Greg, et.al. -- The fact that Morgan contracted Edison to invent metered power
is the reason he dropped research on the phonograph like a hot potato in 1878
and plunged full on into the light bulb, etc.
Wifey started out in life with a degree in psychology and a job as a state-paid
social worker. Her specialization was in vocational testing. In order to make
ends meet, she took a part-time second job at a credit call center. Within a
short time, the credit people offered her a full-time job at better pay, enough
she could actually live on. That was 35 years ago . . . the rest is history.
She started out with the best intentions, but couldn't live on a social workers
salary. She's not a CEO and while well-paid, is pretty far down the GE totem
pole. She is gone out of state all week long and only home on weekends, not a
life-style we recommend to anybody. She would be the first to agree with you
about over-paid executives. Nothing you say would offend. As Edward Abbey
wrote: Capitalism: Growth for the sake of growth -- the ideology of the cancer
cell. We're both old hippies. John
From: gbogan...@charter.net
To: phono-l@oldcrank.org
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Interesting Edison item on Craigslist
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:59:39 -0500
John,
You may be right about J.P. Morgan contracting with Edison for a metered
power invention. I know that Edison spent time developing several systems
for metering DC power (quite different from the present system we use for
metering AC power). He came up with at least one system that involved an
electro-chemical meter that essentially plated one metal from one electrode
to another. By weighing the electrodes, the amount of current passing thru
the meter could be determined. Edison did a lot of development work under
contract. In fact, Edison is remembered today among the technically
oriented establishment as the inventor of the research and RD laboratory
concepts. Before Edison, technical research was primarily done by
independent inventors like Edison. His primary motivator in his career was
inventing. He always referred to himself as an inventor, not a scientist or
engineer. Toward that end, he developed tools and procedures that aided in
inventing things. When he was able to accrue enough funding, the natural
evolution of that disposition was to invent the invention shop. At Menlo
Park and again at West Orange, he had people employed for the sole purpose
of researching ideas (pure research) and in trying to find ways to employ
those ideas in the making of practical products (research and development).
He was the first employer to do this in history, and thus became the
inventor of the RD laboratory.
I'm sitting here biting my tongue so that I don't say anything more on
the subject of executives at big corporations. Such as the fact that CEO
actually refers to the CRIMINALLY EXCESSIVELY OVERPAID.
I forgot to comment earlier on the price of that Edison dynamo on
Craigslist. There are collectors of early electric motors and related
paraphernalia who would probably know much better about the worth of this
piece. But I have seen such items go for this kind of price on eBay. I'm
sure its value depends on its particular model and condition, but this is
probably a ballpark value for it these days.
Greg Bogantz
- Original Message -
From: John Maeder appywan...@hotmail.com
To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l@oldcrank.org
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 4:20 PM
Subject: RE: [Phono-L] Interesting Edison item on Craigslist
Greg -- I am actually under the impression that Edison was approached and
contracted by J.P. Morgan to invent metered power and the practical
applications thereof. Speaking of one of the biggest cash cows in Murkan
history . . . my wife is (grudgingly) an executive with GEMoney (formerly
GE Credit)! John
From: gbogan...@charter.net
To: phono-l@oldcrank.org
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Interesting Edison item on Craigslist
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:17:18 -0500
That's an Edison motor-dynamo. The design of it would date to the
invention
of the incandescent lamp in 1879 or thereabouts, so the 1882 patent date
is
probably right. Edison had to invent the entire power generation,
distribution, and consumer product line of products right along with the
lamp to ensure that there was a market for the lamp products. He
literally
had to invent the entire market for distributed-power electricity in the
home and much of industry and small businesses. Most people either don't
know this or have forgotten it in all the hoopla over the lamp and the
phonograph. Unlike Rockefeller and Vanderbilt in his own gilded age, and
Bill Gates, Rupert Murdock, and all the other fat capitalist pigs of our
modern Second Gilded Age (have YOUR wages kept up with inflation?
Murdock's
has
