposition--the high-economy incandescent lamp--was the result of

that characteristic foresight which there has been occasion to mention frequently in the

course of this narrative, together with the courage and "horse-sense" which have always

been displayed by the inventor in his persistent pushing out with far-reaching ideas, in the

face of pessimistic opinions. As is well known, the lamps of the first ten or twelve years

of incandescent lighting were of low economy, but had long life. Edison's study of the

subject had led him to the conviction that the greatest growth of the electric-lighting

industry would be favored by a lamp taking less current, but having shorter, though

commercially economical life; and after gradually making improvements along this line

he developed, finally, a type of high-economy lamp which would introduce a most

radical change in existing conditions, and lead ultimately to highly advantageous results.

His start on this lamp, and an expressed desire to have it manufactured for regular use,

filled even some of his business associates with dismay, for they could see nothing but

disaster ahead in forcing such a lamp on the market. His persistence and profound

conviction of the ultimate results were so strong and his arguments so sound, however,

that the campaign was entered upon. Although it took two or three years to convince the

public of the correctness of his views, the idea gradually took strong root, and has now

become an integral principle of the business.

In this connection it may be noted that with remarkable prescience Edison saw the

coming of the modern lamps of to-day, which, by reason of their small consumption of

energy to produce a given candle-power, have dismayed central-station managers. A few

years ago a consumption of 3.1 watts per candle-power might safely be assumed as an

excellent average, and many stations fixed their rates and business on such a basis. The

results on income when the consumption, as in the new metallic- filament lamps, drops to

1.25 watts per candle can readily be imagined. Edison has insisted that central stations are

selling light and not current; and he points to the predicament now confronting them as

truth of his assertion that when selling light they share in all the benefits of improvement,

but that when they sell current the consumer gets all those benefits without division. The

dilemma is encountered by central stations in a bewildered way, as a novel and

unexpected experience; but Edison foresaw the situation and warned against it long ago.

It is one of the greatest gifts of statesmanship to see new social problems years before

they arise and solve them in advance. It is one of the greatest attributes of invention to

foresee and meet its own problems in exactly the same way.