Wisconsin School for the Deaf - Tattler Yearbook (Delavan, WI)

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THOMAS ALVA EDISON By M rjr Sklenar Thomas Alva Edison, tho famous inventor. VU born in Milan, Ohio, February 11. 1847. There were throe children in Edison's family, all of different ability. Edison's ability wu mechanical. He was not at ull strong while youiik and of fragile appearnne with u large but well-shaped head. Edison's ancestors coming from Holland In 1730 first settled in New Jersey. They later moved to Passaic River into the same neighborhood where Edison now lives at Orange Mountain. One Thomas Edison hud a son named John, who had different view from his father in regard to American Independence. After the Revolutionary War, John left the country to settle in Novia Scotia. A son wus born to him named Samuel, father of Thoma Alva Edison, the inventor. Under Canadian low. John Edison, ns a Loyalist, became entitled to some western Land near Luke Huron where Thomas Edison often visited his grandfather who died at the age of one hundred and two. Little la known of Samuel Edison, father of Thomas A. Edison, until we find him living nt Vienna keeping a hotel and marrying Nancy Elliott, who was u high school teacher there. Ir. 1837 when the Canadian Rebellion broke out, Samuel with his family departed from Canada secretly for Milan, Ohio where he grew prosperous. It was here thnt the inventor was born. On account of Edison's delicacy, he was not allowed to go to school at an early age. He could not got along very well when he did so hi mother decided to teach him herself. She was not only loving, observing and wise but at the same time well informed und ambitious. He was a good reader and could remember every thing that he read. He asked so many question that It tired hih parents out to answer them. To this day Mr. Edison b not inclined to accept n statement unless he can prove it himself by experiment. Once, when he was about six years old, ho watched a goose sitting on her eggs and saw them hatch. Soon after he was missing, latter hi father found him sitting In t nest on eggs trying to hatch them. He had a remarkable memory while a small child and hud many other interesting adventures in his boyhood days. In 1854 the family moved to Port Huron, Michigan. He had no use for mathematics but his father encouraged his literary taste . He became interested in chemistry and bought ele-men try books on Physics und tried out every experiment in them. Hr used the cellar of tho house for experiments and hud about two hundred bottle of various chemicals. Most of hb spare time was spent here und he did not care to share in the sport of the bovs In the neighborhood. As hi pocket money disappeared rapidly for chemicals he became a train newsboy. He sold papers on the Grand Trunk Railway between Port Huron and Detroit. By selling vegetable and other farm produce he earned enough money to keep on with hb experiments. Edison hnd many adventures, too numerous to mention, while a newsboy. It was about the time he was sixteen years of age that one day a stick of phosphorus burst into Hume while the train was in motion. This caused the car to catch on fire and Edison was kicked off by the conductor. Besides, he had his ears boxed which made him deuf which was a great advantage to him In some wove. After his newsboy days were over, he tried telegraphy. He became a regulur operator in 1868 on the Grand Trunk Railway in Canada, lie spent nearly five years as a telegraph operator in various cities of the Central Western State always studying and experimenting to improve the telegraph apparatus. In 1868 he started work at the Western Union in Boston a- operator. Lator he resigned and went into private telegraph lino business. In 1868 he made his first patented invention of an Electrical Vote recorder. In 186l», Innding in New York poor and in debt, he found work nt Gold and Stock Telegraph Co. When part of the apparatus broke no one but Edison could fix it so he wa given a

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Upon their arrival at Washington they went directly to nee the president, who asked Keokuk nmny questions as to the reason why Black Hawk went to war attainst the whiten. After Keokuk Rave President Jackson all the information he could, he was ordered by the president to have Black Hawk placed at Fortress Monroe ns o prisoner. During their stay in the city many people visited Black Hawk and his party. On the way to Fortress Monroe they visited several training camps which mode him realize how insignificant hlit men would he in comparison with these well-trained soldiers. While stopping nt New York, they met Mr. Graham, one of the most prominent men of New York at that time. Several present were given tn Black Howk by Mr. Graham, nnd this fine example of brotherly love marie Black Hawk realise what peace really meant. Mr. Graham advised him to bury the hutchet. to make bright tin- chain of friendship, to love the white men and to live in peace with them ns long as water ran und the sun would rise and set. It was published by several papers many years ago that Black Hnwk murderer! white women nnd children. This assertion he most emphatically tlenied. claiming also that no one in his tribe had ever killed a white woman or child to his knowledge. As soon us arrangements had been made with the president to give Black Hawk complete release from prison, he left with his wife und family nnd n smull portion of his tribe for his old hunting grounds near the Mississippi River. Hero he had a comfortable dwelling erected and • o o o • , A JEST A utory of Scotch honesty comes from Dundee. A small bov had tuken the prize for an exceptionally well druwn map. After the examination the teacher, a little doubtful asked the lad: “Who helped you with this map. James?” Nobody, sir.” Come now. tell me the truth. Didn't your brother help you?” No. sir; he did it all.” hr settled down with the expectation of making it his permanent home. Some years Inter Black Hawk moved his family and little bund still farther west to the De Moines River. It was here that he was taken ill and died on Octoher 3. 183ft at the uge of seventy-one years. When Black Hawk wan buried, he wus dressed in u military uniform presented to him by a member of President Jackson’s cabinet. On his left side won u sword, given to him by General Jackson; on his right side a cane, which wun u gift from Henry Clay. Three medals from Pres. Jackson, Kx-presidcnt John Quincy Adams, and the city of Boston respectively, hung around his neck. There is near Byron, Illinois, u statue of Black Hawk, the work of I.orado Taft. It overlooks the Kock River, the scene of his birth und can be seen for many miles. Not long after his death it was erected, and many a traveler today pauses to look upon it. Several of the boys of W. S. D. who have taken part in the tournament at Jacksonville, Illinois, have had the privilege of seeing it. In closing this narrative of the life of the admirable chief. Black Hnwk. it seems fitting to speak briefly of his personal character. He wo an Indian possessing a noble nature. In all the nociul relations of his life he was kind and affable. In hi home he was an affectionate husband. He w e. free from the many vices that othciV of his race had contracted from the white people, never using intoxicating bever-ugc to excess. As u wurrior he knew no fear, and his persona! prowess stamped him as the bravest of the brave . • o o o • OR TWO Why bother to write jokes when one can get dialogues like the following, overheurd nt the bureau of naturalization? “Where is Washington?” Oh. he has passed on. ”1 mean the capital of the United States. “Oh, they loaned it all to Kurope. Do you promise to support the Constitution?” Me? How can 1? I've u wife und six children to support.” —Brooklyn Eagle

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position ut $300 n month. In 1870 he recicved hi first money for invention $40,000. He made ■tock ticker , opened a hop in Newark and improved the typewriter, heside the moto-graph, nutonmtic telegraph, diplex, duplex and quadruple instrument . In 1876 he discovered the principals which later became known a wireless telegraphy. The next year he moved from Newark to a laboratory at Menlo Park. New Jersey, where he Invented u telephone transmitter, which made telephony a commercial urt. This invention included the microphone, which made radio possible. About this time he wu abo bringing forth the phonograph. In October 21, 1870, he invented the incandescent electric lamp which is one of the greatest benefit to mankind. The first electric motor was made during that year too and it i till in operation uml i in the Edison Historical Collection. He established the first incandescent lamp factory at Menlo Park, New Jersey in 1880. Three years later he made the first three-wire central station for electric lighting. Between 1880 and 1887 he took out about one hundred patents for different things. He invented a system of wireless telegraphy between moving trains, station and train moving. Also • o o o on ships. In 1887 he moved to his present laboratory at West Orange. New Jersey. In 1801 he invented the motion picture camera ol o these year were spent on the great iron ore concentrating enterprise in which Edison did some brilliant engineering work. One of the greatest inventions at this time was improvements on the X-Ray. Another benefit to mankind was Portland cement. In 1U07 he introduced the Universal electric motor, he also worked on the disc phonograph. Then in 1912 he introduced the talking motion picture. In 1914 he contrived to make carbolic ucid and Benxol instead of getting them from Germany. This plant could turn out a ton u day. About this time he started on the rubber industries of America. Fur dyeing was another help to us as at this time we got ninny of our dyes from Germany but ns she was having war Edison had the idea we would be better off if we could make all these things ourselves. During the war days Edison made special inventions for the United States Government which enabled us to help win the war. These ure too numerous to mention. He has obtained more than one thousand one hundred and fifty patents and is still vigorous at the age of eighty-three. • o o 0 A PHILOSOPHER’S MEDITATIONS It's not what you want but what you get that counts. A picture is worth ten thousand words. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. But don’t play too much as it win make you an idle fellow out of work. If you can dream and not make dreams your master, you are a better man than 1. Prohibition b a funny thing. There are more speakeasies today than there were saloons in olden times. At the same time, you are more apt to be poisoned today than before prohibition was enforced. The reason many good salesmen go wrong is because they take no for an answer. Whether you are a salesman or not, don’t do that. Stick to your guns till you get what you set out after. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Too many will bring him in a short time.