the wizard of Menlo park

There have been many scientists who brought comforts in the life of human beings through their discoveries and inventions. Thomas Alva Edison is one of them. He was born in 1847 at Port Huron, Michigan in America. His mother sent him to a school at the age of seven. One day his mother, Mrs. Nancy Edison, came to school to meet his teacher. The teacher said to her, “I am sorry, your boy seems to be back ward. He simply does want to learn.” This shocked her and she said, “What nonsense! Tom is a very clever boy. I shall teach him myself.” It brought to an end the short school career of Thomas Alva Edison. He had been going to school just for two months. Mrs. Edison soon taught Thomas (Tom) to read and write. After that, she let him learn according to his taste. Before he was ten years old, he was reading books which were studied at universities. His favorite subject was science .he turned the cellar of his home into laboratory. He performed all kind of experiment there. The telegraph had just been invented by Samuel Morse. Tom was more interested in that than anything else. The idea his teacher was wrong. He proved himself to be a clever scientist. While still a young man, Thomas Alva Edison earned more than 140,000 American dollars with his inventions. Many more followed. By the time he died, Thomas Alva Edison had written 2500 books with notes each containing 300 pages. In 1876, Thomas Alva Edison set up laboratory at Menlo Park. His first job at Menlo Park was to improve the telephone for western union which was a great telegraph company. The telephone had just been invented by Alexander Graham Bell. It was a clumsy instrument and could only be used over short distance. Thomas Alva Edison improved it in two years. The western union made tests over a line of 140 miles long. The tests were successful and the western union paid Thomas Alva Edison 100,000 dollars. Thomas Alva Edison, then, turned to another invention. It was the Phonograph, which was later on called the Gramophone. One day he called his workman. He gave him a sketch and said, “Make me that machine”. The workman stared at the sketch with notes beside it. He said to Thomas Alva Edison, “what is it for, boss! It does not seem to make sense”. Thomas Alva Edison smiled and said, “You will see when you bring it back to me”.

the wizard of Menlo park