mp-fixtures--all were vital parts of the
whole system. Most of them were utterly novel and unknown to the arts,
and all of them required quick, and, I may say, revolutionary thought
and invention. The firm of Babcock & Wilcox gave aid on the boilers,
Armington & Sims undertook the engines, but everything else was
abnormal. No factories in the land would take up the manufacture. I
remember, for instance, our interviews with Messrs. Mitchell, Vance &
Co., the leading manufacturers of house gas-lighting fixtures, such as
brackets and chandeliers. They had no faith in electric lighting, and
rejected all our overtures to induce them to take up the new business
of making electric-light fixtures. As regards other parts of the Edison
system, notably the Edison dynamo, no such machines had ever existed;
there was no factory in the world equipped to make them, and,
most discouraging of all, the very scientific principles of their
construction were still vague and experimental.

"What was to be done? Mr. Edison has never been greater than when he met
and solved this crisis. 'If there are no factories,' he said, 'to make
my inventions, I will build the factories myself. Since capital is
timid, I will raise and supply it. The issue is factories or death.' Mr.
Edison invited the cooperation of his leading stockholders. They lacked
confidence or did not care to increase their investments. He was forced
to go on alone. The chain of Edison shops was then created. By far the
most perplexing of these new manufacturing problems was the lamp. Not
only was it a new industry, one without shadow of prototype, but the
mechanical devices for making the lamps, and to some extent the very
machines to make those devices, were to be invented. All of this was
done by the courage, capital, and invincible energy and genius of the
great inventor. But Mr. Edison could not create these great and diverse
industries and at the same time give requisite attention to litigation.
He could not start and develop the new and hard business of electric
lighting and yet spare one hour to pursue infringers. One thing or the
other must wait. All agreed that it must be the litigation. And right
there a lasting blow was given to the prestige of the Edison patents.
The delay was translated as meaning lack of confidence; and the alert
infringer grew strong in courage and capital. Moreover, and what was the
heaviest blow of all, he had time, thus unmolested, to get a good st