HiDee Again, Neighbor-Bro Ben!

A few Mid-Course Corrections to the Edison Story.

He didn't invent DC. Battery-Powered DC was around lots-earlier than his Experimenting. One of TE's earlier jobs was in a Telegraphy Firm...where he was to keep up the Chemistry in the Batteries-Used. He experimented with The Formula-"Recommended" & ended up with an Explosion...& also Got Fired.

He DID believe in an Edison Dynamo for Every City Block/was "Ethically Opposed" to AC. So..(since ALL the early Pioneers for Indoors Electricity had to do)..when he hit the Chautauqua Circuit, he'd invite each city's Dogcatchers to bring in all their Excess Pooches for him to Electrocute. "26 Dogs at Once" was his "Record"...& on one Occasion, he AC'ed a Rogue Elephant into The Hereafter. (All to show "How DEADLY" AC Current WAS..& keep Geo. Westinghouse's Idea of an AC Generation Plant for Each City..at-bay.)

He described his Zap-'till-Dead AC Process as "Westinghousing" the Victims. He also suggested to Reporters who viewed his first electric chair that they call it "The Westinghouse".

AC and DC developed sorta Independently from each other in the ever-growing Cities at the Turn of the Century. DC powered all the VERY Popular Trolly Cars/Edison bought up a LOT of early Electric Co's to GET many-a-patent/made a Bundle because of it.

AC powered most ALL the Lighting...for carbon arc lighting..in most cities..before Tungsten Filaments bit-by-bit replaced them.

Politics determined what Appliances EACH City needed made-for-them...&..for instance, Turn of the Century Chicago had mostly DC Appliances inside The Loop where the Trolleys ran, and mostly AC outside The Loop. (& it varied What Voltage, as-well, City by City.) Further-Out, MOST farmers ended up with their OWN Power Plants...32-35 Volts DC was the most common..with a small Gasoline Motor running the Generator. (I own a '20-30's Era Westinghouse...100V DC..weighs a LOT..heh!)

Took 'til 1933's Rural Electrification Act to spell the Death Knell for DC Domestic Powering. That year the US went on a 110-115V 60 Cycles AC system, coast to coast..& farmers slowly shed all their DC Stuff. DC current barely flows over a MILE along a Power Line. AC...Transformer it UP...then DOWN..and you can go for MILES & Miles..as they do, today.

Edison Electric made its OWN Fans separate from Edison GE...most ALL are DC/Ran from a Box of Ceramic Jar Acid-Lead Batteries..4 known DC Fan Models..maybe a few more (A spring-hung-Phone-Booth Fan recently turned up)..AND he made ONE AC Model, too...(Quite RARE & Collectable...since..Ol' TAE never really much LIKED AC..heh~)

A Vignette to your Edison Cylinder: As sales of his Cylinder Record Players declined, & flat lacquer Records took-over, he then marketed "The Ediphone" as a Secretary's Best Friend, for taking Office Dictation. (Back to Wax, again!) These sold into the 1930's..maybe even the 1940's. (With nice li'l AC Motors inside 'em~)

Best Wishes & 'Nother Big Guy-Hug,
Stan