The Value Of Edison's Inventions To The World - 7

The Value Of Edison's Inventions To The World - 7

that in America alone the work of Edison has been one of the most potent factors in

bringing into existence new industries now capitalized at nearly $ 7,000,000,000, earning

annually over $1,000,000,000, and giving employment to an army of more than six

hundred thousand people.

A single diamond, prismatically flashing from its many facets the beauties of reflected

light, comes well within the limits of comprehension of the human mind and appeals to

appreciation by the finer sensibilities; but in viewing an exhibition of thousands of these

beautiful gems, the eye and brain are simply bewildered with the richness of a display

which tends to confuse the intellect until the function of analysis comes into play and

leads to more adequate apprehension.

So, in presenting the mass of statistics contained in this chapter, we fear that the result

may have been the bewilderment of the reader to some extent. Nevertheless, in writing a

biography of Edison, the main object is to present the facts as they are, and leave it to the

intelligent reader to classify, apply, and analyze them in such manner as appeals most

forcibly to his intellectual processes. If in the foregoing pages there has appeared to be a

tendency to attribute to Edison the entire credit for the growth to which many of the

above-named great enterprises have in these latter days attained, we must especially

disclaim any intention of giving rise to such a deduction. No one who has carefully

followed the course of this narrative can deny, however, that Edison is the father of some

of the arts and industries that have been mentioned, and that as to some of the others it

was the magic of his touch that helped make them practicable. Not only to his work and

ingenuity is due the present magnitude of these arts and industries, but it is attributable

also to the splendid work and numerous contributions of other great inventors, such as

Brush, Bell, Elihu Thomson, Weston, Sprague, and many others, as well as to the

financiers and investors who in the past thirty years have furnished the vast sums of

money that were necessary to exploit and push forward these enterprises.

The reader may have noticed in a perusal of this chapter the lack of autobiographical

quotations, such as have appeared in other parts of this narrative. Edison's modesty has

allowed us but one remark on the subject. This was made by him to one of the writers a

short time ago, when, after an interesting indulgence in reminiscences of old times and

early inventions, he leaned back in his chair, and with a broad smile on his face, said,

reflectively: "Say, I HAVE been mixed up in a whole lot of things, haven't I?"