The Inventors or Muckers Who Worked for Thomas Edison

Already by the time he moved to Menlo Park in 1876, Thomas Edison had gathered many of the men who would work with him for the rest of their lives. By the time Edison built his West Orange lab complex, men came from all over the United States and Europe to work with the famous inventor. Often these young muckers, as Edison called them, were fresh out of college or technical training. Unlike most inventors, Edison depended upon dozens of muckers to build and test his ideas. In return, they received only workmens wages. However, the inventor said, it was not the money they want, but the chance for their ambition to work. The average work week was six days for a total of 55 hours. Nevertheless, if Edison had a bright idea, days at work would extend far into the night. By having several teams going at once, Edison could invent several products at the same time. Still, each project took hundreds of hours of hard work. Inventions could always be improved, so several projects took years of effort. The alkaline storage battery, for example, kept muckers busy for almost a decade. As Edison himself said, Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.   What was it like to work for Edison? One mucker said that he could wither one with his biting sarcasm or ridicule one into extinction. On the other hand, as electrician, Arthur Kennelly stated, The privilege which I had being with this great man for six years was the greatest inspiration of my life. Historians have called the research and development laboratory Edisons greatest invention. In time, other companies such as General Electric built their own laboratories inspired by the West Orange lab. Mucker and Famous Inventor Lewis Howard Latimer  (1848-1928) Although Latimer never worked directly for Edison at any of his laboratories, his many talents deserve special mention. The son of an escaped slave, Latimer overcame poverty and racism in his scientific career. While working for Hiram S. Maxim, a competitor with Edison, Latimer patented his own improved method to make carbon filaments. From 1884 to 1896, he worked in New York City for the Edison Electric Light Company as an engineer, draftsman, and legal expert. Latimer later joined the Edison Pioneers, a group of old Edison employees - its only African American member. Since he never worked with Edison at the Menlo Park or West Orange laboratories, however, he is not technically a mucker. As far as we know, there were no African American muckers.   Mucker and Plastics Pioneer: Jonas Aylsworth (18-1916) A gifted chemist, Aylsworth began working at the West Orange labs when they opened in 1887. Much of his work involved testing materials for phonograph recordings. He left around 1891 only to return ten years later, working both for Edison and in his own laboratory. He patented condensite, a mixture of phenol and formaldehyde, for use in Edison Diamond Disc records. His work with interpenetrating polymers came decades before other scientists made similar discoveries with plastics.   Mucker and Friend until the End: John Ott (1850-1931) Like his younger brother Fred, Ott worked with Edison in Newark as a machinist in the 1870s. Both brothers followed Edison to Menlo Park in 1876, where John was Edisons principal model and instrument maker. After the move to West Orange in 1887, he served as superintendent of the machine shop until a terrible fall in 1895 left him severely injured. Ott held 22 patents, some with Edison. He died only one day after the inventor; his crutches and wheelchair were placed by Edisons casket at Mrs. Edisons request.   Mucker  Reginald Fessenden  (1866-1931) Canadian-born Fessenden had been trained as an electrician. So when Edison wanted to make him a chemist, he protested. Edison replied, I have had a lot of chemists... but none of them can get results. Fessenden turned out to be an excellent chemist, working with insulation for electrical wires. He left the West Orange lab around 1889 and patented several inventions of his own, including patents for telephony and telegraphy. In 1906, he became the first person to broadcast words and music over radio waves.   Mucker and Film Pioneer: William Kennedy Laurie Dickson (1860-1935) Along with most of the West Orange crew in the 1890s, Dickson worked mainly on Edisons failed iron ore mine in western New Jersey. However, his skill as staff photographer led him to assist Edison in his work with motion pictures. Historians still argue over who was more important to the development of films, Dickson or Edison. Together, though, they accomplished more than they did on their own later. The fast pace of work at the lab left Dickson much afflicted by brain exhaustion. In 1893, he suffered a nervous breakdown. By the next year, he was already working for a competing company while still on Edisons payroll. The two parted bitterly the next year and Dickson returned to his native Britain to work for the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company.   Mucker and Sound Recording Expert: Walter Miller (1870-1941) Born in nearby East Orange, Miller started working as a 17-year-old apprentice boy at the West Orange lab soon after it opened in 1887. Many muckers worked here a few years and then moved on, but Miller stayed at West Orange his entire career. He proved himself in many different jobs. As manager of the Recording Department and Edisons primary recording expert, he ran the New York City studio where recordings were made. Meanwhile, he also carried on experimental recordings in West Orange. With Jonas Aylsworth (mentioned above), he earned several patents covering how to duplicate records. He retired from Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated in 1937.

The Geography Of Bliss By Eric Weiner - 1379 Words

There are different factors that affect happiness and it is rooted from the country you were born in. â€Å"We are shaped not only by our current geography, but by our ancestral one as well (Weiner 112). Most countries have different culture that contributes to people s happiness. People who live in America will not be as happy as the one who lived in Moldova. In Eric Weiner s, book The Geography of Bliss. He was searching for data on happiness. He conducts a study on how people in different countries understand and measure their happiness. The biggest factors that affect people s happiness are the environment and cultural differences. Where you live is a big factor of who you are. People find happiness when they feel comfortable and†¦show more content†¦It’s unsettling. The playground! It used to be right here, I swear. Mess with our hometown, and you’re messing with our past, with who we are. Nobody likes that. (108) This relates to his visit in Qatar where he observed that there are several things that are not common to him. Like there are no 7-11 stores in Qatar because Qataris have helpers that can do groceries for them. He compares his hotel to a climate-controlled tomb even though it is a nice hotel that can provide everything he needs, he is not happy. Last is the solid heat that he felt during his stay. Indeed staying or living in a new environment where not everything is normal in their perspective would be difficult and unsettling to people who is new or not familiar with the environment. I have experienced living in a foreign country where I need to work for one year. At first, I find Taiwan exciting. Meeting new friends and exploring new places is fun. Until, I realized that I missed home where I have my own room where I can sleep comfortably without sharing rooms with other people whom I didn t know personally. In addition, I find it difficult to commute, purchase, and communicate because I don t aware which bus I m takin g. I don t know how to read Taiwan s character which is the posted all over the place and I don t speak their language. Moreover, I lose weight during my stay because I cannot eat the food provided by our company and

Morality And Guns Today Essay Example For Students

Morality And Guns Today Essay I realize you cannot legislate morality. I agree with that 100 percent. Yes, saying things like Thou shall be moral is foolish, but other things can be done. We have to get back to our roots and become more civil and moral. Throughout recent history our society has continually loosened its moral bonds until we have arrived at the everything goes attitudes of today. This loosening simply has to be reversed. Let me say that this will be a difficult task, but our society MUST put common sense and civility forefront of todays efforts nationwide. It will be harder to fight then any war. We must have an awakening or things will continue to go downhill. Would you agree on that?First of all, I do not have all the answers on this. We could start by looking at our past and seeing what worked when. I am not talking about slavery, segregation, etc etc. What I am talking about is how families worked and how people responded to each other, how neighbors responded to each other. We must explore the brotherhood that existed between friends. We must look back to look forward. I think common sense plays a big issue in this. In todays society there is this idea that we must be politically correct all the time. Remember (or hear) of a time when everything wasnt regulated, and was NOT tied up by the governments beaucracy, and forthere DID NOT destroy personal responsibility? All laws leave some people out. Without this over regulation, people were not excessively left out by red tape crafted divisions. All of this ties into morality. I think people have become less responsible. Seeing the increased role of government in everyday life, too many parents have dedicated the government to educate their child. Less time is spent with each other. Less of that famous bonding time, less family cohesiveness, less family traditions. What has filled the void from the absence of this ever-so-valuable time? Media has filled the gap. This includes everything from TV, movies, video games, music, etc etc. Afterall the media is led by people who grew up without knowing what is right or wrong, just like the people watching it. You now have a society in which few know what is right and wrong because this cycle continues on faster and faster. Believe it or not, I believe there was a time that had universal morals. These include lots of small things, but they are what consisted of the moral foundation we have lost. These small things include street manners, table manners, specific courtesys each directed toward men and women, clothing courtesys, trustworthiness (ever hear of the time when a handshake was worth more than a signature?), a respect of each others doings and business, the Golden Rule, spoken courtesysthe list goes on and on. It is not the medias fault only, they are only the most visable layer. WE, and I repeat WE, the society, are the ones that tolerated or even let the media do something questionable to begin with. WE are the ones that watch and listen to their programs, WE are the ones who give them money, WE are the ones who failed to voice our concerns on something they were airing, etc etc. Now, in a society that has evolved to which everything goes, Hollywood doesnt think twice about showing negatively-influencing movies, or the record companies and singers (especially rap, rock, etc. ..) dont think twice about recording songs about things like getting your girlfriend pregnant and driving the car off the bridge while shes screaming in the trunkthings like that. Whats even worse is that, like I said earlier, WE let it happen, we, as a society, do not have enough balls to say Enough is a Enough!!!!! Afterall, it would be politically incorrect (going back to what I said earlier) and might offend someone right How does all this tie into guns? WE, as a society, would rather blame something inhuman. .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4 , .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4 .postImageUrl , .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4 , .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4:hover , .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4:visited , .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4:active { border:0!important; } .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4:active , .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4 .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub9b0bd6f8cb5a449543c951727af00c4:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: How to write a definition essay - ideas, examples, structure Right now, we would rather blame something that merely indicates the state of ourselves. For decades we have been slipping down the path of neglecting our present and future moral foundation. We are right now getting a taste of what that neglect has reaped. Right now we would rather blame an objectthe gun, something we have made for five centuriesfor our own irresponsibility. Have I yet to give any specific, direct way to accomplish what we simply have to accomplish? No. Like I said I do not have all the answers. We must first realize what must be done in order to fix the problems. I do believe the best way to restore civility is to start with yourself. After you have started with yourself, start with others. Importantly, set examples. Not only one, but many. In todays society where anything new and anything different someone in doing gets attention, it is especially important to set good, moral examples. Others just might try it. Spend time with your familyand continue to do so, go somewhere quiet everyday, relax, use manners, write your legislators on this very issue, take your family vacation, eat together, etc etc, the list is long and varied. The main point is that it is OUR fault for letting society be in the condition it is in now. We need to be more self-responsible. Guns, and other tools, are only indicators of how bad our society is. Banning them will not help. It may or may not affect crime rates, but, either or, things will continue to degrade if we continue to foolishly neglect the essence and base of our moral foundation. I believe our Founding Fathers had a pretty good idea of what was right and wrong. Many of their truths were expressed in our Constitution and Federalist Papers. Why was there very few, if any, mass-murderers back then? Why was there so few unmarried mothers and fathers? Why was their little public violence? Why was there so little general hatred? Why was there so little deceit? Why were there so few broken families? {all this with guns in every household} Why?.because societythe people and communities themselvessimply DID NOT tolerate immorality and its beginnings back then, and WE shouldnt now! Looking at our past is the way to light our future.Social Issues

Nature Versus Civilization Essays - Cultural Anthropology

Nature Versus Civilization In comparing and contrasting Civilization Over Nature by Michael Heiman with Nature Over Civilization by Robert Kuhn McGregor I have discovered that their main themes over lap in one or more ways. They both define Nature in totally different aspects. Therefore that is way their main themes appear to be so much different. Michael Heiman argues that nature was put aside for the capitalistic views of the nineteenth century. This then implies that nature was put aside for the production of civilization. Therefore associating the human race strictly with civilization and not nature. Nature is only made up of the landscape and the animals and plants within it. In Heimans example of this he speaks of the exploitation of the Hudson Valley for the transportation of goods across the country. He tells of how the destruction of this area throughout the nineteenth century was overlooked by the artists and tour guides that traveled this route. The viewpoints that Heiman carried throughout his essay had a homocentric orientation towards civilization. As for Heimans main theme he proposes that civilization was the ultimate reality. As for McGregor he proposed to agree with the biocentric view that humans and plants and animals were all living actors in the play of life therefore making humans a part of nature as well. As for the civilization aspect of it all he goes on to explain that animals have their own civilizations in which some of them change the environment in the same ways as our civilization. In the end of it all he believes that nature is the ultimate reality. In order to compare and contrast we have to first see the main part where they clash. Heiman sees nature as the landscape, plants, and animals therefore making humans the synonym for civilization. McGregor on the other hand says that nature has its own civilization just as humans do. So humans are now a part of nature just as a horse might be. My question is if everything is a part of nature even our own civilization then what makes up civilization in his eyes? Nature would have to be the ultimate reality because he is not even comparing it to civilization in a sense. Heiman has a solid argument because he is actually comparing the two. McGregor is right in his essay when he says that if you believe in a biocentric history it is a lonely road because not many other people are on it. In closing I agree with Heiman because there is no way that our civilization can be anywhere near the civilization of any other living organism. Due to how we use up all of our resources and exploit the l andscape. Civilization had to have been the ultimate reality no questions asked. I will compare these two essays with the same four documents in order to show the similarities that each has to other in terms of the document. The four documents that I will be comparing these two essays to are; John James Audubon on Shooting Birds, James Fenimore Cooper Laments the Wasty Ways of Pioneers, Hudson River Painters Depict Nature, and Rebecca Harding Davis on Pollution and Human Life in the Iron Mills. Audubon is a preservationist on birds and is one of the earliest. If I had to chose a side I would say that he would agree with Heiman in saying that civilization over rides nature in this case due to the fact that humans are shooting birds. Instead of birds killing birds or horses killing birds. As the civilization of humans is growing bigger and bigger Audubon saw that this sport was getting bigger and nature was getting exploited. I do not see McGregor agreeing with Audubon because my impression of McGregor in the way of nature is a sort of survival of the fittest. In Coopers essay he talks about the pointless killing of birds as well but with a little different twist being that he heavily criticizes the excessive wastefulness of the pioneers due to the abundance of nature. In respect to the two essays I see a representation of both in similar ways. This document corresponds better with that of McGregor seeing that nature is a larger