1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 11 



in recent years. I have thought several times of one 

 illustration which I will bring up here to-day, and that is in 

 connection with the Edison incandescent electric light. 

 That has nothing to do with experiment stations ; it will, 

 however, show the principle that is involved. Edison gave 

 to the world that form of electric light known as the 

 incandescent light. He was puzzled to find something to 

 take the place of platinum for the filament, the particles of 

 which become white-hot and give out light without becoming 

 fused. He saw that platinum was too expensive, and at 

 once set to work to find some cheap substitute. It must be 

 cheap, and it must have certain characteristics and qualities. 

 Now, Edison knows no such thing as failure ; that word 

 is not in his vocabulary. He knew that carbon had certain 

 properties which would fulfil all the requirements, but it 

 must be a certain form of carbon, and must be very tough, 

 not easily broken by the shocks and jars to which these 

 lights are subjected. After a very long series of experiments, 

 which he kept up day and night (it is said that he had only 

 four hours' sleep while he was conducting these experiments) , 

 he found that the fibre of bamboo carbonized would serve his 

 purpose, and we have to-day the incandescent electric light 

 in which those fibres of bamboo are used. There is a fact in 

 connection with this matter which always struck me as 

 interesting and remarkable, and that is, that Edison made a 

 contract to furnish incandescent electric lights at the cost of 

 twenty-five cents each for these little bulbs, when at that 

 very time he was paying five dollars for every one of them 

 that he received. Now, to some this may have seemed very 

 foolish on his part, to assume that they could be manu- 

 factured at that price ; and yet. with that clear insight which 

 characterizes this wonderful man, he saw, first, that there 

 w r ould be a great demand for the lights, and therefore they 

 could be manufactured cheaply ; and, secondly, he saw that 

 new processes, new apparatus, etc., would be invented when 

 this demand was appreciated, which would enable manu- 

 facturers to give them to the world at the very small price 

 which he put upon them, and the result has justified his faith. 

 This is merely an illustration. It brings out this one 

 point, — that progress means the overcoming of obstacles, 



