The life of Sir J. J. Thomson, O. M. : sometime master of Trinity College Cambridge / by Lord Rayleigh.

  • Rayleigh, John William Strutt, Baron, 1842-1919
Date:
1932
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The life of Sir J. J. Thomson, O. M. : sometime master of Trinity College Cambridge / by Lord Rayleigh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    R. Threlfall to J. J. Thomson, from Hoffman House, Broadway, New York. April 13th, 1889: I have been to Edison’s place twice. Edison is a capital fellow him¬ self and looks rather like pictures of Napoleon 1st. All one hears about his working three or four days and nights at a stretch is quite true: he has about 100 assistants, and manages, I hear, to keep them working all night too very often. His laboratory is a splendid building like a factory and very like one, and his store room is filled with samples of everything that has ever been manufactured in the way of material. He tells me that in (/7b I think it was) he did a lot of things that Hertz has been doing (he told me some details) and thought he had discovered what he calls ‘etheric force’ (he is quite ignorant). These experiments he published in the ‘New York Tribune’ of all places in the world (July 1876) and was prevented from following it up by Silvanus Thompson telling him that it was merely ‘ common ’ induction. He seems to have used a detector very like Hertz’ with the spark points under a microscope. I will try to get a file of the Tribune and follow the matter up. Edison to this day has not the least notion how things work. In fact I don’t know what most to wonder at—his modesty or his ignorance, but anyway he is a charming person.... . . .[Brown and Sharpe’s] best thing is their milling machine and grinding machinery. If ever you want one get this. I am going to get one, the thing will do everything but talk. By the way, Edison’s new phonograph is ridiculously successful. I never knew what a disagree¬ able voice I had till I tried one of these machines: there is a big works where they make them; the workmanship, is stated to be perfect and is. . J.J. Thomson to Mrs H.F. Reid: Trinity College. Sept. 2.6th, 1886. I was fortunate enough to be near a place [in Wales] where there was a wonderful collection of curiosities... of a kind that are very difficult to come across. The house was in a country place, and a local auctioneer sold—he was the best seller I ever saw in my life. The way he egged on the bidders against each other was most amusing to watch. He would say ‘Now Sir James,* say the twenty pounds, that will frighten him’ and then when Sir James had said it he would turn round to another bidder, and say ‘Now Captain Jebb, I never saw you beaten before. Say guineas, you will never feel the difference.’ Captain Jebb by the by had been weak enough to bring his wife to the sale, and as * The names have been altered. R.