Introduction Of The Edison Electric Light - 5

Introduction Of The Edison Electric Light - 5

 "When we formed the works at Harrison we divided the interests into one hundred shares

or parts at $100 par. One of the boys was hard up after a time, and sold two shares to Bob

Cutting. Up to that time we had never paid anything; but we got around to the point

where the board declared a dividend every Saturday night. We had never declared a

dividend when Cutting bought his shares, and after getting his dividends for three weeks

in succession, he called up on the telephone and wanted to know what kind of a concern

this was that paid a weekly dividend. The works sold for $1,085,000."

Incidentally it may be noted, as illustrative of the problems brought to Edison, that while

he had the factory at Harrison an importer in the Chinese trade went to him and wanted a

dynamo to be run by hand power. The importer explained that in China human labor was

cheaper than steam power. Edison devised a machine to answer the purpose, and put long

spokes on it, fitted it up, and shipped it to China. He has not, however, heard of it since.

For making the dynamos Edison secured, as noted in the preceding chapter, the Roach

Iron Works on Goerck Street, New York, and this was also equipped. A building was

rented on Washington Street, where machinery and tools were put in specially designed

for making the underground tube conductors and their various paraphernalia; and the

faithful John Kruesi was given charge of that branch of production. To Sigmund

Bergmann, who had worked previously with Edison on telephone apparatus and

phonographs, and was already making Edison specialties in a small way in a loft on

Wooster Street, New York, was assigned the task of constructing sockets, fixtures,

meters, safety fuses, and numerous other details.

Thus, broadly, the manufacturing end of the problem of introduction was cared for. In the

early part of 1881 the Edison Electric Light Company leased the old Bishop mansion at

65 Fifth Avenue, close to Fourteenth Street, for its headquarters and show- rooms. This

was one of the finest homes in the city of that period, and its acquisition was a

premonitory sign of the surrender of the famous residential avenue to commerce. The

company needed not only offices, but, even more, such an interior as would display to

advantage the new light in everyday use; and this house with its liberal lines, spacious

halls, lofty ceilings, wide parlors, and graceful, winding stairway was ideal for the

purpose. In fact, in undergoing this violent change, it did not cease to be a home in the

real sense, for to this day many an Edison veteran's pulse is quickened by some chance

reference to "65," where through many years the work of development by a loyal and

devoted band of workers was centred. Here Edison and a few of his assistants from

Menlo Park installed immediately in the basement a small generating plant, at first with a

gas-engine which was not successful, and then with a Hampson high-speed engine and

boiler, constituting a complete isolated plant. The building was wired from top to bottom,

and equipped with all the appliances of the art. The experience with the little gas-engine

was rather startling. "At an early period at `65' we decided," says Edison, "to light it up

with the Edison system, and put a gas- engine in the cellar, using city gas. One day it was

not going very well, and I went down to the man in charge and got exploring around.

Finally I opened the pedestal--a storehouse for tools, etc. We had an open lamp, and

when we opened the pedestal, it blew the doors off, and blew out the windows, and

knocked me down, and the other man."

For the next four or five years "65" was a veritable beehive, day and night. The routine

was very much the same as that at the laboratory, in its utter neglect of the clock. The

evenings were not only devoted to the continuance of regular business, but the house was

thrown open to the public until late at night, never closing before ten o'clock, so as to

give everybody who wished an opportunity to see that great novelty of the time--the

incandescent light--whose fame had meanwhile been spreading all over the globe. The

first year, 1881, was naturally that which witnessed the greatest rush of visitors; and the

building hardly ever closed its doors till midnight. During the day business was carried

on under great stress, and Mr. Insull has described how Edison was to be found there

trying to lead the life of a man of affairs in the conventional garb of polite society, instead

of pursuing inventions and researches in his laboratory. But the disagreeable ordeal could

not be dodged. After the experience Edison could never again be tempted to quit his

laboratory and work for any length of time; but in this instance there were some

advantages attached to the sacrifice, for the crowds of lion-hunters and people seeking

business arrangements would only have gone out to Menlo Park; while, on the other

hand, the great plans for lighting New York demanded very close personal attention on

the spot.